Estes Park Aerial Tramway - Estes Park, CO - travel through the air over the mountains

The Estes Park Aerial Tramway is located in Estes Park, Colorado at 420 East Riverside Drive. Robert Heron was the designer and builder of the tramway. He had gained an interest in them during the 2nd World War. The engineering company that employed Mr. Heron was contracted by the 10th Mountain Division was hired to design a portable tramway to use in Germany and Italy.

Mr. Heron began studying the tramways in Europe and became fascinated with the capability and design of tramways. Estes Park Aerial Tramway use a free span design meaning there are not any towers supporting the ropes between the top and bottom stations which is based on the European design for them. The tramway at Estes Park opened during July 1955 to the public and has been safely serving the public since.

Since the opening of the Estes Park Aerial Tramway it has seen over three million passengers. The Heron family still owns and operates the Tramway at Estes Park. The tramway takes passengers over a thousand feet vertically in under five minutes and takes passengers up to two hundred feet over the mountain providing an amazing view. Cars go up as other cars go down pulled by a fifty horsepower motor to ensure that anyone wishing to get to the top or back down to the bottom of the mountain can do so with ease.

The Estes Park Aerial Tramway has two ten passenger cabins suspended from wheeled carriages on cables that are 1 3/8 inches thick. The cables weight almost six tons and are fastened in concrete with steel anchors buried in the granite at the top terminal. The bottom terminal has a fifty thousand pound counterweight to keep the tension on the cables constant and assist in assuring their safe operation.

Prospect Mountain's top can be reached by the tramway. Outdoor ceremonies can be held here with the guests enjoying a view of the mountain. There are natural amphitheaters that occur with the rock outcropping and can accommodate anywhere from five to twenty people at a gathering. The top of the tram is close to one site and the others are less than a mile away.

There is no charge to use the site at the top of Prospect Mountain. The groom and bridge ride the tram free of charge. The date is marked to ensure the site is prepared for the group; group members are taken up in cars. It is recommended that guests arrive early in order to survey the surrounding area. Weddings are planned by the park's wedding association.

Anyone visiting the Estes Park should make it a point to use the Tramway to travel to the top of the mountain. The view from the mountain is breathtaking making it the perfect place to hold a romance filled wedding. Anyone requiring additional information about the rates and hours for the tramway should contact Estes Park directly. Directions to the facility and arrangements for groups can be made by contacting the staff as well.