SLAB CITY, CALIFORNIA DESERT

SLAB CITY - A REAL FUNKY PLACE



Hmmmm....could be a ricochet from Area 51..or an off-course V2 rocket? The sign says something like 'Alien Camper'




..it's just part of the funky landscape at Slab City.



Slab City near Niland, California.



Slab City is actually an abandoned marine training facility, Camp Dunlap, formerly located 3 miles east of Niland, California. This 640-acre compound, located approximately 120 feet below sea level in the desert near Salton Sea, began operating in 1942 as a training ground for US troops during World War II. In 1946, it's operations ceased, and the buildings were removed and sold. By 1961, the base had been completely dismantled and abandoned. Only the cement foundations of buildings remained, thus providing a convenient name for the area, Slab City. Soon afterwards, RV campers began to occupy the area during winter months to take advantage of the rent-free parking. Attendance steadily grew over the years, and now thousands of visitors return to "The Slabs" each winter to enjoy the relatively mild climate and escape the harsh conditions found elsewhere.

If the Burning Man festival were a permanent settlement instead of a weeklong escape — remixed with a hard dose of reality — this might be it. A blend of Mad Max, Grapes of Wrath, and The Wild, Wild West...it has multiple personalities. For me, it was slighty reminiscent of the early campers in Baja Sur...an adventuresome bunch of survivalists and do-it-yourselfers.

As a side note, the State of California is currently considering closing Slab City to the public permanently because of improper handling of the environment....due to litter, illegal dumping, (gopher holes), etc. Some concerned long-time residents have formed organizations to help combat the environmental problems and are making good progress.








Arriving at dusk I looked for a likely site to hunker down for the night. This is not hard at all. No signs saying Park Here ..Register at office. You can just pull over anywhere so it seems...which I did.

Spending a quiet night, I awoke to the sounds of what I thought was a Briggs & Stratton grain auger (sounds of my youth). Grabbing my camera I went outside and saw this...




It takes off at about 30-35mph..and it's payload was not quite enough to carry me along with the pilot. So he said, anyway...


It was a group of flyers who had towed their ultralight aircraft behind an RV. Seems it is a common thing at Slab City. What fun they had that morning...flying high over the hundreds of campers and barnstorming over their rooftops.


The whole thing reminded me of a few years ago in northern North Dakota when a couple friends and I used to tow-start our hand glider behind a car. Hey, it's flat! Those were some times!




Slab City....an interesting place for sure. I wonder what's over the next hill?....

Pompano... I think you could be the next Huell Howser with your on-the-road reports!

Slab City Singles..

For sure, Mulegena. I've seen them a few times in Mulege. And once encountered 4 of them near Catavina following the road south to Cabo. Killer Caine has a close call with one at Santispac Beach many years ago...and I believe another passenger broke a few bones on a different jaunt around the area. unfortunately, they are not without their share of fatalities. A good friend with thousands of hours crashed and died in one near his home in Wyoming in 2004. He was a veteran of flying in Baja and frequent visitor to Mulege and the Bay.

Mulege. Here's two ultralites on the pista at the Serinadad a couple years ago. 4 Mexican buddies on a tour. Later that day they all flew over my place at Coyote Bay. Flying to Asuncion should not present too many problems. What fun!






[Edited on 1-11-2013 by Pompano]

I am pleasantly surprised to hear so many folks know about Slab City and have visited there. There's always something over that next hill....and Slab City is no exception...except that there are damn few hills. I'll put it on my return list for future jaunts around America.

Below is a Google map of the Salton Sea and Slab City area near Niland, Ca. Very easy to drive to from any direction. I drove in from Oceanside and exited on Hwy 111 west side of Salton Sea and north to Indio. Note: Hwy 111 sits directly atop the San Andreas Fault. Nobody tells me these things beforehand...



The Slabs are pretty much 'do as you want' style camping. Some are a little haphazard, but nothing was life-threatening or too offensive Pretty much like some under-the-radar spots in Baja. A bit treeless and grass-less.


This lifestyle promotes Self-Sufficiency. Your crew learns how to make intricate but necessary repairs without having to phone in a specialist.



A great opportunity to try out some new camping equipment.

"20 for breakfast, dear? Not a problem."


And about those ultralight aircraft, here's a photo of a red ultralite homebuilt flown by a frequent visitor to the Slabs. He was/is 80 years young and tows this barnstormer behind a large motorhome. He says he can assemble the craft and fly it within 20 minutes. His wife claims to not have severe jitters anymore.




Note: A special treat at night are the sounds of a far-away train whistle and the odd coyote howling across the desert. My own howling was a little off-key the first couple nights, but neighbors quickly taught me the right pitch.

Thunder God!!!!Aka Pompano