What are the rules in Slab City?

Ever since I heard of Slab City — a self-governed community located in the middle of the desert in southern California — I'd been curious as to what living here was really like. It's been described as “the last free place in America” because there are no rules and no laws.

What can you not do in Slab City?

Can you do anything in Slab City?

Slab City also has more infrastructure than you might think at first glance: there is a river shower where you can bath yourself, there is a library, a hostel with internet, there are tours, they have their own Facebook community page and Amazon actually delivers to the Slabs!

Do you have to pay to live in Slab City?

While Slab City has package delivery and there is no charge to live here, there is no running water, sewage, plumbing or electricity, unless you are creative and savvy enough to create your own, which some have done.

Can anybody live in Slab City?

The population of the Slabs, a.k.a. the “Last Free Place in America,” blooms in winter to more than 4,000 residents by some estimates, then boils down to 150 or so in the summer. Anyone can add themselves to this constellation of tents, trailers, RVs and shacks, but not everybody has what it takes to call it home.

What is Life in Slab City REALLY Like?

How do people make money in Slab City?

Residents with working vehicles can make money transporting water, goods, or people. Other Slabbers set up stands to sell merchandise like artwork and tie-dyed Slab City souvenir t-shirts to tourists and visitors.

How does Slab City get water?

Because this water source comes from the hot springs, it's essentially used bath water. In any case, it's very high in iron & sulfur; it still tastes bad after filtering. You should bring in your own water for your stay in Slab City.

Is there electricity in Slab City?

Built on an abandoned military base in the middle of California's Sonoran Desert, Slab City doesn't have many modern amenities. No power lines or pipes carry electricity or fresh water to the city. Residents have to sort out their own system for disposing of sewage or trash.

Who owns Slab City?

The state owns the land, and any revenues derived from it are earmarked for the California State Teachers Retirement System. Slab City nowadays is home to some 200 permanent residents and between 1,000 and 2,000 retirees seeking refuge from their native cold winter climes.

Where is Slab City no laws?

Well, located in the Sonoran Desert in California, is America's only law-free area; Slab City. Its name comes from the concrete slabs that were left behind by Marine Corps barracks of Camp Dunlap during World War II.

What is it like to live in Slab City?

The Slabs, as the community is known, has no connection to the main power grid, no trash or water services, and a general lack of basic amenities. The encampment is as bare bones as it gets. Streets are made of hardened dirt, most structures are built from salvaged materials, and packs of dogs roam the area.

Who owns east Jesus?

Charlie Russell, the founder of East Jesus, initially came to the area to work alongside Knight, and quickly became enamoured with the idea of “The Last Free Place.” In early 2007, Charlie left his tech job, packed all his belongings into a shipping container, and began to surround his two art cars with the sculptures ...

Who founded Slab City?

In 1942, the Navy Department set up a U.S. Marine Corps base on over 600 acres in the Sonoran Desert. According to the Military Museum, they built about 30 structures, 8.2 miles (13.1 kilometers) of paved road, and various utilities.

What is the population of Slab City?

Despite the high temperatures, there are about 150 permanent residents of Slab City.

Can you get in the Salton Sea?

At this time we know of no other motorized access to the water on the Salton Sea. At no time are visitors permitted to drive vehicles on the beach in the Salton Sea State Recreation Area. Please stay tuned to the website for further updates as they become available.

Are there other places like Slab City?

Is Slab City toxic?

Keeley: Slab City is not dangerous if you keep to yourself and stay clean. It seems dangerous to drug users who intermingle and, especially in the heat, get on each other's nerves. In other places, citizens in this circumstance exchange words and ignore each other for the rest of their lives.

What is the Salton Sink?

The Salton Sink is the low point of an endorheic basin, a closed drainage system with no outflows to other bodies of water, in the Colorado Desert sub region of the Sonoran Desert.

Why does the Salton Sea smell?

The Salton Sea can stink at times because of the organic matter, like dead fish rotting on the lake floor. Michael Cohen, a longtime Salton Sea researcher at the water think tank "Pacific Institute," says a lot of ecological activity happens in these waters -- just not the kind we might like.

Where is the city of lawless?

There is one lawless city that still remains in the United States today. This area is called Slab City, better known as The Slabs. This plane, documented by NPR, was found to hold 600 acres in the Sonoran Desert in Imperial County, California.

Why is it called East Jesus?

But Russell became involved in his own project less than a mile from Salvation Mountain, where he had begun to turn a trash-strewn area into a colorful and quirky art installation. He called it East Jesus, after a colloquialism meaning “the middle of nowhere” (there's no direct religious connotation).

Is there a lawless city?

In the middle of the California desert without food, running water, electricity, sewage, trash service, and… without laws, anywhere from 200 to 1500 squatters congregate to make up the last lawless land in the US.