What is actually happening with the Wyler Aerial Tramway
Closed since 2018, funded at roughly $27 million, and still not something you can ride. Here is the honest timeline.
Every few months a visitor asks us the same question: can I ride the tramway up Ranger Peak? The answer is still no, and it has been no since 2018, when safety concerns took the gondola out of service.
The good news is that this is no longer a story about neglect. The state appropriated $20 million to rebuild the site, and another $7 million followed in the most recent legislative session, putting the project near $27 million. The Camino Real Regional Mobility Authority is overseeing the work.
The timeline, as it stands
- Phase 1 — expanded parking, accessibility improvements, upgraded restrooms and site amenities — has been targeted for completion around fall 2026.
- Phase 2 — the tramway itself, plus a visitor center and trails — comes after, and still depends on several million dollars in additional fundraising through the Texas Parks & Wildlife Foundation.
Officials have been plain that the ride returns a few years after Phase 1 wraps, not immediately. Anyone telling you it opens this winter is guessing.
What to do instead
You can get the same view, today, for free or close to it:
- Scenic Drive at Murchison Park: five minutes of effort, the full city-and-Juárez panorama.
- McKelligon Canyon: drive into the box canyon, or start a real hike from the trailheads there.
- Franklin Mountains State Park at Tom Mays: the ridgeline views the tramway only hints at.
When the tramway does come back it will again be the only aerial tramway in Texas, and it will be worth the wait. It is just not a plan for this year.