Bombay Beach, CA

Sitting along the eastern edge of the Salton Sea, Bombay Beach started out in the 1950s as a bustling desert getaway packed with boaters, fishermen, and weekend vacationers. As environmental shifts and rising salinity caused the lake to recede, the original resort scene gradually faded away. Today, the town is a quiet, sun-bleached desert settlement where lived-in homes sit right alongside rusted boat ramps and remnants of its mid-century past.

ATTRDicklyon / CC BY-SA 4.0

In recent years, the community has built a second identity as an offbeat haven for artists, creatives, and people seeking an off-the-grid desert lifestyle. The annual Bombay Beach Biennale and permanent outdoor art installations have filled vacant lots with quirky sculptures, makeshift galleries, and communal hangout spots. With its tiny population, intense summer heat, and endless desert horizons, it offers an unconventional, deeply independent slice of Southern California living.