Composer Van Heusen bought a secret desert mountain that became a Rat Pack lair

High above Yucca Valley in California’s high desert, Rattlesnake Ranch built its reputation less through its appearance than through the famous people who once gathered there. Composer Jimmy Van Heusen bought the secluded mountaintop in 1963, looking for the privacy that Palm Springs could no longer provide.

Van Heusen was a four-time Oscar winner whose songs included “Come Fly with Me,” “Call Me Irresponsible” and “All the Way.” His professional and personal friendship with Frank Sinatra placed him close to the world later associated with the Rat Pack. As Palm Springs grew more popular with Hollywood figures and tourists, Van Heusen moved farther into the desert and chose a mountain overlooking Yucca Valley.

The finished retreat became known as Scenic Mountain, JVH Ranch and eventually Rattlesnake Ranch. Its isolation suited Van Heusen’s bachelor lifestyle and kept guests away from photographers, neighboring homes and Hollywood insiders. The ranch became associated with visits from Sinatra, Bing Crosby and President John F. Kennedy.

The property’s remote setting helped turn it into a Rat Pack escape. Guests could arrive, stay and party away from public view, giving the ranch a reputation far larger than its location. Van Heusen’s connection with Sinatra was especially significant: Van Heusen helped define the singer’s catalog, while Sinatra remained one of his closest friends and collaborators.

After years of decline, the once-secret hideaway is now being restored as a luxury rental. The renovation offers a new generation a glimpse of the desert retreat and the Hollywood circle that made it part of Rat Pack history.