One of the world 's greatest engineering feats is in Palm Springs . The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway brings visitors from the floor of the valley to the top of Mount San Jacinto , 8516 feet ( 3000 metres ) up ! The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway , considered to be one of the greatest engineering feats of the 20th Century , takes visitors from the valley floor to the San Jacinto Peak mountain station 8516 feet ( 2595 m ) above sea level .