Freedom in the Desert

Slab City

From the Salton Sea to Salvation Mountain and Slab City

November 29, 2014

Just past Salvation Mountain is the entrance to Slab City, “The Last Free Place.” Squatters and snowbirds have taken up roost at an old, abandoned military base, once called the Marine Barracks Camp Dunlop. It was shut down back in 1961. Some military servicemen remained after the base closed, and people have been living there ever since. There is no charge for parking or camping. There is no running water or electricity. Just the slabs from the old military buildings remain. The site has been decommissioned and is not managed by any agency.

Slab City Trailer

There are many slabs and campsite areas within Slab City. There is even a church and an 18-hole golf course (in the desert, no grass). One woman started the Lizard Library, where you can borrow, donate or trade books and magazines. It has grown to fill a couple of makeshift rooms, and it is always open to the residents and campers at Slab City. Another Slabber set up a nightclub called The Range. It is a stage between two old buses. Seats were scrounged from old car, bus and theatre seats. They have open mike night and other scheduled entertainment there. I’ve read that they get some good talent playing there on a regular basis.

The Range Night Club

Most of the campsites are marked with a trailer – other sites just have piles of junk strewn about. Some trailers are well kept and others not well kept at all. There is an organization trying to clean up Slab City. During my visit I saw a lot of junk, so I’m not sure how successful they have been. At one time the county tried to come in and make Slab City a fee-based campground, but they couldn’t make it happen. In a strange twist of fate, since Slab City contains a religious monument, Salvation Mountain, it could not legally be converted to a fee-based site. Salvation Mountain saved Slab City and it is what keeps it free today.

Read the rest of the article

Large Scale Road Atlas... Rand McNally Best Price: $2.52 Buy New $85.18 (as of 12:55 UTC - Details)

The Illustrated Route ... Hinckley, Jim Best Price: $59.90 Buy New $70.00 (as of 05:40 UTC - Details)

Outdoor Research Sombr... Buy New $36.05 (as of 11:10 UTC - Details)

Check Amazon for Pricing.

Tags:

$post_author: WP_User Object
(
    [data] => stdClass Object
        (
            [ID] => 5860
            [user_login] => no_author
            [user_pass] => 6581364babeda3eebbeb65d5094e43d1
            [user_nicename] => no_author
            [user_email] => [email protected]
            [user_url] => 
            [user_registered] => 2013-07-08 16:44:09
            [user_activation_key] => 
            [user_status] => 0
            [display_name] => No Author
            [type] => wpuser
        )

    [ID] => 5860
    [caps] => Array
        (
            [author] => 1
        )

    [cap_key] => wp_capabilities
    [roles] => Array
        (
            [0] => author
        )

    [allcaps] => Array
        (
            [upload_files] => 1
            [edit_posts] => 1
            [edit_published_posts] => 1
            [publish_posts] => 1
            [read] => 1
            [level_2] => 1
            [level_1] => 1
            [level_0] => 1
            [delete_posts] => 1
            [delete_published_posts] => 1
            [email_single_user] => 1
            [email_multiple_users] => 1
            [tablepress_edit_tables] => 1
            [tablepress_delete_tables] => 1
            [tablepress_list_tables] => 1
            [tablepress_add_tables] => 1
            [tablepress_copy_tables] => 1
            [tablepress_import_tables] => 1
            [tablepress_export_tables] => 1
            [tablepress_access_options_screen] => 1
            [tablepress_access_about_screen] => 1
            [author] => 1
        )

    [filter] => 
    [site_id:WP_User:private] => 1
)

get_the_author_meta:

$bio:

$bios: Array
(
)

Slab City

From the Salton Sea to Salvation Mountain and Slab City

Political Theatre

LRC Blog

LRC Podcasts