A warm and muggy weekend might be a good excuse to finally make that trip to the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway before it closes for almost a month for regular maintenance.
Labor Day, Sept. 7, will be the last day to visit before the tramway closes starting Tuesday, Sept. 8 for its annual maintenance. It is tentatively scheduled to reopen at 10 a.m. Monday, Oct. 5.
What Palm Springs tramway will work on during the closure
During the monthlong shutdown, the inside of the tram cars will be repainted and the carriage of one cabin — the part that supports the cabin as it rides along the track ropes — will be rebuilt. Switzerland-based technicians will also perform the tramway's annual service on its controls system. Annual testing for its state permit will be conducted as well.
The annual closure gives the maintenance
team time for work that helps keep the tramway safe, reliable and enjoyable for visitors, General Manager Nancy Nichols said in a statement.
What to know before you go
Expect a noticeable temperature drop on the way up Mount San Jacinto. The tramway is forecasting a high of 59 degrees Friday, Sept. 4 and 56 degrees Saturday, Sept. 5 and Sunday, Sept. 6, with wind gusts ranging from 21 to 29 mph.
So, yes, bring a jacket. (The highs down in the valley those days should be about 40 degrees higher: 99, 98 and 96 degrees, respectively.)
Weekday service starts at 10 a.m., while the first tram up leaves at 8 a.m. on weekends and holidays, which includes Labor Day. The last tram up is at 8 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
Tickets cost $36.95 for adults, $20.95 for children ages 3 to 10 and $33.95 for seniors. Children 2 and younger ride free but still need a boarding pass, which is only available the day of the visit at the tramway's ticket booth. Anyone younger than 16 must be accompanied by an adult.
Visitors can pair a round-trip tram ride with a meal at Pines Café after 4 p.m. through the Ride 'n' Dine ticket, which costs $45 for adults and $31.50 for children.
The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, which opened in 1963, operates the world's largest rotating tram cars. The 80-passenger cars climb more than 5,800 feet of elevation in about 10 minutes, traveling along the cliffs of Chino Canyon from the Valley Station at 2,643 feet to the Mountain Station at 8,516 feet.
Jennifer Cortez covers education and breaking news in the Coachella Valley. Reach her at jennifer.cortez@desertsun.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Palm Springs Aerial Tramway to close for a month after Labor Day
