ATAJO: The Palm Springs That Never Was

Last year, Eric Chiel brought the Salon “It’s About Time: Palm Springs’ Curious Relationship With Time and Time-Keeping”. On January 21st, Eric returns with another obscure-but-fascinating bit of local history, “Atajo: The Palm Springs That Never Was”.

In the early 1970s, a visionary and driven land developer convinced Palm Springs City Council to annex 34 square miles of pristine wilderness in the Santa Rosa mountains, rising in elevation from 500 to 5000 feet. The approved development plan called for an 18-mile long series of residential communities themed to their altitude - from desert to alpine. It was called Palm Springs Atajo and the addition of its cooler climates was seen as a way to make the city more attractive for year-round residence, travel, and recreation.

Meticulously planned and boldly marketed, Atajo was nevertheless doomed to spectacular failure and its collapse still echoes today. This is its story.

As usual, the Salon will take place outdoors at the Desert Star.

Please bring a bottle of your preferred beverage or a snack to share. (Refreshments are not provided by S4P; the cost of the ticket covers insurance and event setup.)

Also, save the dates of our next Salons:

• 2/25/26: Jacques Caussin will present about beaux arts
• 3/18/26: Andy Cohen - "mistaken identity"
• 4/15/26: Terry Hastings will present about local modernist artists

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