Eisenhower Mountain towers 1,952 feet above Eldorado Country Club, the oldest residential country club in Indian Wells, and the desert home of President and Mrs. Dwight D. Eisenhower.
"Ike" and Mamie spent many winters beneath the peak, enjoying the sun, golf and breathtaking desert scenery. Eventually, local residents started referring to it as "Eisenhower's Mountain."
The name became official in 1973, through the efforts of The Living Desert, whose preserved wilderness met the western base of the mountain. Supported by Eldorado Country Club, Eisenhower Medical center, Palm Desert Community Church, where the Eisenhowers worshipped (sic), and the cities of Indian Wells and Palm Desert, The Living Desert petitioned the Federal Board of Geographic Names. With Mrs. Eisenhower's consent, the name "Eisenhower Mountain" was approved for federal use.
In the same year, The Living Desert received permission from the Bureau of Land Management to lease the west slope and build a nature trail up the side of the mountain. The City of Indian Wells subsequently purchased the 640-acre slope from the Bureau, for $2.50 an acre, in order to conserve its natural beauty and establish it as an addition to The Living Desert. The Eisenhower Mountain Nature Trail interprets the peak's unique rock formations and plant and animal
life and gives hikers a spectacular view of the rugged mountains and the Coachella Valley.
On October 14, 1976, General Eisenhower's birthday, Eisenhower Mountain and its newly completed trail were dedicated. The same day marked the beginning of a 69 year lease of the west slope to The Living Desert.
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