If you live in California, you might have heard about Slab City, a free-for-all community of squatters – mostly in RVs (Recreational Vehicles) – in the middle of the Southeastern California desert. The area is an abandoned military base with leftover concrete “slabs,” where rules don’t exist. It has quite the bad reputation, especially by people who have never been there.
I first learned about Slab City when watching “Into the Wild” (directed by Sean Penn and released in 2007). This true story about 20-something Chris McCandless searching for freedom and the meaning of life, was written by Jon Krakauer in 1996 and later turned into a movie. Slab City was briefly featured in this tale, which resonates with me and has my favorite soundtrack (by Eddie Vedder from Pearl Jam).
Anyone can claim a piece of land in Slab City and become a part of the community. There are bulletin boards, a church, art displays, makeshift shops and restaurants, liberal and conservative “compounds,” and a wide variety of living quarters. Some say it’s an artsy place; others persist that the area consists of nothing but heroin addicts and lowlifes. We found it an interesting place to drive through and spend one night. To really do the place justice or form an educated opinion, one should stay much longer. Mind you, it does get scorching hot here in the summer! (Click on photos for larger views.)
There are three main areas in Slab City, two are quite touristy, the other one I would call the residential zone, which contains innumerous blocks and patches of dirt and slabs.
Salvation Mountain
Salvation Mountain is Leonard Knight’s tribute to God and His gift to the world. For 28 years he devoted himself to the creation of Salvation Mountain to share the message “God is Love’. Leonard crafted this art monument with adobe mud and paint. He passed away in 2014. Salvation Mountain, Inc. continues to maintain and preserve the mountain for future generations. Entrance is free; donations are accepted.
East Jesus
This patch of sand and shrubs is turned into an outdoor art exhibit, some of which is interactive, like the 20+ft high see-saw and the colorful Cadillac enticing you to climb up and take in your surroundings. Entrance is free; donations are accepted.
Slab City “Suburbs”
This is the part of “town” most tourists avoid. We crisscrossed the area in Zesty and were welcomed with smiles and waves in some areas and ignored in others. A lot of garbage and glass is littered throughout and it doesn’t look attractive (to us) to spend weeks, months, or years here. We have found more beautiful sections of land in the Southwest where one can live for free indefinitely.
Have you heard of Slab City in California? Have you been? Did you watch or read “Into the Wild”?
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March 22, 2019 at 15:28
I haven’t heard of it, Liesbet. It sounds intriguing (though I wouldn’t want to stay there, even for one night).
March 23, 2019 at 20:51
Intriguing is a good word and that’s all we need to check out a place. 🙂 But, there are plenty of other more beautiful and characteristic spots to camp!
March 22, 2019 at 15:44
Hi Liesbet,
Yes, I have heard of it. I, like you two, might visit for a day or two just to see, but I can think of other places I would rather spend my time.
March 23, 2019 at 20:52
It sounds like we are on the same page, Nancy! Curious travelers as you and I are, checking new places out is always interesting! 🙂
March 22, 2019 at 15:48
I am afraid that I would find that place depressing to park up in. Though as you mentioned Liesbet, I would need to stay there a while to form an educated opinion. It does sound like a place for drop outs!! I like the ideal “hippy world” where the productivity is high as in a working commune, with individual houses, gardens and a place to meet up as a group. Like a retirement village 🙂 That last snippet was my form of humour!!
March 23, 2019 at 20:56
Slab City might have started out more as a hippie commune, or maybe that part is now emerging? I couldn’t quite tell. The whole commune idea sounds appealing to Mark and me as well, where everyone chips in with knowledge, labor, and resources. But, I’d prefer a more fertile and attractive area for sure. Haven’t found it yet, though. And, I’m always worried that, even if group of us could start a good thing somewhere, bad apples will arrive and the whole concept will fail… Anyway, right now, we ar totally happy without a permanent home.
March 22, 2019 at 17:30
I’ve never heard of it. What a unique place. Nice a society preserves the mountain.
March 23, 2019 at 20:57
During our travels we’ve found plenty of artistic ideas from one person that are now preserved by others. Community at its best and seeing art being preserved always makes us happy, Alex.
March 22, 2019 at 18:15
I really enjoyed the book, Into the Wild. I’ll admit, if I spent the night at Slab City, I’d probably sleep with one eye open! 🙂 Stay safe!
March 23, 2019 at 20:59
I can just imagine you on our cozy bed in the camper with one eye open, Jill! Although, our bed is quite comfy, so your other eye might just close accidentally. 🙂 Since we visited Slab City, we have found many more – and better – boondocking spots. More about those another day.
March 22, 2019 at 19:01
Our local Sierra Club’s photographic club went on a field trip to Slab City and East Jesus about a month ago. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to go. How funny it would have been to run into you there! The pictures they brought back were so… ummmm… interesting. Not sure I’d want to spend the night there – the people are probably fine, it just looks so desolate.
March 23, 2019 at 21:03
Oh, Janis, that would have been incredble and hilarious at the same time if we would have ran into you at East Jesus. We must have been there mid-February, so a little while ago. Did you recognize any of my photos compared to the ones your photography classmates brought back? There must be some favorite artwork in that garden. “Interesting” is a good word to describe the art, the people, and the area. And, yes, it looks very desolate, especially on a dreary, gray day!
March 22, 2019 at 19:28
Fascinating. Always interesting to read about a place I’ve never even heard of.
March 23, 2019 at 21:05
Thanks for swinging by, leaving a comment, and visiting Slab City with us, Steve! I’m sure you will have heard of some of the places I will cover on Roaming About in the future, but others will be a surprise. 🙂
March 22, 2019 at 22:34
Hi, Liesbet – I did see “Into the Wild” but don’t remember the Slab City part (which may give testimony to my “multitasking” when movie watching). I loved your line, “It has quite a bad reputation…especially by people who have never been there.” This is so true of so many different things.
March 23, 2019 at 21:09
I’m glad you liked that sentiment about the bad reputation by people who haven’t been there, Donna, as it seems to be the trend in my comment section for this blog as well. Slab City looks a bit frightening in the photos and based on some stories, which is reflected here. Yet, the blog readers who have been there or have heard about it would like to check it out or return. I can’t wait to see “Into the Wild” again, one of these weeks.
March 23, 2019 at 02:05
I love the creativity of this place. Not sure how I’d feel about staying there. But I’d like to try it.
March 23, 2019 at 21:11
Go for it! We have heard from other campers that they preferred (and felt safer) staying near East Jesus, which has the artsy feel to it.
March 23, 2019 at 14:03
Zesty is a brave little beast, but who could pass up a cheap night and a heavy dose of Pop Culture. No, I’ve never heard of Slab City, but it seems a reasonable re-purposing of an old military base. I enjoyed the post and of course the comments. 🙂
March 23, 2019 at 14:06
Here’s some travel music for Route 66: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vifUaZQL8pc
March 23, 2019 at 21:20
That’s an awesome song, Marian! Well performed and good quality! Thanks for sharing. I should save it for if and when I do a post about the short stretch of Route 66 we drove in Arizona. Have you ever followed part of it when you were on the road with your family? The scenery between Oatman and Kingman was amazing!
March 24, 2019 at 14:35
Before I married, some friends and I traveled 48 states and enjoyed the Southwest. I remember the beauty of stark landscapes in Arizona and New Mexico especially. The name Kingman rings a bell. We most likely used Route 66 part of the way.
March 27, 2019 at 21:18
Marian, that was quite the road trip you went on in your early twenties. I just read how you did so many states in a few weeks. Quite impressive. And, I totally agree that the landscapes in Arizona and New Mexico (and Utah) are hard to beat!
March 23, 2019 at 21:14
Glad you enjoyed this post and its comments, Marian. And, you’re right, our good old Zesty is a good sport! 🙂 The amount of dirt roads we’ve taken him on… Just today, we must have followed a dirt road for four miles in, before we found an available and not too crowded boondocking spot! It’s the weekend… The view of the red rocks is spectacular, though!
March 23, 2019 at 17:40
Hi Liesbet, This is the first time I have heard of Slab City. You paint quite a different picture when you initially described it as “artsy” versus “heroin addicts and low lives.” As I continued to read your post I can see how it is both. I also may have a different perspective if I was visiting during the day or night. Definitely an interesting place to visit at least once. The photos really helped me visualize this “City.” I haven’t read “Into the Wild”. Now, on my list. Safe travels, Liesbet!
March 23, 2019 at 21:24
Hi Erica! I think you’re right that the residents of Slab City are a mix of several worlds. We even met a camper recently who told us he and a few friends staked a spot in Slab City to use as a base throughout the year. I could see that there’s a sense of community and camaraderie, but other than that, we have found more scenic places (also free) where we’d rather spend months at a time.
Yes, read “Into the Wild”, or watch the movie! They are both really good. I’m curious to hear what you think.
November 20, 2022 at 20:59
Love to hear more about those other places but understand if you don’t want to reveal.
November 24, 2022 at 08:56
Hi Horsemama,
Thanks for swinging by Roaming About, reading, and leaving a comment.
What I mean with this statement about “other places than Slab City” that we prefer to spend time, I had areas in the desert and in nature in mind instead of a settlement like this one.
My husband and I boondock 100% of the time (camping without facilities, usually for free) and enjoy being in nature. We have found places in the Southern Arizona and California desert where we happily spend a month at a time. We also like our solitude and don’t have much need for a community. And, our dog enjoys hiking and walking off leash.
For more specific places where we enjoy camping for free, you could check iOverlander, a free app and website with free boondocking areas, or browse this blog. We really enjoyed Gila NF as well and most NF camping in Colorado. These are season dependent, though. Too cold in anything but the summer.
When it comes to California in the winter, the Anza-Borrego area is fascinating and enjoyable. In Arizona over the wintertime, we like the areas around Tucson, Lake Havasu, Bisbee, and Organ Pipe National Park to spend weeks at a time.
Hope this helps. 🙂
March 23, 2019 at 17:43
Never heard of it (or don’t remember it because I did read “Into the Wild.” I can’t say I find any part of it vey appealing! Maybe as a pass-through peek just to see it, but it would depress me to stay there, I think. I love that you gave it a fair shake!
March 23, 2019 at 21:26
That’s exactly what we gave it, Lexie, a pass-through peek, after stopping for the artsy highlights, of course. 🙂 I think you and I are both ready for a retake of “Into the Wild”!
March 23, 2019 at 18:03
Yes, I’ve been to Slab City and I would return. It was somewhat different than I thought it would be – I thought it would be much more remote but was surprised to see county school buses and even police cars cruise through the community. I was also surprised by the businesses, the library, the hostel, and other organized type things.
It is funny that some people think the residents of Slab City are “drop outs” – I am sure that’s how many people see van dwellers.
We met a few people when we were there and they were all very interesting and very inviting. I think I’d like to go back if I knew a SC local. I am sure there are lots of interesting stories in SC.
I’m not sure why SC has such a bad rep. Sure there are some unsavory people but from what I understand they stay way out of the main part of the “city.” SC is such an amazing experiment in Anarchy – maybe that is what makes people so fearful – but as far as I can see it works on this small level.
March 23, 2019 at 21:34
Hi Duwan!
All valid points. It would be so interesting to conduct interviews with some of the residents of Slab City, or have a documentary made. And, maybe there is one already. I had no idea you chatted with a few locals. We should have talked about that last week! You probably gained way more insights than we did. I also think that not everyone there would like the town to be exposed or publicized by the media. We saw a cop drive through as well, which was surprising. And, like you, we had no idea about the services and community efforts.
As far as your anarchy experiment statement goes, I guess you’re right. The free-for-all mentality seems to be working out. But, I do think that there is a garbage or littering problem. Some people probably care more about this than others, based on the patches we saw. As long as the smell and garbage doesn’t cause trouble (or diseases), I guess it could be OK.
March 24, 2019 at 01:31
No to all 3 of your questions, but don’t we live in a fascinating world, Liesbet? There’s space for all of us 🙂 🙂
March 27, 2019 at 21:13
“Fascinating” is a good word to describe our world, Jo. Every element in it, from people to animals, from sites to experiences, from the weather to the environment.
March 24, 2019 at 07:07
Hi Liesbet, it looks like an interesting place to explore. I only know ‘Slab City’ from ‘Into the Wild’ (a beautiful film and very poignant story) and from what I remember the people there were kind and creative, each with poignant back stories of their own. This was filmed some time ago and I don’t know whether what you experienced matched the impression created by the film xxx
March 27, 2019 at 21:15
I’m glad you liked the movie “Into the Wild”, Xenia. Mark and I did as well (and I really love the soundtrack) and we look forward to watching it again one fo these evenings. I can’t remember the Slab City scene, so I need a refresher. 🙂
March 24, 2019 at 16:50
You guys always find the unique in a community or area, Liesbet. A truly interesting post. Thanks so much for sharing this. I like the photos of artwork. All best to you both!
March 27, 2019 at 21:30
Hi Victoria!
We never know what we will find where. It’s part of the adventure and the journey. And, the destination. Sometimes we find ourselves in interesting situations, other times, nothing special happens. Or, something goes wrong. If I was able to write a blog about every day on the road, there would be as many interesting encounters and less fun surprises. A little adventure. Every day.
For example: last night we planned to stroll a bit in the town of Sedona and have a quiet night, as I had a headache. For some reason, I felt better after twenty minutes (the Tylenol did its job), so I suggested to Mark we have a drink at a happy hour place. There, we met an eccentric writer with an Australian Shepherd dog. She invited us over to her house, where we met her partner, a talented and renowned artist, who cooked us dinner. It was a lovely evening.
Another example: today, we planned to return to Sedona for the night at a free parking lot, after a 7-mile hike, 20 minutes north of town. After the hike, we saw no reason to backtrack to Sedona as our next stop would be further north (Flagstaff) to run errands tomorrow. We decided to camp in the National Forest fifteen minutes up the road. But, ALL the forest roads were closed (snow melt?), so we ended up in Flagstaff for the night. 3,000ft higher than Sedona and much colder! And, my headache is back due to altitude sickness.
So, you see… our experiences range from positive to negative and everything in between, every single day. 🙂
March 24, 2019 at 17:27
Wow, Liesbet, I’ve never hear of any of these places! Nor have I seen the film. Your images show such unusual areas here, and some cool art work! I suppose the desert has its surprises!
March 27, 2019 at 21:32
The desert is indeed full of surprises, Terri. Yesterday I pulled a cactus needle out of my toe. 🙂
I have been thinking about you, as we hiked in and around Sedona the last few days. We saw snow along the trail today and – unexpected – are spending the night at 7,000ft in Flagstaff. We will need that heater tonight.
March 24, 2019 at 18:08
Hi Liesbet
I was born and raised in So Cal but have never heard of Slab City. It’s amazing. You and Mark find the most interesting places. I love traveling through your eyes.
The Southwest is truly beautiful. It’s been years since I’ve been that direction. You have whet my curiosity.
Be safe
Laura
March 27, 2019 at 21:36
Hi Laura,
It sounds like you are ready for a road trip in the Southwest! The temperature is finally getting better, but we are dealing with the busy spring break period now. The trails are flooded with families.
I’m glad you enjoy reading about our adventures. As I just replied to Victoria underneath, I have so many stories to tell that never make it on the blog. If only there was more time in the day. As I often say: in my life, I either write about adventures or live them. It’s hard to combine the two.
Have a wonderful rest of the week and some extra sunshine!
March 24, 2019 at 23:00
Liesbet, we have seen “Into the wild” a few times….but I did not remember the name of this place, although now that I see your photos and read your description it comes back to me. I wonder why they don’t just clean up the garbage and glass that is littered throughout. It seems so strange that they would not be more environmentally conscious etc…
It’s interesting how places get reputations that stick for years and then the place has a hard time dropping that image even when reality has changed. Goa in India where we just spent time has a reputation for being a drug centered, cult type of place, and yet, that is more reflective of decades gone by. It is completely different today and yet the image persists.
When we moved to Nicaragua a decade ago, most people thought we were crazy to go to a dangerous country with a civil war. No matter that the war had finished twenty years earlier and that Nicaragua at that time was statistically speaking, the safest country in Central America. Reputations and images persist as people hold onto them without leaving space for the reality that time changes a place and it’s inhabitants.
Very interesting post.
Peta
March 27, 2019 at 21:46
Hi Peta,
It’s difficult to describe the “they” in Slab City. Most people keep a clean camp, I assume, and then there are the groups of people who don’t care. It’s an interesting mix there and since no rules exist, you’ll find garbage belts and litter in some camps, and clean terrain in others.
You say this so eloquently how bad images persist, despite changes for the best. I couldn’t agree more. I think the media and hearsay have a lot to do with that. Fear is such a big factor in people’s perceptions of places. Just like I’d prefer to see evidence before I believe something, I’d like to experience a place before voicing my opinion about it.
To your point, when Mark and I sailed to Colombia, the general concensus was that this would be dangerous. Yet, Colombia had totally cleared its image by 2012 and it was a perfectly safe and enjoyable place to visit, while Venezuela – once an attractive boating destination – had/has taken its place.
March 25, 2019 at 18:41
I’m not sure I’d feel safe there staying for any length of time, considering one doesn’t really know who the neighbors are, but the artwork is wonderful. 🙂
March 27, 2019 at 21:47
I’m glad you liked the artwork. Debby. Not knowing our neighbors is a part of every night we spend in Zesty. But recently, we met and hung out with our two neighbors, single women traveling in their truck and van, so that was the exception. 🙂
March 26, 2019 at 20:45
I’d never heard of it, and to be honest, the thought of staying there makes me shudder. But I shudder at perfectly nice normal cities, too – I just hate being crammed in with other people. I guess the best part about it is that you can always move on! 🙂
March 27, 2019 at 21:50
It’s totally normal to shudder at the thought of staying in Slab City, Diane. But, it might provide good story material for a book! Ha! 🙂 My husband and I don’t like crowds and being crammed in with people either, which is one of the reasons we never stay at RV parks.
April 6, 2019 at 00:43
I had never heard of Slab City. It looks like a curious place – kind of the third world within America.
Jude
April 6, 2019 at 22:18
That’s a good definition for Slab City, Jude. With all the garbage and lack of rules and (what appear to be) stray dogs, it sure feels like a third world country, which is also the feeling we experienced when driving through and spending time in the Navajo Nation last week.