This Creepy Deserted Wasteland Was Once A California Resort
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Scattered across America you can find various abandoned resorts that have been left to be swallowed up by nature, crumbling away with time. An accidental oasis that would later become a sad and unsightly scene, this deserted wasteland is like nothing most visitors have ever seen.
Located on the eastern shore of California’s largest lake you’ll find a creepy deserted wasteland that was once a booming resort:
For those who aren't familiar with California's Salton Sea, we'll need to give a quick history lesson before going forward.
This place sure does have a unique story! It's located in Imperial County,and is California's largest lake. Back in the early 1900's the Colorado River breached its levees, and California found one of its desert valleys flooded with water. The water from the river would go on to flow for two years, creating the enormous 15 by 33 mile lake you can see today.
What would seem to be the picture perfect place to live, this resort on the shores of the Salton Sea would become its most popular in the 1950's and 1960's.
The area began to attract developers. It quickly started being advertised as the state's "miracle in the desert." Homes and schools as well as hotels and restaurants began to make their way to what was referred to as the Salton Riviera; a new paradise where Californians could come and find a new home.
Sadly, by the 1970's the lake's conditions would begin to take a turn for the worst.
It may seem strange to try and wrap your mind around, but somehow the Salton Sea, the largest lake that happens to be in the middle of a desert valley, found itself containing more salt than the Pacific Ocean.
To date, you can find the shores filled with crystalized salt and quite literally everything else coated in salt as well. If you plan on ever exploring here, don't wear a pair of shoes you care about. At all.
With such high levels of salt and low levels of oxygen, the shores were quickly lined with the remains of dead fish.
A sight that many wish they'd never have to see, the grotesque community of dead fish that have made the shores of the Salton Sea their home adds a huge creepy factor to the area.
Sadly, another contributing factor to the demise of this lake is that it had pesticides flowing in from nearby farms and almost no rainfall occurring...ever.
Once conditions continued to grow worse, the town quickly became deserted.
Pictured above you can see the "missing persons" house at Bombay Beach. A building that you'll discover while exploring that has an entire wall covered in missing persons milk cartons. I could be wrong, but I'm roughly 99% positive this is the kind of stuff horror movies are made of.
Today, very little of this small town is left standing.
Take a look around and you'll be sad to see the abandoned homes surrounding the Salton Seal. Many of the structures and buildings that once stood here have crumbled to the ground, looking completely unrecognizable.
It may not look like there's much to care about here, but this deteriorating lake still serves as an important place to the many fish that still live in it, as well as the hundreds of birds who come here.
There's more to think about than just the fascinating abandoned structures, the rising salt levels in the lake have become a great concern for the future of the Salton Sea. The lake has continuously begun to shrink in size, affecting the residents that still live in this area. With heavy winds blowing up the sand all around the lake, locals have started experiencing devastating health issues.
A special thanks to California’s Sea for bringing many of us back down memory lane. To see old footage from when the Salton Riviera was alive and full of charm, watch this fantastic eleven minute documentary that also showcases the lake’s current conditions:
Writer for Only In Your State. Scribbling about all things New York and Buffalo related while also keeping you updated on the latest travel news! Inquiries: Lmonroe@onlyinyourstate.com
