Laguna Salada, Salt lake in Mexicali, Mexico.
Laguna Salada is a dried-out lake bed in the Mexicali region that stretches across flat terrain and sits partly below sea level. The land here shows bare sand and open desert, with little plant life breaking up the empty landscape.
Water last filled this lake bed during the 1970s and 1980s, when rainfall patterns kept it from drying completely. Before that time, it served as an important water body in Baja California's desert landscape.
The Cocopah and Kumeyaay peoples, who lived here long before modern times, gave this location names that reflected their connection to water. Those names still remind visitors of the communities who once thrived in this landscape.
Getting here means driving on rough roads from Mexicali, and you should bring plenty of water and sun protection for the extreme heat. The harsh desert setting requires good planning and proper gear to stay safe under the intense sun.
The dried lake bed becomes a natural racing track when conditions allow, hosting various motorsport events on its flat surface. Summer monsoon winds create fierce dust storms that shroud the area in thick clouds of sand.
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