It’s difficult to describe the Salton Sea to someone who has never seen the gigantic sinkhole of water in the Imperial Valley. At 35 miles long, 15 miles wide and 332 feet below sea level, the Salton Sea is basically a landlocked extension of the Gulf of California. Yet it is so much more, and worth making a day’s drive out.
It’s difficult to describe the Salton Sea to someone who has never seen the gigantic sinkhole of water in the Imperial Valley. At 35 miles long, 15 miles wide and 332 feet below sea level, the Salton Sea is basically a landlocked extension of the Gulf of California. Yet it is so much more, and worth making a day’s drive out.
A lot of hearsay surrounds the story of how the Salton Sea was formed, but the truth is, according to geologists, this body of water was formed over the course of millions of years the Colorado River flowing into the Imperial Valley and depositing soil. That soil is the why such fertile farmland exists in the area.
The lake has alternated between being a freshwater to saline to a dry desert basin. The latest natural cycle of filling occurred 400 years ago. Native Americans used fish traps depending upon the cycle; some of those fish traps can still be found at some locations.
The most recent inflow of water from the Colorado River was an engineering accident by the California Development Company in 1905. The engineers had intended to increase water flow into the area for farming, digging irrigation canals from the river into the valley. To prevent silt buildup, a cut was made in the bank of the river to further the water flow. But that overwhelmed the created canal, and the river flowed into the Salton Basin for two years, creating the sea, as we know it today. Ever since, the sea has varied in dimensions and area.
No water flows out of the lake; whatever flows in, including agricultural runoff from the vast farms and fields surrounding the lake, does not flow out. As a result, the water is saltier than the ocean.
But aside from the geographical and environmental facts of the giant lake, nothing can take the place of seeing it—or even smelling it. The sea teems with over 400 species of birds, from flocks of Black Skimmers to tiny finches to Snow Geese. The water supports more than 400 million Tilapia.
And that is just the animal life. People live near the Salton Sea in a variety of settlements, most notably the work of Leonard Knight’s hand-painted hills of Salvation Mountain jut up above the desert. Just a few minutes away is the artists’ colony of Slab City, a small population of desert rats living in RVs or tents who don’t mind the extreme temperatures and the odd odor suffusing the air at all times. Dead trees become pieces of art with shoes hanging from them. Salvation Mountain and Slab City were featured in the 2007 film, “Into the Wild.”
Fifteen minutes north is Bombay Beach, an abandoned town with old wood houses and cement taverns caving in under salt, sand and wind. Once known as a place with fantastic views of the sea and great real estate, the city is desolate except for a very popular bar, called the Ski Inn, touted as the “Lowest Bar in the Western Hemisphere.” Serving good food at reasonable prices, the Inn is a destination point for Salton Sea travelers, with the Palmer family as owners for the last 40 years. After enjoying a sandwich or burger and brews, take a walk on the beach where you’ll find whole skeletons of tilapia that have washed ashore. The beach is an artist’s paradoxical paradise, offering subjects such as rusted out beach chairs buried in the sand, with barnacles attached to the legs. The remains of an old fishing pier tells the story of Bombay Beach’s earlier luxurious days.
At the southwest side of the Salton Sea, the Sonny Bono National Wildlife Refuge offers several trails to hike. From the Rock Hill Trail, a flat, easy one good for beginners, is a fabulous view of the sea and birds. Near the trail are the Morton Bay Mud Pots, a geologic oddity formed by carbon dioxide pushing up through the earth.
Not far from the mud pots is Benson Landing in Moreton Bay. Though the pier is still used by boaters who travel out to the middle of the lake to a bar accessible only by water, with all the old wood, it has the appearance of an abandoned settlement. The grebes and other birds dotting the shoreline and swimming in the sea are the most frequent visitors. In late afternoon, the sea looks like glass, mesmerizing in its placidity.
On the southern edge of the Salton Sea near the town of Calipatria, keep your eyes open for big pairs of eyes peeking out from holes in the plowed edges. Entire families of burrowing families make their home in the area. Hanging out nearby the owls are Snowy Egrets and White-Faced Ibis. A little further up the road from there is Unit 1, a viewing platform is an excellent place for spotting White Pelicans and other waterfowl.
The trip out to the Salton Sea only takes a couple of hours. But to explore the entire lake on both sides, at least a two-day stay is recommended at a campground or motel. Calipatria is quite near the lake, but the odor of the nearby stockades can be overpowering. A stay in Brawley about 30 minutes is probably better. On the north side, Indio is about half an hour away. Mecca, the town just south of Indio, has no hotels. On the western side, Salton City has one small motel.
As wild and weird as the lake is, the artist and muse within is unleashed by the Salton Sea. Its fantastical formations of birds flying overhead, flocks of pelicans floating on the water, and dramatic and unpredictable sunsets will give a new name and meaning to freedom.
