The Abandoned Salton Sea In Southern California Was Contaminated And Left Crumbling In The Desert

Many areas in Southern California once thrived as resorts, communities, and vacation destinations, bringing tourists in droves before eventually becoming decayed and abandoned. In the 1950s and '60s, the Salton Sea was one such place: rich agricultural farmland, wildlife refuge, and resort destination that drew acts like Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, and the Beach Boys. Wealthy citizens held yacht parties while golfers and sport fishermen dove into their hobbies. Birdwatchers flocked here to see many migratory species of birds.

If you happened to see this place in the late 1970s, however, you would recall the sight of dead fish all over the shore and an unwelcome smell from the whole place. The only fish that are left alive today are desert pupfish and a unique population of tilapia. However, they are not safe to eat, and swimming here is to be avoided. It is amazing how something so simple and essential to life, such as salt, can also be the undoing of life.

Editor’s Note: Due to the nature of abandoned destinations, many of the places featured in this series are off-limits to visitors or have actually been demolished. We do not condone trespassing and other illegal activity but rather encourage readers to enjoy learning about these fascinating destinations.

This old sign beckons us to what we might envision as a lovely beach vacation. Now, it is a destitute wasteland nearly bereft of life.

Once we get to the beach, we see a barren place. Once, there were docks for yachts and sailboats, and fishermen could be seen all over.

The salt content had concentrated over the years and contaminants such as various toxic algae were introduced from the fertilizer runoff and now it is a lakeside ghost town. It is 25% saltier than the ocean.

Tourists now come to see what once was, and perhaps what lies in store for more places that lack sustainability.

This is a place where not even a restroom can survive, let alone the nearby palm trees.

Humanity's tenacity is on display as a more recent Mexican restaurant and a liquor store tried to survive but went the way of the older places.

The Salton Sea now resembles a haunting scene out of a post-apocalyptic movie. One almost expects zombies to crawl forth from the debris.

People moved here and built beautiful houses surrounded by lovely palm trees. It was a little paradise in the middle of the desert.

Now, the abandoned buildings crumble and the furnishings are worn by the weather.

This eerie scene is like a throne for a wasteland king. This area sparks the imagination of what might have been here before and could inspire a setting for a work of vivid fiction.

This once stately building brings to mind a modern fallen Rome.

All is not lost, however, as local artists have turned the Bombay Beach Resort into a fascinating community of creatives.

Learn about the formation of the Salton Sea:

OnlyInYourState’s Vacant highlights fascinating abandoned places across America -- from a vast ghost town with a tragic history and a renaissance festival left forgotten to the largest abandoned industrial facility in the entire world. Explore all 11 destinations here. Special thanks to Cleveland-based photographer Johnny Joo of Odd World Studio for the photos used in this article. For more images, you can check out his website, Architectural Afterlife.

The Salton Sea is now mostly home to radical artistry and creativity by people who take the remains of the past and make it a living museum of human ingenuity, subversive art, and sheer silliness. Much inspiration seems to be shared with events like Burning Man and Wasteland Weekend.  If you like what you see here, then you've got to take a road trip to see nearby Slab City.