The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway Hike to Mt San Jacinto is a great way to bag Southern California's second highest peak without a huge effort. It's still a tough 11 mile hike, but nothing like climbing to Mt San Jacinto from Palm Springs or Idyllwild. The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway cuts about 8,000 feet of climbing off the hike, and offers a nice base station where you can grab a beer and bite after your summit. A really fun and insanely beautiful hike.