Free camping

Each winter thousands of people make the trek south to Slab City to camp for free. In the States this is called "boondocking", and in the UK, "wildcamping" or "wilding".

The temporary residents of Slab City are a mixture of "snowbirds" (older people migrating south for the winter) and what we'd call in the UK "New Age Travellers" (those who through choice are living outside the usual work pattern in a lifestyle choice).

If you're interested in finding places to stopover for free in Britain, why not send to us your place's so we can help all of us how to stay  Off the grid

Living in the middle of a desert means there's not much in the way of facilities! No shower blocks, no camp bar or swimming pool. Neither are there any utilities - no electricity or fresh water.

Leisure batteries can be kept topped up by generators, but these days many RVers and motorhomers are now kitted out with solar panels, and as you can see, in the desert sun solar panels really come into their own...

Salvation Mountain

As you may guess by looking at it, Salvation mountain is a feature of Slab City that we can safely assume wasn't there when the military lived on site!

Astonishingly, It's the work of one man, Leonard Knight, who lives nearby in his "Salvation Truck", a 1930s Chevrolet with a small cabin mounted on the flat bed. Not surprisingly, the truck is also covered with religious messages.

A senator has even nominated Salvation Mountain as a national treasure!

Annual talent show

Ok, so as already mentioned, you won't find a swimming pool, laundry room and many of the other facilities and entertainment you might at a standard camp site, but most Saturday nights there is free entertainment put on by residents, and every year there is a talent show which is open to all.

Organised by "Solar Mike", it takes place on "The Range", a stage built from parts of retired buses and powered by generators and car engines. Comfy car and bus seats hold the audience and a range of hub caps and Christmas lights complete the decor.

Where to shop

Situated just 3 miles from the small town of Niland, it's fairly straightforward for inhabitants of Slab City to pick up provisions on a regular basis.

Residents don't need to buy books very often though, as a free book exchange also operates within Slab City, including magazines, maps, games and puzzles.

As well as there being no charges for camping at Slab City, there is no restriction as to how long you can stay. As long as you can find a pitch (and in a desert it's not likely to be difficult...) and don't disturb your neighbours, you're in!