Salvation Mountain is an experiential art piece built into a hillside covered in hundreds of gallons of colorful paint. Created by local resident Leonard Knight, the site’s main message is “God is Love” and includes biblical verses on parts on the hill. A few miles from the Salton Sea, there is not much near Salvation Mountain. I recommend stopping by Salvation Mountain along with the Salton Sea and Banana Museum to get a feel for the area. With my art history background, I enjoyed and appreciated what Leonard Knight created, perhaps the vibrant colors will delight you as well.
Experiencing Salvation Mountain
When walking up to Salvation Mountain, it is daunting and impressive. You realize how many hundreds, if not thousands of gallons of paint used to create the slick walkways and ground. There is a “yellow brick road” that you can walk on up the mountain. You must walk the road to see how much work had to go into the mountain. We particularly liked the flowery section in the lower third of the yellow brick road.
At a Glance:
- Rating: 3 (out of 4) stars, would do it again if I were in the area.
- Intensity: Bright solid color outfit with heeled sandals
- Time: about an hour
- Location: Calipatria, California
- Cost: Free
- Restrooms: None
Highlights:
- You can climb on this immersive art piece!
- The adjacent structures you can walk into.
Once you’ve climbed and retraced your steps down the mountain, be sure to check out the adjacent structures to the right of the Mountain. It is like walking into a Dr. Seuss book with colorful walls and flowers, tiny windows, clouds, and trinkets. Even the horizontal support bars are painted, making it look like the place has inter-connective tissue. In one corner, we found a little bit of cat food and spotted a stray kitty. Very cute that they take care of these little guys.
In terms of photography, the evening is likely your best time, with the sun illuminating the entire mountain. We wore solid red dresses, which worked perfectly with the bright colors of the mountain. A caretaker liked our outfits so much he commented on them. The caretaker also had a megaphone to let people know to stay on the yellow brick road. It was good to see that there are people taking care of the art, because it is a spectacle that many people should be able to see.
Getting to Salvation Mountain
Salvation Mountain is out there. About an hour south of Palm Springs, then a few miles southeast of the Salton Sea, then another couple miles into the desert toward Slab City. Slab City is an self established area with people living out of RV’s and other vehicles. Just before entering Slab City sits Salvation Mountain. It is not easy to miss.
If you take your time, you might spend an hour here. With that in mind, make your visit more of an experience by visiting the Banana Museum and Salton Sea. There are other art pieces in Slab city, but after seeing the art of the Salton Sea, we had enough odds and ends. If you go to the southwest corner of the Salton Sea, you can also snag a delicious date shake!
I am always impressed with the size and magnitude of outdoor art pieces like this. Do you know of any that are as interactive? Let us know in the comments!
Happy Travel
