SALTON SUITE: PART 3 OF 5

The Last Free Place

May 2023. All photos by the author.

This is Part 3 of a 5-part photo essay, about a series of road trips around the Salton Sea from September 2008 through May 2023. You can view Part 1 here, Part 2 here, Part 4 here and Part 5 here.

Continuing south along Highway 111 we enter Niland, California. A dilapidated town that was never part of the Salton Sea glory days, it has quietly declined to less than 1,000 people, mainly retirees and low-income residents. With every visit, it seems there are fewer open businesses; it’s hard to see how Niland is not on its way to becoming a ghost town.

June 2014.

June 2014.

March 2016. As of May 2023, the Salvation Mountain sign is gone, but the store is still open.

March 2016. Gaston’s Café has been closed for years, but the sign lingers on.