Visit California’s Bohemian Ghost Town – Unusual Places

In the early 1900s, a dry lakebed in California steadily became a sprawling lake known as the Salton Sea due to an overtopped irrigation canal. By the mid-20th century, the Salton Sea was home to a handful of swanky resorts which attracted posh stars like Frank Sinatra. Prior to its decline in the 1970s, Bombay Beach attracted nearly 500,000 visitors annually and was considered a hotspot for fishing, waterskiing, and sunbathing.

Sadly, disaster struck in the 1970s when the Salton Sea’s waters became increasingly toxic due to farm runoff and rising salinity. A massive bird and fish die-off prompted visitors and residents to leave the area in droves. By the 1980s, the once glamorous Salton Sea was a rapidly shrinking cesspool that smelled positively putrid and was lined with sand made of finely ground fish bones.

At the dawn of the 21st century, the eerie remnants of Bombay Beach began to attract artists who infused the desolation of the Salton Sea with splashes of creativity. Art installations such as a makeshift confessional, a bus stop for a bus that never arrives, and a ghostly drive-in movie theater for abandoned cars began to spring up alongside the salt-encrusted foundations of posh resorts. In 2015, a renegade art festival known as the Bombay Beach Biennale became a yearly event. There are no tickets to the Bombay Beach Biennale. Attendees hear about the Biennale through word-of-mouth, and they must vow to participate in the festival in some form.

Despite the art installations sprinkled on the shores of the Salton Sea, Bombay Beach remains sparsely visited. You and your travel companions may be the only people for several miles if you decide to spend the day exploring the ruins of Bombay Beach. There are very few amenities in the area, so it is very important to pack ample food and water if you plan to spend the day exploring. Also, May-September can be dangerously hot. Always check the weather and make sure that your gas tank is full before venturing into the Colorado Desert.