The G-scale Model train at the Living Desert Zoo and Gardens
The G-scale Model train at the Living Desert Zoo and Gardens
Immerse yourself in more than 3,300 feet of track laid for 8 different loops as train on the Bighorn Railroad come and go. Our G-scale model train sits on ¾ of an acre and offers unique views such as the Grand Canyon, Rocky Mountains, and even Old Indio. This large layout allows us to run 19 or more lines at one time. The trains are designed to operate during day or night and offer a luminous addition to our Wildlights event too. The trains run with one full time staff member along with a crew of 25 volunteers.
The G-scale Model train is open daily throughout the year. During summer months we may run fewer lines due to the heat.
The Living Desert was established in 1970 by several trustees of the Palm Springs Desert Museum who foresaw the impact that resort development would have on their local desert ecosystem. This foresight led to an interpretive nature trail and preserve in Palm Desert. Among the trustees was Philip L. Boyd who also founded the Riverside campus of the University of California and the Deep Canyon Research Station in Palm Desert. Among his first tasks was to hire a resident naturalist. This person turned out to be a young woman with energy, intelligence and ambition, as well as experience as a zoo keeper and park ranger, plus graduate work in wildlife biology.
Karen Sausman was President and CEO of The Living Desert for forty years. The vision that built The Living Desert and the love of the desert shared by Phillip Boyd, Karen Sausman, our members, volunteers, staff, trustees, and friends, will be carried forward by our current President/CEO, Allen Monroe.
For nearly five decades, The Living Desert has been engaged in the important work of preserving, conserving and interpreting the desert and all its varied plant and animal life. Even as we take immense pride in our accomplishments over the last 50 years, we remain as dedicated as ever to the goals that initially inspired us when we first began operations in March of 1970.