District 6 Field Representative Justin Chapman will present his award-winning 2024 book about Paradise Springs, a historic mountain retreat that evolved from a 1920s hedonistic playground for Hollywood stars to a modern French glamping resort, at 11 a.m. on Saturday, June 7, at the Linda Vista Library.
The presentation aims to illuminate the paradoxical history of a site whose history reveals its past incarbations as both a debaucherous hideaway and a spiritual sanctuary.
Paradise Springs, a secluded Southern California retreat nestled in Fenner Canyon, has evolved through dramatic reinventions since its 1910 founding by Pasadena attorney Louis Luckel.
The free event, sponsored by the Linda Vista Associates, begins with a coffee gathering at 10 a.m. on the patio before Chapman’s presentation at 11 a.m. The program is restricted to ages 18 and older.
Paradise Springs’ colorful past includes hosting Prohibition-era parties for celebrities like Charlie Chaplin, Gloria Swanson and William Randolph Hearst during the 1920s. Under the ownership of the Beery brothers, the hedonistic mountain retreat charged $250 per weekend—approximately $4,000 in today’s currency—and featured an opulent lodge with a 45-foot redwood bar and orchestra stage.
The property’s Jazz Age heyday included legendary parties with bootleg liquor, gambling and secret trysts. Chaplin famously built a winding staircase in actor Noah Beery’s cabin for clandestine affairs, while Hearst allegedly orchestrated nine arson attempts to sabotage the rival venue.
A devastating 1938 flood destroyed much of the original resort, leading to its transformation into Big Rock Creek Camp, a family-friendly Christian camp with strict bans on alcohol and dancing. The site remained a faith-based retreat for decades before French glamping company Huttopia acquired it in 2017.
Now operating as Huttopia Paradise Springs, the 71-tent resort charges between $220 and $450 per night for canvas tents. The property preserves its Hollywood heritage through attractions like the meticulously preserved Charlie Chaplin cabin, where guests can stay overnight.
Pasadena journalist Chapman’s award-winning 2024 book chronicles this century-spanning legacy, exploring how the site evolved from an elite hunting and fishing escape with portable tents to its current status as a high-end glamping destination.
Chapman brings extensive credentials to his historical account as an award-winning journalist, author, travel writer, actor, director, producer, editor, poet, musician, and politician. He is also described as a golfer, snowboarder, skateboarder, soccer player, and father.
The Linda Vista Branch Library is located at 1281 Bryant St. in Pasadena.
