From a Marine Base to an Off Grid Settlement
Visitors arriving at Slab City find a desert community unlike any other. The land once held a World War Two artillery training base. When the base was dismantled, only the concrete slabs remained. Over the decades these empty foundations drew veterans, travellers, artists, and people searching for a place far removed from cities.
This account traces how the abandoned grounds of Camp Dunlap became a sprawling winter refuge and year round home for people living outside conventional systems.
Camp Dunlap and the First Settlers
Before the United States entered World War Two, the Marine Corps selected more than six hundred acres in the Sonoran Desert for artillery training. Construction finished in 1942 and Camp Dunlap operated throughout the war with full utilities. Operations declined after 1945 and by 1956 all buildings were removed, leaving the slabs in place. Veterans who had worked on the base were among the first to camp on the site.
They were followed by drifters and later by owners of recreational vehicles seeking free camping at the edge of the Salton Sea. A quitclaim deed transferred the land to the State of California in 1961 with no restoration requirements.
Growth of a Seasonal Desert Community
Slab City expanded rapidly after an article appeared in Trailer Life and RV Magazine in the mid nineteen eighties. Reports from 1988 described as many as two thousand trailers during winter. Summer heat left only a small permanent population. By 2020 estimates suggested about four thousand winter residents and roughly one hundred fifty year round residents.
Many drew income from government assistance, seasonal work, or selling salvaged goods. The nearest stores and law enforcement were located in Niland a few miles away. Power came from generators or solar panels and water from community tanks.
Art, Music, and Distinct Neighborhoods
Slab City developed several cultural landmarks. Leonard Knight built Salvation Mountain with adobe, concrete, and thousands of gallons of paint. The site grew for two decades and became a widely known folk art installation. East Jesus began in 2007 when Charlie Russell moved discarded materials to the desert and created an experimental art space.
It later became a nonprofit project displaying sculptures and hosting visiting artists. The Range emerged as an open air venue with weekly performances and community events. By 2020 Slab City contained more than a dozen neighborhoods, each with its own customs and campsites.
Life on Unincorporated Land
Imperial County graded dirt roads and patrolled the area along with Border Patrol due to its proximity to Mexico. School buses arrived from nearby towns for the few children living there. Crime reports often involved disputes over camping spaces or theft, and methamphetamine was noted as a frequent problem.
The loss of tourism during the 2020 pandemic caused difficulties for residents who relied on visitors for income, food, and water. Discussions about selling the land continued as state officials evaluated its future while residents organized to keep their community intact.
In the California desert, a retired Marine base with nothing left but concrete slabs slowly turned into Slab City, a rough grid of campers, art projects, and off grid homes.
Veterans, travelers, and people avoiding ordinary life all gathered on the same abandoned ground…🧵👇 pic.twitter.com/Yw88yHZ12d
— Fascinating True Stories (@FascinatingTrue) November 21, 2025