The Salton Sea. It’s a poetic name for a place that is neither poetic nor a sea.
The landlocked body of water in the California desert is actually the state’s largest lake, a saline-filled depression in the earth with a higher salt level than the Pacific Ocean and a story that reads more like science fiction than geology. In just a little over a hundred years, the Salton Sea transformed itself from accidental creation to resort destination to environmental hazard to ghost town.
It takes about three hours to reach the Salton Sea from San Diego. Herb and I leave the house early, hoping to arrive at the Visitor Center by 10 a.m. We head northeast toward Palm Springs and California’s popular desert resort towns, traveling on Interstates 15 and 10 past rather uninspiring scenery and typical highway exits for gas and fast food. But when we turn south on Highway 111, the view dramatically changes, and we find ourselves on a two-lane road lined with railroad tracks on the east side and dusty brush-filled desert on the west.
Shortly before reaching the Salton Sea, the scruffy brown desert turns into farmland, like the The Wizard of Oz changing from black-and-white into a burst of color. We pass fields of luscious green lettuce and forest-like rows of spectacular-looking date palm trees. It turns out that this part of California’s Coachella Valley and Imperial Valley produces more dates than anywhere in the U.S.
A Little Salton Sea History
We turn off the road at the Visitors Center, a modest red brick building run by the California Department of Parks and Recreation. A friendly volunteer offers to show us a ten-minute film about the Salton Sea’s history, but cautions that it was made in 2017, when the sea was still used for some level of recreation. “You will see kayaks,” she told us. “And you will see where the water level used to be.”
The Salton Sea was formed in 1905 when floodwater from the Colorado River broke through a nearby irrigation canal and poured into a formerly dry lakebed called the Salton Basin. The canal was repaired, but the sea remained, an “endorheic” body of water having no outflow to a river or ocean and losing water only through evaporation or seepage into the ground. At 15 miles wide and 35 miles long, the Salton Sea was an impressive sight that continued to thrive from Colorado River water runoff used by local farmers for irrigation.
The area’s wetlands became a key stop for birds migrating from Alaska to Patagonia on the “Pacific Flyway” route. And in the 1950s and ‘60s, the Salton Sea became a popular destination for people – a recreational area offering watersports, boating and fishing. Neighborhoods of vacation homes, shops, marinas, and nightclubs sprang up along Bombay Beach, a spot where Frank Sinatra famously performed.
But in the 1970s, the Salton Sea began shrinking, revealing a muddy sea floor contaminated with pesticides from the agricultural run-off. Toxic chemicals from the sea floor created a harmful powdery dust that spread through the air. Fish and birds died. Salinity levels rose to dangerous levels. The vacation destination disappeared, leaving behind a ghost town of its former self.
Bombay Beach
Back on Highway 111, we drive about 20 miles south along the Salton Sea coast to Bombay Beach. At 223 feet below sea level, it’s the lowest community in the United States. Although about 200 people live here, the place has the aura of a ghost town, a shell of its glory days as a resort destination.
The town is laid out on a four-by-eight grid, with 1st through 4th Streets and Avenues A through H. There are abandoned houses and trailers, broken and boarded windows and yards brimming with discarded items of every imaginable sort. And every block or so, there is art. Somewhere along the way in its rise-and-fall past, Bombay Beach has become a place for eclectic, eccentric artists to showcase their creativity.
We drive a few blocks to the beach, where art installations continue to dot the landscape. Several cars have made a makeshift parking lot on the sand, and we decide to park there as well. I had created a sort of scavenger hunt list of installations I’d hoped to find, not having any idea how spread out they would be. We walk along the beach, taking photos and taking in the scenery. I can’t help thinking what a grand place this must have been.
Salvation Mountain
It’s almost noon when we return to the car. We decide to push on to our next stop before taking a lunch break. Our destination is Salvation Mountain, the main attraction in an “off the grid” desert community called Slab City. We travel 20 miles south on Highway 111 and turn onto Main Street in the town of Niland, passing empty graffiti-covered structures, a food market and what looks like an abandoned bank building complete with ionic-style columns and a wrap-around portico.
Niland’s Main Street becomes Beal Road, a desolate stretch of cracked, worn and bumpy desert pavement, neglected for who-knows how many years. We pass an ironically-located tire repair shop, a power sub-station and a haphazard collection of makeshift tents and structures, driving about five miles until the mountain comes into view.
Salvation Mountain was created by a local resident named Leonard Knight “as a tribute to God and his gift to the world.” Built on a hillside using adobe bricks, discarded materials and thousands of gallons of paint, Salvation Mountain became Knight’s life’s work as well as his home. He slept in a pick-up truck at the base of the mountain, embracing a life in this community with no running water and no electricity. He died in 2016, and today his mountain is staffed by volunteers.
The Lowest Bar in the Western Hemisphere
We retrace our route back to Bombay Beach for a lunch stop at Ski Inn, a place that lays claim to the title of “lowest bar in the Western Hemisphere.” It’s a lively spot, a sort of dive-bar-cum-tourist-destination. The first thing you notice are the dollar bills that cover just about every imaginable surface. As the story is told, the tradition began in the 1950s when vacationers would write their names on dollar bills and attach them to the walls.
We order at the bar – cash only – opting for burgers with a side of fries and potato salad. The bartender says it will take 45 minutes, which seems unusually long, given the availability of tables. We’re quite hungry, but we willingly agree, giving each other a look that says, “When will we have another chance to eat at the lowest bar in the Western Hemisphere?”
We settle into a red vinyl booth reminiscent of another time and place. I find myself thinking that I should be reaching to the wall to flip through song titles on one of those mini juke boxes that once came with a booth like this. There’s also a patio out back with red umbrella-shaded tables, but we prefer to take in the atmosphere inside. The juke box is going strong, conversations are humming and customers keeps streaming in.
The 45-minute wait turns out to be well over an hour and fifteen minutes. Herb tries to figure out the why of the long wait. This isn’t a typical place where a burger is thrown on the grill when it’s ordered, he says, convinced that the cook prepares one complete order before moving on to the next. Herb may be right. But I also have the feeling that people who travel to Bombay Beach do not rush.
And neither, it seems, should we.
What a fascinating – and really quite sad – place, Mary. I can’t believe how long it took for your lunch to arrive and am full of admiration for your patience. Lesser mortals would surely have given up and found an alternative…except, just a minute, there isn’t one! I guess the alternative would be to go hungry?
I had never heard of The Salton Sea until now and I am grateful for you and Herb sharing your impressions. Though I love the open, empty places in your vast country, perhaps The Salton Sea is somewhere I don’t need to experience first hand 🙂
Hahaha, Gill, you are correct that there are no alternative places for lunch! I think the long wait was part of the whole “lowest bar in the Western Hemisphere” experience, and I honestly wouldn’t have missed stopping there. “When in Bombay Beach…” I agree that the Salton Sea wouldn’t be at the top of a list when visiting the U.S. But I would add it to the itinerary if you are in the Palm Springs area. It’s less than an hour’s drive and just incredibly weird and interesting!
One other comment…I would only recommend visiting in the winter months. California desert temperatures soar in the summer, and I don’t think the Salton Sea or Bombay Beach would be especially pleasant that time of year!
Excellent advice, Mary!
😎
My only memory of the largest lake in CA is this: On the maiden voyage of our 1957, orange & black, VW Mircobus, Dad chose the Salton Sea. I vaguely recall being surrounded by desert & a nearby lake. Meanwhile, the Microbus’s back seat was made into a comfy bed for my parents. My 3 yr old bro & 4 yr old me were snuggled down to sleep in the luggage compartment (width wise). THEN, Dad pulled back the sun roof. My wondering eyes beheld a trillion sparkling diamonds in the night sky. I asked,” Daddy! What are THOSE?” He simply replied “stars”. To this day,I love that simple memory of mysterious Salton Sea.
Vanessa, what a fantastic story and a great gift of wonder from your father! Many thanks for sharing here. I especially love your description of a “trillion sparkling diamonds in the night sky.” If only we adults could look at the world more often through the eyes our four-year-old selves! 😊Mary
Hello Mary,
Your adventures continue to Salton Sea, a desolate and eclectic place. There was a documentary about Salvation Mountain and Leonard Knight. It was televised around the time of his passing. I look forward to your next blog!
Kindly, Nancy
Hi Nancy! “Desolate and eclectic” are perfect adjectives to describe the Salton Sea. Herb and I always wondered about it whenever we’d fly into San Diego and see this large body of water in the middle of the brown desert. The Leonard Knight documentary sounds interesting and worth checking out. He must have been quite the character to have survived a life in Slab City all those years. Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts!
Love your photos!!! The sign through the doorway is my favorite! I am a native of the Imperial Valley and I think you captured the essence of this place beautifully. I hope work like yours encourages people to invest in the future of this dying region of California that continues to have its resources exploited and depleted. Lithium has just been found and I can only imagine what will come of that place. Thank you for curating this wonderful collection.
Elle, your lovely comment just made my day…thank you! I’m thrilled that the heart and soul of this unique part of California came across in my photos. It would be wonderful indeed if the area could be invested in and brought back to even a small version of its former glory. And FYI, the sign through the doorway is also my favorite photo.😊
I drove by this area when I was a kid with my family but you have renewed my interest in seeing it. I am going to plan a trip to visit this unique place. Ty
Julie, I’m delighted to have sparked your interest in revisiting the Salton Sea. I love hearing from readers who were there when it was a prime vacation destination. Best of luck with your travel plans, and many thanks for stopping by The Modern Postcard!
Salton sea was a favorite fishing spot for my dad. We camped there in our tent trailer. As young kids we didn’t have much to do, just read and ride our bikes but dad loved it.
Deborah, thanks so much for sharing here. When we visited the Salton Sea, I was trying to imagine what the area must have been like in its glory days. How wonderful that you were able to experience it while it was still pristine and a place for kids to enjoy being outside!
I visited there as a child in the 60’s. I remember the clay seabed and I fashioned some sort of object from it, took to my elementary school and had it fired then painted it. Don’t know if I still have it. I can’t speak to anything else other than wading into the water, my feet sinking as the clay seabed oozed through my toes, then floating in the buoyant water.
What a wonderful story and great childhood memory, Jeff! Many thanks for sharing. It’s fascinating how images from long ago remain with us; even if we can’t remember the details, we remember the feelings. And it’s so interesting that you thought to create your own souvenir…I hope you find it one day!
will the salton sea ever be back to a destination town?
That’s a great question, Nicholas…thank you! I think it’s unlikely that the Salton Sea will ever return to the destination it once was without a massive environmental clean-up effort. There is great awareness, and some work has been done, but it’s a long haul. It’s a fascinating place to visit, and I found myself imagining what a great vacation spot it must have been.
Hi Mary, thank you for your wonderful and fun article about the Salton Sea and the area around it. I am fascinated by the “sea” and am actually camping along its shores as I write this! There is just something mystical about this place but in a sad melancholy sort of way!
I want to think that the lake is not polluted and that it will somehow be ok but I think I’m kidding myself. I stopped at the state park visitor center and there is a new movie made in 2023 which paints a fairly pretty picture of the situation. Of course the recent talks of lithium farming has probably put some hope into the area but I don’t know how or if that will help the lake and its wildlife.
I asked the state park attendant if it’s safe to kayak and she said “absolutely ” as if it were the most pristine lake in the world! I do have my kayak with me but I don’t think I will be launching it here anytime soon even though I would love it, I just don’t think it’s a good idea.
I also walked by the old yacht club and marina at North Shore. It was open which really surprised me but turns out it is smartly being used as a Community Center for the residents and their children. In talking with a few locals, it appears that they are just making the most out of a bad situation and continue to live here even though they know there is an ongoing danger to their health and their children’s health due to dangerous toxins in the air from the evaporating lake.
I know that the state of California is aware of the dangers of airborne pollutants here and I believe there is a committee working on addressing the issues and putting cleanup efforts into place. I just hope and pray that the Salton Sea could somehow be restored to what could be a healthy and productive body of water. But I think it would take a miracle.
“Mystical in a sad melancholy sort of way…”I just love that, Shari! Thank you so much for sharing your profound thoughts and experiences about the Salton Sea. How fun to read a “live” report, too! I think you were wise not to kayak; it sounds like the park attendant on duty when we were there was far less optimistic than the woman you describe. Let’s hope that a permanent cleanup solution can be reached before even more time passes. It would be wonderful if what once *was* can be transformed into what now *is.*
My parents were, snow birds, in their later years and left Northern California to head to Salton Sea every winter. They loved the place, and this was when it was in its heyday. They went in their motorhome and met up with all the friends they only saw at wintertime. I was only there once when my stepdad had a heart attack and Mom didn’t know how to drive the motorhome. This was in the last part of the sixties and I would describe it as interesting. I loved seeing all of your photos.
Charly, thank you so much for sharing your story. It’s fascinating to imagine what the Salton Sea was like in its days as a vacation spot where people returned year after year. I’m sorry your visit was because of a your stepdad’s heart attack. What a frightening experience, and how great you could come to the rescue. I’m delighted to know you enjoyed the photos – quite different from the late sixties’ Salton Sea of your memories, I’m sure!
Salton Sea is where I learned to water ski has a child (10-11 years old).
It was probably 1965-66. The place was beautiful then.
My parents had friends that owned a place there and asked us to come stay for the weekend with our boat. I only have fun memories of being there, but now I’m wondering about any health concerns, since I was swimming and waterskiing in that water!
Thank you for all the pictures and information.
C
Colleen, what a wonderful memory of learning to water ski in the Salton Sea! Many thanks for sharing here. From what I learned, the water quality wasn’t an issue in the early “heyday” years when you were there. But later on, it became a different story. That billboard of water-skiers from Bombay Beach may have been from the time of your visit!😊
I have a lot in Salton sea and am wanting to sale it. i do not live in area anymore and actually out of state. I was trying to find the price range for lots and am not sure where to look.
Vicki, I would probably start with realtor.com to get an idea of pricing in the area. That might lead you to a real estate agent who could help with assessing your specific lot and location. I’m sure it’s a challenge being out of state, but if you find someone who really knows the are, you should be able to get a fair price. Best of luck!
I so enjoyed your posts as I was unaware of the Salton Sea and its glory days. Hopeful that one of the many zillionaires will contribute to its clean up and safe restoration. It would be a lost treasure if not!
Denise, thanks so much for your kind comment. I love your term “lost treasure” – a perfect description of a place that is already slipping away. It would be wonderful if someone or a group of someones could step up and create a plan to restore this special place in California history.
Nice article and photos, thanks. Yesterday I finally got to visit the Salton Sea, after nearly 20 years of wanting to do so! (I don’t live in California.) We only stopped at the recreation area visitor center, which unfortunately was closed. Despite reading warnings, and against my better judgment, we wandered out onto the beach. It was not nearly as smelly as I’d heard, maybe because there was very little wind. It smelled a bit like the ocean. But it was beautiful, and I’m so glad we were able to check it out.
After doing quite a bit of reading on how this place formed, and how it’s declined, I am struck by how utterly man-made a this disaster this is. And at this point, since there’s no money to be made in fixing it, it seems like it won’t be fixed. I wish I could have seen it in the heyday, especially when the Beach Boys played there! (I wonder if that’s really true…)
That sign that reads “THE ONLY OTHER THING” — they have the same one at the Palm Springs art museum.
Disco, I love that you made it to the Salton Sea after wanting to visit for so long! Many thanks for sharing your experience and insights here. I’m delighted to know that you enjoyed the story and photos…it’s one of those places I still think about, and I imagine I always will. I agree about wishing I could have seen it in its heyday – what a setting for Beach Boys music, indeed! Thanks also for the tip about the sign in Palm Springs. We will be traveling there soon, and I’ll be sure to look for it!