🇺🇸Presidents in the Desert: From Winter Retreats to Permanent Homes 🌴

Greater Palm Springs has always drawn a certain kind of visitor. Hollywood royalty, captains of industry, and yes, real royalty, have all found refuge in the Coachella Valley’s warm winters and wide-open skies. But few stories sparkle like those of the U.S. presidents who have walked these fairways, slept under these stars, and in some cases, called the desert home.

The Presidents Who Lived Here

Only two presidents can truly be called Coachella Valley residents: Dwight D. Eisenhower and Gerald R. Ford.

• Dwight and Mamie Eisenhower first sampled Palm Springs in the 1950s at Smoke Tree Ranch, but after leaving office in 1961, they purchased a home at Eldorado Country Club in Indian Wells. There, Ike spent winters golfing and painting, relishing a quieter life. Mamie continued to use the home even after his death in 1969.

• After leaving Washington in 1977, Gerald and Betty Ford moved to Rancho Mirage’s Thunderbird Country Club. They made the desert their permanent base for nearly three decades. Betty’s legacy continues through the Betty Ford Center, a cornerstone of the community since 1982. Ford is still remembered locally as the “Rancho Mirage President.”

The Valley as a Presidential Playground and Diplomatic HQ

While only Eisenhower and Ford owned homes, many other presidents have visited. Some quite often.

• John F. Kennedy made a dazzling appearance in 1962, greeted by thousands of valley residents before retreating to Bing Crosby’s ranch in Thunderbird Heights.

• Lyndon Johnson met with Mexico’s President López Mateos in Palm Springs in 1964, highlighting the desert’s role as a diplomatic stage.

• Richard Nixon was a frequent guest at Sunnylands, the famed Annenberg estate in Rancho Mirage.

• Ronald Reagan also visited Sunnylands, extending his long California ties into the desert.

• George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama all visited Sunnylands, underscoring its nickname as the “Camp David of the West.”

• Herbert Hoover, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Harry Truman each visited Palm Springs in earlier decades, setting the precedent for the presidential desert getaway.

• Most recently, Joe Biden came to the eastern Coachella Valley in January 2025, though his public event was scrapped by high winds.

• Donald Trump held a campaign rally near Coachella in 2024.

The Persistent Obama Rumor

For years, whispers have floated through real estate circles and country clubs: that Barack and Michelle Obama quietly purchased a home in Rancho Mirage after leaving the White House. The talk has centered on gated communities like Thunderbird Heights, where celebrities and power players seek discretion. While the Obamas have vacationed in the desert and were photographed at Sunnylands and Thunderbird, no public record has confirmed an actual home purchase. Still, the rumor refuses to die—adding another layer of mystique to the desert’s presidential lore.

Why the Desert?

So what draws presidents to this place? The obvious answer is climate: warm, dry winters with endless golf. But it’s more than weather. The valley offers a rare combination of seclusion and glamour. Palm Springs is close enough to Los Angeles for easy access, yet distant enough to afford privacy. Resorts, clubs, and estates like Sunnylands provide security alongside desert