Any time I can combine the beauty of nature with a bit of history and feats of engineering, I’m already interested. So this episode of California’s Gold is another of my favorites; and even though I’ve never visited Palm Springs in my life, after watching Huell riding the tram up Mt. San Jacinto I’m ready to go experience it for myself. I never would have imagined such a beauty spot located right in the middle of the Southern California desert!

The San Jacinto Mountains are one of the most impressive natural wonders in our entire state. No other mountains on this continent rise so high so fast – in slightly less than seven horizontal miles, the peak rises from 800 to 10,804 feet above sea level!

But these mountains hold another distinction as well. They are the site of two of the greatest engineering accomplishments ever attempted by man.

(Click on the linked image below to see the video.)