Our group got up early to get to the Palm Springs Aerial Tram by 7:30 am to purchase tickets for the ride up. Parking at the tram is $8. All of the tickets were sold out online for the 8 am tram so this is the only option we had. There was another large group hiking this peak and had online tickets, but we still got up and starting this hike by 8:30 am.

The tram takes you up to 8000 ft, which if you are prone to altitude sickness, can be hard when you start hiking without acclimating. About less than a half a mile was the ranger station to fill out the day permit to hike. You put the blue permit in the box and you return your copy of the permit to the return box when you come back.

The hike is about 5.5 miles to the top and it goes up through rock trails and large pine forests. Make sure you take breaks to acclimate because you gain about 2500 ft and feeling lightheaded is common. There is a campground at Round Valley, two miles from the tram. There is water in streams and at the campground, but you have to filter it before you drink it.

When you reach the hut, the rock climb begins to get up to the sign that marks the summit. I suggest wearing gloves and proper shoes to help climb. The view is fantastic and you can see San Gorgonio and Mt. Baldy in the distance.

It was a beautiful and clear day to do San Jacinto! It was tough because of the altitude, but we kept pushing on!