33°15'28.75"N 115°27'44.23"W
It is hard to imagine the world without rules and without authorities. But even if it sounds pure fiction, so is day-to-day life in Slab City, an off-the-grid shantytown in the southern Californian desert where taxes and police don't exist. People simply enjoy life in a bohemian hippie style, something that has awarded Slab City the famous nickname: "The Last Free Place on Earth". However, even freedom has a cost.
Because locals face a stark reality when it comes to power or drinkable water. For electricity, they must rely on "Solar Mike," a veteran of the solar industry; while the nearest source of drinkable water lays in the town of Niland. And to top it off, there is only one shower for the whole community, a problem that is very much noticed during the blazing desert summers. In other words, life is harsh. But many slabbies (as the citizens are called) don't have another option due to poverty, while others are temporal inhabitants such as retirees who want to disconnect of urban life during winter, when the temperatures are bearable. Let's move on to its history.
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| Bird's eye view of Slab City (from PBS SoCal) |
Long before it became what it is now, the area served as Camp Dunlap, a Navy base that was eventually abandoned and almost entirely dismantled. For years, it was a forgotten desert plot overrun by dry vegetation and scattered concrete slabs. Then, the first signs of revival came when chemical workers temporarily settled the slabs while harvesting nearby creosote leaves. Once they moved on, hippies discovered the abandoned structures and truly founded the community of Slab City. They rolled in with trailers and caravans, and transformed the old military guard posts to vibrant welcome signs (like the one pictured above). Meanwhile, the Californian government noticed the growing camp but chose to turn a blind eye; without public utilities, it was just a worthless patch of sand for them. To the slabbies, however, it was a brand new world. Lastly, the rise of social media made Slab City a viral travel destination for curious influencers and street artists who wanted to express freely art. The most popular one was without any doubt Leonard Knight.
Despite being already dead, his artwork "The Salvation Mountain" continues to be the icon of the community. In the main entrance to Slab City, a colorful hill made entirely out of cob greets you with religious messages such as "God is Love" and the Christian cross on top of it. Next, in the northern part of the colony, there's the neighborhood of East Jesus, which is also a hub for artists worldwide. Some of these bizarre creations include a house that seems to be sinking in the ground, a group of televisions showing each one a different message, a highly decorated Volkswagen bus or the statue of a mammoth made entirely out of car tires. Additionally, the city has a library, a hostel, some cafes and two music stages.
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