Salvation Mountain

Travel

Jan 10

I finally made it to this folk art masterpiece! Leonard Knight's Salvation Mountain has been on my must-viz list for a while now, ever since I first saw photos of it on Instagram. An explosion of color in the middle of the dez, it really is a sight to see. Located just east of the Salton Sea and about a 3 and a half hour drive from Los Angeles, it's a trek to get to this little piece of magic - but a great spot to check out when visiting Palm Springs, as it's only about an hour and a half drive from there.

There was a guy on a megaphone making sure people did in fact stay on the yellow brick road. I suffered a bit of secondhand embarrassment for all the poor souls who were put on blast (actually) and yelled at! But it is a work of art and walking where you aren't supposed to does damage, so I understand why it's necessary to keep people in check.

Considering the mountain is in the middle of the desert, I learned it requires constant maintenance due to the harsh surrounding environment. There were actually volunteers painting and touching up spots while we were visiting! I believe a charity has been established to support the project. Here's hoping it's kept in tact because whether you're religious or not, it really is a stunning work of art.

Have you ever visited Salvation Mountain? What did you think? Let me know in the comments!