Salvation Mountain – A Journey of History, Art, and Faith

Salvation Mountain is a religious monument created by Leonard Knight and located in the California Dessert of Imperial County. It is whimsical and breathtaking. I felt like I walked straight in to a Dr Seuss version of the Bible. I have put this adventure off for years wondering if it was really worth the drive, but once you dive into the journey of history, art, and faith Salvation Mountain brings you realize it truly lives up to its international recognition.

Knight’s first vision was to spread God’s love through a hot air balloon so everyone could see it. After that didn’t work, he adapted his vision to Salvation Mountain. Knight worked on the mountain for over 20 years. His first attempt, which he had worked on for 4 years, was destroyed after a storm, but he was not discouraged and continued on.

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Myth has it, that in Imperial County Knight met Navajos who taught him which materials to use that would hold up against the weather best. For his second attempt, Leonard Knight rebuilt Salvation Mountain adobe style. He used straw, wood, and clay then painted over it generously. People would come by and donate latex paint to help Knight complete his work. It is estimated that over 100,000 gallons of paint were used. The paint protects it from wind and rain erosion which is drastically different than basically everything else near the Salton Sea which you can learn more about in my Bombay Beach Blog.

Behind the colorful face of Salvation Mountain are caves and crevices hidden away on both sides. The first cave pictured, with a blue ceiling, is what Leonard Knight called the “museum” and filled it with items and prayers of friends, family, and visitors. Visitors continue to bring items to fill the cave. Knight had once stated he planned to live in these caves, but preferred to live in his truck on site.

The museum was my favorite cave, it was the most intricate and colorful. But all of the caves amazed me. It truly is incredible how they don’t collapse or wash away during storms. When you enter the caves to the right there is a ladder entangled in tree branches where Leonard Knight climbed to structure and paint all of trees. There are also car parts, such as windows, he uses as windows and frames for the caves, and doors, used purely as decoration.

Along the face of Salvation Mountain you can travel along the Yellow Brick Road. This road leads you up and over the mountain along different colorful sections. I felt like strolling along the Yellow Brick Road actually added to the whimsical feeling. I was drawn into this colorful road taking this journey of Faith. It begins with God’s Love. Then you walk up to the Holy Bible and you look down and verses and Fruits of the Spirit are to your left. You are standing at the cross and at this point all you see is “God Is”. This was moving to me. It is painted differently than “Love” and I felt like there were so many of God’s promises here that could fill in the blank. Then the last step was the Sinner’s Prayer.

The art of Salvation Mountain does not stop there. There are various painted automobiles in the parking lot. Upon all of the pieces of work are the repeated themes of God’s Love, doves, Fruits of the Spirit, and the Sinner’s Prayer. Each one was just as beautiful as the cave art!

The automobiles are intricately detailed. The tires are painted, some have stain-glass windows, and there are scenes and verses painted all around. These works of art were Leonard Knight’s life work and they are truly awe inspiring and worth the international recognition they bring.

Many people live or camp across the street from Salvation Mountain. It is right alongside Slab City. The county has attempted to make this a fee based campground but it was denied since it is a religious monument. The county also attempted to take down the mountain due to the toxic paint. Soil engineers determined it was not toxic and Knight had used lead free paint.

Salvation Mountain is really in the middle of nowhere and I’ve put off going for years wondering if it was worth the drive. I can assure you this mountain, along with my other stops in my Bombay Beach Blog, make for an entire day trip that is definitely worth exploring. It is fun and colorful and the perfect place to reflect on God’s Love!