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FeedThe Palm Springs Aerial Tramway:
An Elevated History
People watch as a tram car pulls into the mountain station on opening day in 1963.
PALM SPRINGS LIFE ARCHIVES
Imagine being whisked from the baking heat of the dry desert floor to the refreshingly cool climes of a pine-studded forest in a matter of minutes. Francis F. Crocker did, three-quarters of a century ago.
In 1935, Crocker was a young electrical engineer with a dream. Standing at the foot of the magnificent San Jacinto Mountains, he envisioned a series of towers and cables pulling a tramcar approximately 5,900 feet up the sheer cliffs of Chino Canyon to Long Valley in the San Jacinto Mountains, more than a mile in elevation gain. Crocker, raised in Colorado, had witnessed the transportation of mining materials in mountainous areas using cars, so why not people?
Initially, Crocker’s enthusiasm fell largely on deaf ears, but for a select few. O. Earl Coffman, manager of the celebrated Desert Inn, believed in Crocker’s dream and signed on as chairman of the attraction’s planning committee. Coffman, who had moved to the desert area with his family as a young man, spent much of his time riding horseback deep into the San Jacinto Mountains from the Idyllwild side—an activity demanding considerable time and planning. For him, easy access to the mountains was a necessary luxury.
Even though she was just a young girl, Kitty Kieley Hayes, Coffman’s granddaughter, recalls her grandfather’s excitement about the possibility of tramcars connecting the desert to the mountains. “He thought it would be just wonderful,” she remembers, “a place for people who came in the early fall or late spring to get out of the heat.” At the time, Kitty notes, Palm Springs was primarily a winter town because of the lack of evaporative coolers or air-conditioners.
Coffman got behind the project almost immediately, joining forces with other visionaries, including Pasadena attorney Henry Lockwood, The Desert Sun publisher Carl Barkow, Philip Boyd, the first mayor of Palm Springs.
“My grandfather lobbied a lot of politicians and people in positions of authority,” Kitty continues. “They spent a lot of time going to Washington, D.C. and to Sacramento.” Coffman also invited influential folks to the Desert Inn and took them on extended tours of Palm Springs, always promoting the tram project.
The onset of WWII and a veto by then California Governor Culbert Olson put the skids on the plans, yet Coffman, Crocker, and others continued the quest. “The war obviously put everything on the back burner, but my grandfather never lost interest,” says Kitty. “The tram was always at the forefront.”
Kitty remembers a model her grandfather kept in the Desert Inn’s lobby representing the section of mountain proposed for the tram. “It didn’t reach all the way down to Chino Canyon, but you could kind of see where it was,” she says. “And he had a little model of the car.”
When WWII ended in 1945, the work began in earnest. Interested parties formed the Mount San Jacinto Winter Park Authority, of which Coffman was the first chairman. Governor Earl Warren signed a new tram bill that year, after it passed the California state legislature. Private revenue bonds in the amount of $8.5 million financed the ambitious project.
Construction began in 1961. For 26 months, helicopters made thousands of missions, perilously navigating narrow canyons, transporting men and materials needed to erect four of the five towers and the 35,000-square-foot mountain station—all without incident. The construction feat garnered the project the moniker of “eighth wonder of the world” and an eventual designation as an historical civil engineering landmark.
On September 12, 1963 —almost 30 years from the day Francis Crocker first gazed up Chino Canyon —the dream became a reality when the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway’s doors slid open for the first time offering an inaugural private ride to a select group of dignitaries. “Governor Pat Brown and his wife, and my grandfather and a whole bunch of other people went on it. We, his family, didn’t even get to go on it that day,” Kitty recalls with a soft laugh.
The tram invited the public to ride on September 14, 1963, and 18-year-old Kitty attended. “I was so excited because my grandfather had lived for this,” she says. “I was in awe of the views. We went up, it seemed, so quickly. The ride was smooth. It was absolutely spectacular. The mountain station had amazing views of the valley. That day it was really clear, and my dad pointed and said to me, ‘You can almost see all the way to Arizona.’”
The ride is a thrilling experience, propelling you through five life zones in a 17-minute jaunt to the top. “It’s comparable to going from Mexico to Alaska,” notes Lena Zimmerschied, Public Affairs Manager for the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, “and offers the novelty of seeing snow in the desert.”
The introduction in 2000 of the world’s largest rotating tram cars catapulted the attraction into the must-see realm of tourist destinations, increasing both the attendance and revenues by attracting new and repeat visitors.
Today, the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway is easily one of the most popular desert attractions, with more than 16 million riders making the trip up the mountain since the tram opened in 1963.
Even during the height of an economic downturn, the tram’s numbers remained healthy. According to Zimmerschied, attendance increased slightly over the last fiscal year.
“We are taking advantage of the good media prices and increasing our advertising throughout the Southern California market,” she explains. “We are also trying new media outlets and partnering with others in the valley, which allows us to stretch our advertising dollars. We also survey our guests regularly and see upward trends for overall customer satisfaction, good entertainment and admission value.”
The tram is popular in all seasons, from snowball fights to sunny hikes. “Winter is the most popular season at the tramway because of the snow,” Zimmerschied says. “Visitors are often surprised that they can swim, or play golf in the morning and make a snowman in the afternoon.”
There’s a lot to offer visitors in the summer as well. You can explore 54 miles of hiking trails, or take advantage of ample camping and picnicking areas within the 14,000-acre Mount San Jacinto State Park and Wilderness Area. There are also ranger-led programs, guided hikes, an annual snowfall contest, and family days with activities for kids. In addition to two dining options at the top of the tram — Pines Café and Peaks Restaurant — there are also beautiful viewpoints, movies about the tram’s inspired creation, and a natural history exhibit.
During the summer months, there is a discounted Summer Pass available, generally valid through August (call for exact dates). Pass holders enjoy unlimited Tram rides and a 10 per discount on additional Tram admissions, as well as discounts at both restaurants.
As for what the future holds for the desert’s most uplifting attraction, Zimmerschied acknowledges there’s been discussion over the years of expanding either the valley or mountain stations. “New ideas for the tramway are always coming up,” she says.
For more information call 888-515-8726 or 1-760-325-1391
Palm Springs Aerial Tramway
One Tram Way
Palm Springs, CA 92262
Phone 760-325-1391
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