How Often Does the Tram Have to Run Before It Belongs to Chino Canyon?

"I hate it when it closes. It's like missing my family." The man who said that to NBC Palm Springs on Monday, October 5, hikes about four miles a day at the top of Mount San Jacinto. He told the station he has been feeding two ravens there for nine years. He spoke to NBC Palm Springs on the day the first car went back into service after a month-long closure.

Most coverage treats the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway as a ride for visitors. The regular who climbs every day is the better model for anyone who owns a home on the Chino Canyon hillsides at Desert Palisades. The Tramway's own pricing points the same way. A Palm Springs address changes what each ride costs, and the season starting now has enough on it to fill a pass.

What the month off was for

The Tram closed Tuesday, September 8, and stayed down through Sunday, October 4. Vice President of Tramway Systems Chris Bartsch described the work this way: "we will be repainting tramcar cabin interiors and rebuilding the carriage on cabin two, which supports the cabin as it rides on the track ropes." The shutdown also covered annual state-permit testing, and Switzerland-based technicians serviced the controls system. General Manager Nancy Nichols said the closure gives the maintenance team time for "important projects that cannot be performed during regular business hours."

That timing matters for anyone planning to ride often. The heavy work is finished before the winter schedule begins, so the cars are freshly serviced for the months when a frequent rider would use them most.

The arithmetic at a Palm Springs address

The posted parking rate at Valley Station is $15 for cars and motorcycles. Palm Springs is on the Tramway's list of local communities that park free, as long as the driver shows photo ID with a resident address when parking. The parking page was last updated in November 2025 and says rates can change, so confirm the $15 figure at the gate.

Fares as of this month are $36.95 round trip for adults, $33.95 for seniors 65 and over, and $20.95 for children ages 3 to 10. The Annual Pass costs $167 for adults and seniors and $97 for children. Both sets of prices include a $2 online processing fee.

The pass pulls ahead on the fifth adult ride. The child pass works out the same way: five child fares come to $104.75, against $97 for the pass.

One perk on the pass does less for a Palm Springs household than it appears to. Annual Pass holders get complimentary parking when they show their photo pass at the gate. A Palm Springs resident with ID already parks free, so for a Desert Palisades owner the pass is worth exactly what the rides are worth.

The pass also comes with conditions. It gives unlimited rides for one year from first use, and that first use has to happen within 30 days of purchase. The ticket has to be exchanged for a photo-ID pass at the ticket booth. A pass bought and used this month runs through the whole winter schedule. Those hours run from October 5, 2026, to May 27, 2027. The first tram leaves at 10 a.m. on weekdays and 8 a.m. on weekends and holidays. The last tram up is at 8 p.m., and the last one down is at 9:30 p.m.

The last 2026 Summer Pass, priced at $85 for adults, was valid only from May 1 through August 31, so it is no longer an option.

Five rides between now and the new year

The fifth ride comes quickly once the fall calendar is laid out in order.

1. Now through the first snow. The annual Snow Guessing Contest opened October 1 and stays open until the first measurable inch of snow. The first ten accurate entries each win four regular admission tickets and a Tram gift, and the earliest postmark breaks ties.
2. Saturday, October 24, 8:45 a.m. The Mt. San Jacinto Natural History Association is running a guided outing called "Mt. San Jacinto Summit, Trail Hike Up, Adventure Hike Return," led by Jack Pansegrau and Kathryn Burrows. The association's Class & Field series is free, and advance registration is required.
3. Saturday, November 7, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. AutumnFest at Pines Café serves a three-course German meal with music from the polka band Bavarian Stew. Tickets are $46 for adults and $32.50 for children ages 3 to 10, and both include Tram fare.
4. November 26 to 29. The Tram runs from 8 a.m. over Thanksgiving Day Weekend.
5. December 19, 2026, to January 3, 2027. Christmas Week hours also start at 8 a.m.

The two holiday stretches matter most to households hosting guests. The ride takes about ten minutes in what NBC Palm Springs calls the world's largest rotating tram cars. It climbs to 8,516 feet and passes through five climate zones, from Sonoran Desert to alpine forest. At the top, temperatures can be 30 to 40 degrees cooler than in the valley. An 8 a.m. car on a holiday morning gets visiting family onto that mountain and back down by lunch.

Dinner counts as a ride

Both restaurants at Mountain Station, Peaks Restaurant and Pines Café, are listed as open for lunch and dinner. The 2026 Peaks lunch menu includes pan-seared salmon at $43, wild mushroom ravioli at $30, a steak sandwich at $25 and a Coachella Date Burger at $22.

The Pines Ride 'n' Dine ticket bundles round-trip Tram fare with dinner at Pines Café and is sold from 4 p.m. daily. Meal service starts at 4:30 p.m., and reservations are not taken. The ticket page lists it at $45 for adults and $31.50 for children ages 3 to 10, including the $2 online processing fee. The dining page lists $43 for adults and seniors and $29.50 for children. The $2 difference matches the online fee. With the last car down at 9:30 p.m., an evening up the mountain fits easily into a weeknight. For anyone keeping count toward the five rides that cover a pass, a dinner trip counts the same as a hike.

Higher up, the rules follow the season

Beyond Mountain Station, Mount San Jacinto State Park sets its own rules. The park page carries a notice dated June 17, 2026, putting the park under fire restrictions. It gives no end date.

Day hikers heading into the State Wilderness need a free day-use permit. Permits are available around the clock on the porch of the Long Valley Ranger Station, and staff may hand them out inside during business hours. One person can fill out a permit for a group of up to 15 that stays together. The group carries the carbon copy and drops the original in the box labeled "Permits." The Round Valley, Wellman Divide and San Jacinto Peak hikes require a permit. The Desert View Trail and the 0.6-mile Discovery Nature Trail do not, though the Discovery Nature Trail is currently marked "Partially under construction."

For current high-country conditions, State Parks says to call the Long Valley Ranger Station at (760) 327-0222. For winter wilderness hiking, it strongly recommends microspikes or crampons.

The Tramway's page for its winter Adventure Center currently shows it as closed, with no opening date posted. When it is open, ski rentals cost $21 a day and snowshoe rentals $18 a day. Hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Fridays and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekends and holidays, and no rentals go out after 2:30 p.m. Equipment is first-come, first-served, cannot be reserved, and renters must be at least 18. The page says status and hours can change, so check it before driving up with skis in mind.

At the foot of Tramway Road

The last stop on the way home is the Palm Springs Visitor Information Center at 2901 North Palm Canyon Drive. It occupies Albert Frey's former Tramway gas station and is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. It stocks maps, souvenirs and Palm Springs apparel, which helps when the house guests from item four on the calendar want something to take home.

If you're thinking about a Desert Palisades home because the mountain is part of daily life here, Benjamin Melendez-Nogueras can talk you through how Chino Canyon properties relate to Tramway Road and to the town below. Request a Private Consultation, and we'll start from how you plan to spend your days here.