Interesting side trip... Slab City and Salvation Mountain

[Desert_Captain]

Just returned from a 5 day trip to San Diego and Borrego Springs. on the way home heading east out of Borrego Springs we detoured to the tiny little town of Niland southeast of the Salton Sea.

Niland is home to a truly unique adventure. Located 4 miles northeast of town on very poor but paved road you enter the realm of Slab City. Hundreds of dilapidated {disintegrating} trailers and what were once RV's of every description cover the barren landscape. Billed as one of the last places that freedom still exists it is home every winter to a special class of "snowbirds".

At the entrance to The Slabs" as it is known you will encounter Salvation Mountain and it is definitely worth a stop. Google it for details but for 31 years a man lived off the grid building his ultimate shrine to Christianity.

Colorful does not begin to describe what thousands of gallons of bright paint applied to the barren landscape can accomplish:

[img][/img]

[img][/img]


Always wanted to see this amazing spot and we're glad the opportunity finally presented itself. Not much in Niland but breakfast at the Buckshot Cafe was decent.

:B

Not having any luck posting the pics I took... must be another Photobucket fiasco but I'll keep trying.

[STBRetired]

Interesting coincidence. Got this link in an email this evening.
Slab City

[MrWizard]

i haven't been there
but i know 'articles' have appeared over the years mentioning it
they also mentioned there are various sections
and that one or more RV groups would set up camp in a section all together in a group area, i think 'loners on wheels' had a winter camp there
could be all these people moved out to Quartzite instead

[Deb_and_Ed_M]

Desert Captain wrote:


I have no desire to return and would never spend any time snowbirding there but it was a very interesting place to visit {that I had been hearing about for years raising the curiosity factor} and am glad we took the time. I shared this experience here so that others can be made aware of what's out there and make their own call about whether or not to visit.

As always... Opinions and YMMV

:B

It sounds like a year-round "Burning Man"....LOL!

[Beentherefixedt]

rockhillmanor wrote:

Billed as one of the last places that freedom still exists it is home every winter to a special class of "snowbirds".

A place that Freedom still exists? They are all nothing more than a bunch of squatters, homeless druggies. And to liken them to Snowbirds? Give me a break.

What they have done to destroy this area over the years is simply disgusting. It WAS at one time a nice place to stop at and boondock.

It certainly is no longer a safe place to stay. The squatters have no electric, water or sewer. Just where do you think all that daily waste from those people is going??

IMHO I find it sad and disturbing that any RV'er would want to make an unsafe homeless drug infested area as a destination trip. :R

I agree with much of the above. This IS NOT about FREEDOM. It is about avoiding responsibility, It is about poverty. It is about neglect. And I am sure there is a drug element there like almost everywhere else in America. And Rural America is on the front lines of that drug epidemic. The health concerns alone need to be addressed. The Children are a real concern too.

With every freedom comes a corresponding responsibility...it is the responsibility part that is missing from the Slabs.

[JimK-NY]

My last stay was 2015. I guess it could have changed

[2gypsies1]

We stayed a couple nights in the early 90's & it wasn't anything like it is today.

[JimK-NY]

You people act like Slab City is some sort of leper colony. I would guess many of you have never visited or if you did you stopped at Salvation Mountain and drove through Slab City with the windows up and the doors locked.

Slab City is no where near as bad as you imagine. Sure there is drug use which is not much different than middle America suburbia. There is not a whole lot of drug pushing and related crime. After all the market is more than small. As to other crimes, well it is a small community. It is pretty easy for the community to identify and deal with thieves and other criminal behaviors.

Next time consider rolling down the windows, get out and visit at least a couple of the businesses. Meet some people. You will find all sorts there including those down on their luck, those who just want to be left alone, plenty of characters and left over hippy types. Stay a couple of nights, listen to the music performances. You might just learn something and open your mind and hearts to different types of people with different lifestyles.

As to other "services", there are outhouses, water is available at least for hauling or for a fee, and there is even a bathing area within a short walk. Sure there is plenty of left over trash in some areas. Some of the residents consider it building materials. Others removed it from their claimed areas. Others don't care. In a way it is a refreshing alternative to the neurotic suburban fixation with weed free grass.

[azrving]

In East Jesus they are going in a bucket then composting it and growing their vegetables in it. Salad anyone, what could go wrong.

[Desert_Captain]

To correct a couple of things recently posted...

I stated that it is "Billed as one of the last places that freedom still exists and is home every winter to a special class of"snowbirds". I posted this after seeing a number of large signs that said so and whether or not you agree a good many of the locals feel strongly about this representation.

I can assure you there are a number of actual, real honest to God Snowbirds residing out there some with fairly new to very new RV's. IMHO: Not everyone at the Slabs is deserving of your scorn. As I suggested in my first post, Google the area and you will find a number of articles describing Slab City, The Slabs and the Salvation Mountain as a popular Snowbirrd
area for most of the upcoming winter.

I have no idea who actually owns the land and who is responsible for the horrible condition of most of it. Not my Circus, not my Monkees...

I have no desire to return and would never spend any time snowbirding there but it was a very interesting place to visit {that I had been hearing about for years raising the curiosity factor} and am glad we took the time. I shared this experience here so that others can be made aware of what's out there and make their own call about whether or not to visit.

As always... Opinions and YMMV

:B

[2oldman]

rockhillmanor wrote:
squatters have no electric, water or sewer. Just where do you think all that daily waste from those people is going??

They go to Niland for water and hopefully, dump. I've never seen any signs of black water dumping or smelled it.

[westernrvparkow]

jplante4 wrote:

2gypsies wrote:
I agree with the above post.... it's sad to see children living in this environment. There's no future for them.

They'll probably be better adjusted than some trust fund baby that went to private school their entire life with no contact with non-caring parents.

Statistics say otherwise. There is a direct correlation between socioeconomic status and crime. People who live below the poverty line are much more likely to both commit and be victims of crime. 2gypsies is correct, the children living at the Slabs have a tough road ahead and their parents aren't doing them any favors.

[2oldman]

jplante4 wrote:
They'll probably be better adjusted than some trust fund baby that went to private school their entire life with no contact with non-caring parents.

And got elected.

[rockhillmanor]

larry cad wrote:
Fascinating photos, but, if you think about it, in many ways, it's not a whole lot different than many of our large cities here in America. Check out photos of down town San Francisco, with grafiti, human waste on the sidewalks, people sleeping in cardboard homes, etc. Like I say, not much different than many other areas of our country.

X2
That's what I was thinking too. Take a trip to the Slabs in my RV? Heck all I would have to do is drive to the south side of Chicago or Detroit to experience the same thing.

[jplante4]

2gypsies wrote:
I agree with the above post.... it's sad to see children living in this environment. There's no future for them.

They'll probably be better adjusted than some trust fund baby that went to private school their entire life with no contact with non-caring parents.

[larry_cad]

Fascinating photos, but, if you think about it, in many ways, it's not a whole lot different than many of our large cities here in America. Check out photos of down town San Francisco, with grafiti, human waste on the sidewalks, people sleeping in cardboard homes, etc. Like I say, not much different than many other areas of our country.