There are so many interesting things to do and see at the Salton Sea, and yet few people I know have the slightest interest in exploring it or learning more about its dramatic history and the current and future ecological and economic impacts.
A lot is happening in this desolate part of the California desert and changes are taking place quickly, both good and bad, so to visit this area in its current state is a great road trip to plan especially during the winter months when the weather is perfect.
Just under a four-hour drive from Phoenix or Los Angeles, it’s an easy day’s drive for a quick weekend excursion with your family, significant other, or just yourself. It’s safe and always busy with tourists.
Young and old alike can enjoy the Salton Sea because it’s a super fun kitschy area with historical interest and is an archeological phenomenon.
If you do decide to go to the Salton Sea, keep your expectations low and you’ll be sure to have the time of your life!
Things to do in the Salton Sea
Note: You can do a loop from I-10 to I-8 or you can come from either direction and loop just around the lake. You can either stay in hotels located about twenty miles from the lake or you can find a unique array of AirBNBs nearby.
- Go to the visitor’s center and read about or chat with the rangers about the Salton Sea’s history. That will set the stage for the rest of your adventure.
- Visit Bombay Beach. Cruise the neighborhood’s dilapidated mobile homes and take a quick cruise by the beach for a peek at the pseudo-art installations. And to really get a good flavor of the area, consider staying in one of several mobile home AirBNB’s offering you a chance to experience the area as a local.
3. While in Bombay Beach, be sure to stop by for a burger and beer at the Ski Inn Restaurant and Bar. Dollar bills are plastered to every spec of wall and most anything with a surface. Great local joint with friendly service and a rustic vibe and be sure to check out the pool table and back patio.
4. Visit the infamous Slab City. This is an off-the-grid hippie ‘retreat’ for wayward souls. Only people who appreciate the free spirits of the desert can truly admire this place. Brad Pitt was filmed briefly in Slab City during the movie Into the Wild which is a tragic story about a young man, Chris McCandless, who decides to go into the wilderness of Alaska after two years of being a nomad in the US, to become a survivalist in the wilds. In his travels through the US, he hooks up with Brad and they pass through town, and Brad’s role is hilarious!
One major draw to this colorful town of 150 full-time dissenters, artists, retired RVers, and off-the-grid peeps is Salvation Mountain, which was built by the late artist Leonard Knight over several years. It’s made of adobe and straw and is brightly painted with Christian messages, though even those who are non-religious can appreciate the massive undertaking this artwork must have been.
5. Mud Pots, Thermal Vents, & Mud Volcanoes. These are fun to see and only a few minutes from Slab City. These are large geothermal fields, which fuel strange-looking mud pots, small pools that contain acidic mud that bubbles up, slowly creating a small hill, and ejecting thick black mud over the rim. Amazingly, microorganisms thriving in the boiling muck combine with the natural acid to help to break down the rock to create these muddy volcanoes.
The spitting of the mud when the carbon dioxide is released from a central vent slowly builds up a muddy cone that rises around it. Some are as tall as five feet. You can actually hear the mud boiling and popping inside the chambers making a hollow bubbling sound.
6. The Sonny Bono Salton National Wildlife Refuge. U.S. Rep. Sonny Bono (aka famous husband of Cher), worked to reverse the lake’s myriad environmental problems when he was in office. His widow, Mary, said that a few weeks before his death in a ski accident, Sonny told her that he wanted his legacy to be saving the Salton Sea. And so it is.
This refuge is separated into 2 different management units along the southern end of the sea. Each is composed of a mosaic of different habitats like cattail marshes, shorelines, open water wetlands, grass fields, and desert uplands that are maintained to provide a sanctuary to over 100,000, birds, close to 40,000 of which are waterbirds, in a state that has lost 90–95% of its natural wetlands.
It’s not a typical-looking wilderness area so don’t think you’ll see a pristine wildlife refuge. You have to look past the man-made canals and ponds, agriculture, power plants, and other large industrial buildings, including the recent emergence of lithium manufacturing plants.
There’s also a Casino, public thermal mud baths, a Banana Museum, a place to get date shakes, quads for rent, and myriad other things to do in this crazy wild place they call the Salton Sea. Grab your fellow adventurers and head out for a great experience!
