Slab City, Alternative community in Imperial County, California.
Slab City is a settlement in the Sonoran Desert area of Imperial County, California, where residents establish temporary and permanent dwellings on concrete foundations from an abandoned military base. The structures consist of trailers, self-built shacks, and converted vehicles scattered across several square kilometers on top of the concrete slabs.
The area transformed from Camp Dunlap, a World War II Marine Corps training facility, into a settlement for individuals seeking independence after 1956. The army dismantled the buildings but left the concrete slabs, which then became the foundation for a growing community of people who wanted to live outside conventional structures.
Artists, veterans, and seasonal inhabitants form this self-governing society, creating installations and organizing gatherings at The Range outdoor music venue. Residents follow their own codes and often welcome visitors with a mix of curiosity and hospitality, showing off artwork or handmade solar setups they have crafted.
Visitors need to bring water supplies and solar power equipment, as the settlement operates without municipal services, plumbing, or electrical infrastructure. Desert heat reaches extreme levels in summer, so most visitors come between November and March when temperatures are more manageable and more residents are present.
The community maintains a free library, internet cafe, and skate park built within the remains of a former military swimming pool. Salvation Mountain, a nearby painted hill created by a resident over decades, draws more visitors than the settlement itself and sits just a short walk away.
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