Slab City: Desert Ruins Birth Unusual Free Community

Slab City, located in California's Colorado Desert, is an unusual settlement built upon the concrete foundations of a former U.S. Marine Corps training base abandoned after World War II. This off-grid community, approximately 50 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border, has become home to artists, retirees, survivalists, and those seeking an alternative lifestyle, with residents often calling it 'the last free place.'

The former Camp Dunlap, commissioned in 1942, was a fully equipped military base during World War II but was deactivated and dismantled in 1945. The surviving concrete slabs and roads, remnants of the military grid, continue to shape the community's layout. Since the mid-1960s, people have informally occupied the land, constructing makeshift homes from salvaged materials.

Life in Slab City demands constant improvisation as it lacks municipal electricity, piped water, and sewage systems. Residents utilize solar panels, generators, and hauled water for their daily needs. The community, being outside an incorporated municipality, has no local government, placing responsibility for civic maintenance on its inhabitants.

Despite its rugged existence, Slab City boasts a distinct cultural identity, featuring landmarks such as Salvation Mountain, an art creation by Leonard Knight, and the outdoor installation East Jesus. The population fluctuates seasonally, with a mix of year-round residents and 'snowbirds' seeking warmer climates.