East of Southern California, far from crowded highways and the polished surfaces of its major cities, lies a landscape that feels disconnected from the California many people imagine. There are no palm-lined boulevards here, no beaches filled with surfers. Instead, you encounter abandoned buildings, improvised communities, and colours painted directly onto the dust and sand of the desert.
Three places sit relatively close to one another: Bombay Beach, Salvation Mountain, and Slab City. Individually, they appear as unusual destinations. Together, they create a portrait of a landscape where decay, creativity, and human persistence exist side by side.
Bombay Beach sits along the shores of the Salton Sea, California’s largest lake. The area was originally developed as a holiday destination during the 1950s and 1960s. Expectations were high – tourism, marinas, and economic growth were meant to follow. But the story took a different turn. Rising salinity and environmental challenges changed the future of the region, and many of its buildings were left behind.
Today, the traces remain. Abandoned homes, rusting structures, and art installations have become part of the landscape. Some places feel like the remnants of a vanished dream of prosperity; others resemble deliberate attempts to create new life from what was left behind.
A few kilometres away, a sudden burst of colour interrupts the uniform desert landscape. Salvation Mountain rises like a man-made hill covered in paint, biblical messages, and vivid shapes. The work was created over several decades by Leonard Knight, who began building it in the 1980s.
From a distance, the mountain seems almost unreal. Amid dust, heat, and dry earth, a landscape of blues, reds, yellows, and greens stands as a visible expression of personal conviction. It breaks with the harshness of its surroundings and introduces an element of hope and persistence.
Behind Salvation Mountain lies Slab City.
The area was built on the remains of a former military base, where only the large concrete foundations – the so-called “slabs” – were left after the buildings were removed. Over time, the site became an unofficial gathering place for people seeking an alternative way of life.
There is no traditional city plan here, no central streets, and no clear boundaries between private and public space. Homes have been created from trailers, wood, metal, and reclaimed materials. Artworks and handmade signs are scattered throughout the landscape.
For some, the place represents freedom from rules and fixed structures. For others, it appears as a symbol of social marginalisation or a society without clear frameworks.
Bombay Beach, Salvation Mountain, and Slab City share more than geography. They share a particular atmosphere. These are places that seem to exist outside the familiar stories of success and progress. They feel raw, unfinished, and at times contradictory.
Perhaps that is exactly why they capture my attention.
