Bombay Beach: Visit California’s Bohemian Ghost Town
Photo by depositphotos.com
In the early 1900s, a dry lakebed in California steadily became a sprawling lake known as the Salton Sea due to an overtopped irrigation canal. By the mid-20th century, the Salton Sea was home to a handful of swanky resorts which attracted posh stars like Frank Sinatra. Prior to its decline in the 1970s, Bombay Beach attracted nearly 500,000 visitors annually and was considered a hotspot for fishing, waterskiing, and sunbathing.
Sadly, disaster struck in the 1970s when the Salton Sea’s waters became increasingly toxic due to farm runoff and rising salinity. A massive bird and fish die-off prompted visitors and residents to leave the area in droves. By the 1980s, the once glamorous Salton Sea was a rapidly shrinking cesspool that smelled positively putrid and was lined with sand made of finely ground fish bones.
Photo by depositphotos.com
At the dawn of the 21st century, the eerie remnants of Bombay Beach began to attract artists who infused the desolation of the Salton Sea with splashes of creativity. Art installations such as a makeshift confessional, a bus stop for a bus that never arrives, and a ghostly drive-in movie theater for abandoned cars began to spring up alongside the salt-encrusted foundations of posh resorts. In 2015, a renegade art festival known as the Bombay Beach Biennale became a yearly event. There are no tickets to the Bombay Beach Biennale. Attendees hear about the Biennale through word-of-mouth, and they must vow to participate in the festival in some form.
Photo by depositphotos.com
Photo by depositphotos.com
Photo by depositphotos.com
Despite the art installations sprinkled on the shores of the Salton Sea, Bombay Beach remains sparsely visited. You and your travel companions may be the only people for several miles if you decide to spend the day exploring the ruins of Bombay Beach. There are very few amenities in the area, so it is very important to pack ample food and water if you plan to spend the day exploring. Also, May-September can be dangerously hot. Always check the weather and make sure that your gas tank is full before venturing into the Colorado Desert.
Photo by depositphotos.com
Visitors can also explore nearby oddities such as the International Banana Museum, a man-made hill known as Salvation Mountain, and a sculpture garden called Slab City. An open-air ghost town that has morphed into an ever-changing art installation is the ideal place to find a little creative inspiration.
Bombay Beach is proof that an accidental lake with a fraught history can still serve as an ever-evolving canvas.
UnusualPlaces Field Notes
- Location
- Bombay Beach, Imperial County, California, USA
- Coordinates
- 33.3517, -115.7305
- Access
- Bombay Beach is an active residential community. The local arts organization welcomes respectful visitors; do not enter homes, fenced areas, or private property without permission. Public artworks are spread around the community, and individual installations may have their own access rules.
- Admission
- No general admission fee is listed for visiting the town. Individual events, businesses, or private properties may charge separately.
- Time needed
- No standard visit duration is published. Time depends on which public artworks and community sites are open; check the current art map and allow for walking between scattered sites.
- Best season
- The community organization notes that the population swells in winter. The desert is hot in summer; check local weather and air quality before travel.
- Opening hours
- No general visiting hours are published for the town. It is a residential community; respect residents, observe posted restrictions, and check each business or event for its own hours.
- Location checked
- 2026-10-22
- Facts checked
- 2026-10-22
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