Palm Springs Aerial Tramway - A Wheelchair Accessible Guide with Pictures

 Palm Springs, CA

April 2023

I made reservations for dinner near the top of a mountain buried in six feet of snow. For those not familiar with the Palm Springs region, San Jacinto Peak rises to almost 11,000ft. above sea level and over 8,000ft from the surrounding desert, making it the sixth most prominent peak in the lower forty-eight states. While you can reach the lofty summit by trail, I decided to take the easy path and booked a ride on the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway.

The tram takes riders from the valley to near the top in just 12 1/2 minutes. The station was completely accessible with an elevator to bypass the entrance stairs and the tram attendant had Kellisa board first which always makes it easier for everyone involved. The tram is 1 of only 3 in the world that rotates while ascending and descending the cables giving riders 360-degree views. Kellisa's favorite parts were when the tram passed over the support towers because the tram rocked and bounced more than usual. Everyone enjoyed her infectious giggles.

Once on top, we enjoyed the vast views, and Kellisa loved throwing snowballs at me. It didn't take long to get a little chilled and we went inside the mountain station. Kellisa warmed by the fire while I got our dinner. Our meal was hearty, and the atmosphere of the Pines Café was second to none. 

Before catching the second to last tram down for the night, we took one more look at the now fully lit valley far below. The tram attendant filled our ride back down the mountain with classic rock songs blasting from the speakers. Kellisa and most of the riders enjoyed singing "Sweet Home Alabama" in the darkness. 

Gondolas, Lifts, & Trams

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Bajada Trail

 Joshua Tree National Park

April 2023

Our third trail in the southern section of Joshua Tree National Park was the Bajada Trail. 

We found the natural surface trail to be fully accessible just as the park's website claimed. The trail was wide and barrier free with minimal slope. This is the type of trail we love, especially when Kellisa is touring in her wheelchair instead of her specialized trail chairs. If we had one complaint, it would be that the loop trail was only a 1/3 of a mile long. We did spend 20 minutes on the trail as we stopped at bench for a few minutes, read the interpretive signs, and took many pictures as we took in our beautiful desert surroundings.

This is an example of a perfect ADA accessible natural surface trail...we just wish it was longer! 

TRAILS

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Cholla Cactus Garden Nature Trail

Joshua Tree National Park

April 2023

The Cholla Cactus Garden Nature Trail is not considered "Accessible" but we decided to check it out anyway even though we only had Kellisa's travel wheelchair with us. We left her off-road specialty chairs at home for this trip. We were filled with immediate optimism when we saw a couple disabled parking spots near the start of the trail. We knew we would at least try this trail when we saw the beginning section was wide and despite being natural, the surface appeared to be solid. 

After unloading Kellisa and her chair, we read the trail signs, including a warning not to touch to Cholla Cactus due to stinging barbs that can easily detach and embed in your skin. We had no reason to doubt the park's signs describing the removal of these barbs as extremely painful. 

The trail is a short 1/4 mile loop and we weren't sure if it would be accessible the entire route, but we were eager to find out. The trail passed through 10 acres of Cholla Cactus and they were quite close to the trail, but it was always easy to avoid touching them. The trail had a couple of short boardwalks over what I assume to be occasional washes. These were easily navigated with Kellisa's chair because they had very minor height differences from the trail.

We traveled in a counterclockwise direction around the loop and found the only real obstacle for a wheelchair towards the end when there were a few decent sized rocks scattered along the path. It looked like these rocks were kicked or placed on the trail, maybe by children? They definitely looked out of place. There weren't many and they could easily be kicked to the side of the trail. Since I could wheel Kellisa around these rocks without disturbing them, I decided to leave them how we found them since I couldn't be absolutely sure they didn't belong in the middle of the trail.

With the exception of the above mentioned rocks, we found the trail accessible. I'm not sure what is keeping the trail from being designated as accessible, but we would love to see the minor improvements take place so more disabled visitors could enjoy this beautiful trail through one of the few Cholla Cactus gardens in Joshua Tree National Park. 

TRAILS

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Cottonwood Visitor Center Trail

 Joshua Tree National Park

April 2023

Kellisa and I enjoyed the wildflowers on display along the main park road on our way to the Cottonwood Visitor Center in the southern section of the Joshua Tree National Park. We needed to fill up on water, which included buying a new water bottle because I forgot mine in the hotel room. We were directed to the water fountain which doubles as the sinks in the bathrooms. Very weird and I question the water quality, but it was our only option and since it's been two months, I'm confident we didn't get any stomach ailments. We also enjoyed looking around the small gift store and collecting our Passport Stamp.

We found a small, unnamed trail starting between the visitor center and bathroom building. The surface was heavily compacted gravel that we found sturdy enough to for Kellisa's wheels. The trail had small descriptions of some of the local flora. The total length was just over .1 of a mile, so you were in constant sight of the visitor center and sound of the main park road. Not exactly peaceful or quiet, but it was a nice introduction to the park. 

Longer trails were calling our names.  

TRAILS

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Living Desert Zoo and Gardens - Wheelchair Accessibility

Glow in the Dark

Palm Desert, CA

April 2023

Kellisa and I had a few days to explore the Palm Springs region of California. Our first stop and adventure would be the Glow in the Dark event at the Living Desert Zoo and Gardens. Our tickets were for an 8pm entry and we arrived a little early since it was our first visit. All the disabled parking spots were taken, but we were able to find an end spot which made lifting Kellisa out and back into the rental SUV easier than a boxed in regular spot.

Visitors could see the colorful glow in the crisp nighttime air before entering the zoo. There was a noticeable buzz of excitement from children and adults alike. By purchasing our entry tickets in advance, we were able to bypass the ticket windows and proceed directly to the zoo where we were greeted by the first of hundreds of hand-crafted lanterns lighting up the zoo. A large dragonfly garden was the first to grab Kellisa's attention and the bubble machine had children of all ages enthralled. 

We spent the next two hours wandering through the entire zoo watching animals in natural habitat exhibits going about their evening routines. Visiting a zoo at night-time is a completely different experience because animals are often on the move away from the heat of the day. The downside is it's a little more difficult to observe animals in the evening light, but Kellisa had no trouble following the larger mammals. The zoo even has an accessible carousel, but Kellisa was too busy wheeling around to stop and take a spin. Next time!

But the highlight of the visit was the unique lanterns which came in all colors and sizes. They weren't limited to one area as they were consistently placed throughout the entire zoo. Not surprisingly, Kellisa was most attracted to the large snake and chomping alligator lanterns. Even in the darkness, we found the zoo accessible without any obstacles other than an occasional kid running around or an aimlessly wandering adult trying to find the best selfie spot. Kellisa has visited many zoos and this was definitely one of the most unique experiences. I anticipate we will be back the next time we're in the area.

ZOOS

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