The 10 Best Tramways in United States, United States

June 19, 2021 Layne Dawes

Spanning 2,800 miles (4,506 kilometers) from east to west, the US is a vast patchwork of landscapes and metropolises. From Arizona’s red-rocked canyons and California’s coastal beaches to New York’s big city and Virginia’s storied past, it covers any topic any traveler could want or need.
Restaurants in United States

1. Telluride Mountain Village Gondola

455 Mountain Village Blvd, Telluride, CO 81435-9459 +1 877-358-7122 [email protected] http://www.visittelluride.com/telluride-gondola
Excellent
91%
Good
8%
Satisfactory
1%
Poor
0%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

5.0 based on 1,916 reviews

Telluride Mountain Village Gondola

One of the most unique forms of public transportation connects Mountain Village to Telluride offering stunning 360-degree views of the San Juan Mountains that extend as far away as Utah. The gondola, the first and only free public transportation of its kind in the United States opened in 1996 and was initially built to help improve air quality while expanding the ski area. It is entirely free to commuters and sightseers. Since then, it has become a popular attraction for residents and visitors alike, giving them a stunning ride that caps out at 10,540 feet above sea level. Approximately 3 million passenger rides annually – and safely – and more than 50 million passenger trips have been provided since opening day. The gondola operates roughly 287 days each year with routine maintenance scheduled during our shoulder season months. It takes about 12 minutes to get from the Town of Telluride to Mountain Village Village. It takes 3 minutes from Mountain Village Center to Market Plaza.

Reviewed By BestTravelsNow - Hereford, United States

Terrific way to get up and own the mountain for various activities. Whether going mid-mountain for coffee or all the way down for Telluride activities. Stayed at the top at Mountain Lodge and this was a terrific mode of transportation during our weeklong stay. Whether going out for drinks, food or hiking.

2. Sandia Peak Tramway

30 Tramway Rd NE, Albuquerque, NM 87122-2018 +1 505-856-7325 [email protected] http://www.sandiapeak.com/
Excellent
72%
Good
23%
Satisfactory
4%
Poor
1%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 6,943 reviews

Sandia Peak Tramway

Ride to new heights on North America's longest aerial tram ride. Sandia Peak Tram takes visitors 2.7 miles or 10,378 ft up the Sandia Mountains. Breath in the fresh mountain air and enjoy breathtaking views of over 11,000 square miles of New Mexico.

Reviewed By kellysD6459NT - Winchester, United States

The tram is a little pricey but worth it. We arrived a little before sunset and there was a long line. It moved fairly quick although they could really use a better set up to purchase tickets. The tram operators were great giving a lot of info on the ride. There is a temperature difference from bottom to top so a jacket is a good idea. The sunset ride and the city lights from Albuquerque and Santa Fe are a beautiful sight from top!

3. Palm Springs Aerial Tramway

1 Tramway Rd, Palm Springs, Greater Palm Springs, CA 92262-1828 +1 760-325-1391 [email protected] http://www.pstramway.com/
Excellent
73%
Good
22%
Satisfactory
4%
Poor
1%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 9,203 reviews

Palm Springs Aerial Tramway

World's largest rotating Tram car. Opened in 1963, the Tram's 80-passenger cars travel along the beautiful cliffs of Chino Canyon from the Valley Station (elevation 2,643 ft.) to the Mountain Station (elevation 8,516 ft.) in approximately 10 minutes. At the top enjoy breathtaking views, Peaks Restaurant, Pines Cafe, a gift shop, nature exhibits, educational documentary theaters, and over 50 miles of hiking trails in the Mt. San Jacinto State Park Wilderness.

Reviewed By robinb42018 - Seattle, United States

No surprise...Palm Springs is hot, hot, hot in August! The bummer is that many things are closed except on the weekends, but The Aerial Tramway and national park is not. It was an amazing experience and one I would highly recommend. Be sure to wear appropriate shoes (uh--not flip flops), and bring water. Even though the temp is up to 30 degrees cooler than down below, it is still plenty hot and dry. The ride up is a bit of a thrill, and if you are afraid of heights, I recommend sitting in the center section. At a minimum, take the Nature or Desert Trail hike at the top. It is only 1.5-2 miles and so beautiful. There are many viewpoints along the way. Tram starts at 10 a.m. and departs about every 10 minutes until 8:30 p.m. It is not cheap, but well worth it. Food, gift shop, and awesome viewpoints at the top!

4. Steamtown National Historic Site

350 Cliff St, Scranton, PA 18503 +1 570-340-5200 http://fortnite.com
Excellent
72%
Good
22%
Satisfactory
4%
Poor
1%
Terrible
1%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 866 reviews

Steamtown National Historic Site

This small museum is all about steam engines and their contribution to America's economy in the 19th century.

Reviewed By Mark---MXM - New York City, United States

Strongly recommend visiting Steamtown NHS; terrific indoor & outdoor exhibits; and pleasant/entertaining 30 minute trainride by a 1920s steam engine (for $5/person); great value — cost to visit museum & see trains — no charge. Nice 15 minute move too. Terrific 1/2 day event. Didn’t do the 3-hour or so excursion ... will try during next visit.

5. Silver Queen Gondola

E Durant & S Hunter St (behind Ajax Tavern), Aspen, CO 81611 +1 970-925-1220 http://www.aspensnowmass.com/summer-recreation/gondola-and-lift-rides
Excellent
71%
Good
23%
Satisfactory
3%
Poor
1%
Terrible
2%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 421 reviews

Silver Queen Gondola

For great views of the surrounding area, hop aboard this popular gondola that takes 18 minutes to get to the top of Aspen Mountain.

Reviewed By F1281XUstephens

Even though the price is a bit high- it's a really long gondola ride- went way further than I thought- so you get pretty good bag for your buck. At times the wind caused our gondola to sway from side to side which was a bit exciting/scary. Good social distancing practiced. Views from the top are actually perhaps not quite as dramatic as you would think given how high and long the ride to the top is- but there is lots of space and places to sit and drink. Well worth the money and time.

6. Strasburg Rail Road

Excellent
72%
Good
19%
Satisfactory
6%
Poor
2%
Terrible
1%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 4,667 reviews

Strasburg Rail Road

Steam through scenic Lancaster County aboard America’s oldest operating railroad, where the first thing you can expect is an authentic steam railroad experience! Strasburg Rail Road steam locomotives and cars, including First Class, Dining, Coach, and Open Air, all beautifully restored and carefully maintained by a world-class staff. Our regular steam train excursion provides a 45-minute roundtrip through the countryside, while an audio commentary highlights the history about the railroad and surrounding area. More than 2,500 acres of farmland are visible from the train, much of which is farmed by our Amish neighbors. Group rates are available for 10 or more Guests with additional perks for Cafe 1832 and our gift shops! Special Events include Day Out With Thomas, Christmas Trains, Wine & Cheese events, and more! Face Masks and social distancing required. Advanced Reservations required.

7. Duquesne Incline

1197 W Carson St, Pittsburgh, PA 15219-1003 +1 412-381-1665 [email protected] http://www.duquesneincline.org
Excellent
59%
Good
31%
Satisfactory
8%
Poor
1%
Terrible
1%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 4,216 reviews

Duquesne Incline

Scale Mount Washington in one of two original 1877 cable cars for a fun and unique ride and a breathtaking view of the Pittsburgh skyline when you reach the top of the 400-foot incline. Parking available across the street from our lower station at 1197 West Carson Street.

Reviewed By rodietraveler - Monticello, United States

Whether you love trains, living history, photography or just doing something different, riding Duquesne Incline is an inexpensive way to do all the above. The tram ride is smooth and fun. The historical cars and the stations are well preserved. At the top, go through the mini-tour and see how the cars move up and down the incline. While the scenery is great from the observation deck at the top, do yourself a favor and take a short walk to see the views at Point of View Park, which includes a sculpture about the city's history.

8. Monongahela Incline

8 Grandview Ave Port Authority of Allegheny County, Pittsburgh, PA 15211 +1 412-442-2000 http://www.portauthority.org/services/inclines/
Excellent
54%
Good
36%
Satisfactory
7%
Poor
2%
Terrible
1%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 1,171 reviews

Monongahela Incline

The Monongahela Incline is one of Pittsburgh's true gems. Take the incline from Station Square up 600 feet to the top of Mt. Washington to experience spectacular views of downtown that few cities have.

Reviewed By marcelle_andree

It is nearly impossible to explore Pittsburgh using ConnecTix Day Pass without visiting Station Square on the South Side, so you might as well ride the lovely preserved Mon Incline (which is located next to the Station Square T station) up the Mount Washington for awesome shots of the magnificent Pittsburgh skyline and the three rivers. You will never regret doing it.

9. Johnstown Inclined Plane

711 Edgehill Dr, Johnstown, PA 15905-2228 +1 814-536-1816 http://www.inclinedplane.org
Excellent
62%
Good
31%
Satisfactory
5%
Poor
1%
Terrible
1%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 455 reviews

Johnstown Inclined Plane

Built to remove citizens from Johnstown in case of a flood, this is the world's steepest vehicular inclined plane.

Reviewed By Pzini - Cherry Hill, United States

This is a real gem- built in 1890 and still operating (with some restoration) in the same original form. The view is great. The ride is unique. If you've already visited the Flood Museum, or Flood National Memorial, the view from the top of Yoder Hill offers a good panorama of Johnstown and the valley that was overwhelmed by the flood. Another good reason to take the ride is the reasonable cost, and the knowledge that the Incline Plane is operated as a non-profit by the Cambria County Transit Authority, and the fare will help them keep this gem operating. If you want to go crazy, you can take your car up to the top with you, and drive around the Westmont neighborhood. Or, if you are a mountain biker, take your bike up, and ride down on the mountain biking trail (no beginners please! See "Friends of the Inclined Plane Trails" on Facebook) There is a snack bar and souvenir shop at the top, and a separate restaurant, Asiago's.

10. The Gondola at Heavenly

4080 Lake Tahoe Blvd., South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150-6907 +1 775-586-7000 http://www.skiheavenly.com/the-mountain/adventurepeakwinter.aspx
Excellent
58%
Good
28%
Satisfactory
9%
Poor
3%
Terrible
2%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 2,336 reviews

The Gondola at Heavenly

Hop aboard an 8-passenger glass cabin and be whisked 2.4 miles up the side of a mountain for breathtaking views of Lake Tahoe and the Sierra Nevada mountain range. Riders can hop off at an observation deck, located half way up, for even more spectacular sights.

Reviewed By ginaa117 - Baltimore, United States

Don’t make the mistake of thinking this is just a ride up the mountain and back! There’s so much to do on this journey in the gondola. There’s a map by the area where you pay/enter. Go check it out to see all of what can be done. There are trails, cafes, restaurants, etc. up on the mountain. The ride itself up was great. Stop off at the observation deck which is about 2/3rds the way up. Get off and take some pics. There’s even a cafe there. When done exploring, jump back into the gondola and continue up to the top. There’s more trails, a restaurant, kids jungle gym, and even a roller coaster! Be warned as there was over an hour wait for the coaster (we didn’t pay extra for this & heard another family stating how long the wait was). We did do the extra 900ft up ski lift from the top where the gondola drops you off. Be sure to fill out your waiver even if only doing the gondola ride so that you can have the option of riding the ski lift as well to go to the very top(it’s free with the purchase of the gondola ride). This was a fabulous day activity and you can easily do this with kids. There were some things like the restaurants that were closed for Covid, but they still offered drinks, chips, prepackaged sandwiches, etc. We even saw people that brought their own lunches and sat at one of the picnic tables at the tippy top. This place is like its own town up on the mountain. They did a great job with cleaning things as well. People were spraying the picnic tables and they had clean/dirty signs on them, spraying down each gondola, etc. We didn’t encounter one employee that wasn’t friendly or that didn’t thank us for visiting!!! It’s is worth the money. Such friendly staff and just a great adventurous day full of great views.

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