There’s a cultural belief in our country that to be content and respected, you must have a full-time job, a house, a car, the right clothes, and even the right thoughts. But what of the subset of people who live outside the confines of traditional society? One such community of vibrant, colorful, and brilliantly creative people have settled in Imperial County in Niland, California about 90 minutes from Palm Springs.
Salvation Mountain is a landmark just up the road from Slab City, over 600 acres of state land that allows visitors to camp for free, for a day, a month, a year, or a lifetime. Both these places are chockful of quirkiness, art, and beauty but for today, let’s explore Salvation Mountain.
The God Truck, Salvation Mountain, Niland CAPhoto byTracy Carbone
Creator Leonard Knight was born on November 1, 1931 near Burlington, Vermont. Per the official Salvation Mountain site, he was a self-described, “spoiled and rebellious child,” a loner with a stutter. Drafted into the Army in 1951 for the Korean war at 20 years old, he was disappointed that his chance to travel the world was cut short when the war ended just ten days after training.
For many years he held odd jobs but never achieved career or monetary success. All that changed at 36 when a discussion with his sister about Jesus struck a chord. “He sat alone in his van and began to recite the Sinner’s Prayer, 'Jesus, I’m a sinner, please come upon my body and into my heart.'”
He felt compelled to spread the word with a hot air balloon, “...a perfect vehicle to allow the Sinner’s Prayer to reach a broad audience.” For the next ten years, Knight prayed for a hot air balloon, but his prayers went unanswered. A pitstop in Nebraska turned into 5 years, and there he decided to make his own balloon. “His goal was to build the largest hot air balloon in the world; it would bear the words 'God is Love’ in large red letters for all to see…As the balloon grew to an unmanageable size, it would not inflate properly. The material began to rot due to the intense Nebraska heat.”
Persistent, Knight headed for California in 1984 but was unsuccessful in launching his balloon there as well. When it broke in pieces, he decided to rethink his plan. “In one last attempt to promote his message, Knight began erecting a small monument…near Slab City. Armed with only a bucket, a shovel, and a bag of cement, Knight began to create what would become Salvation Mountain. As time went on, Knight added more cement, sand, and junk that he collected from the dump.” Later he painted art and his famous “God Is Love” and Sinner’s Prayer messages.
The mountain collapsed in 1984 but Knight rebuilt it bigger and better, “…this time solely with adobe clay and straw, which made the mountain stronger and completely solid. This second effort resulted in the current Salvation Mountain, which stands approximately three stories high.”
The art covering the mountain is estimated to contain more than ten coats of paint which prevents cracking. “The site probably contains over 100,000 gallons of paint that have been donated by visitors and supporters.”
Buckets of paint on Salvation Mountain, Niland, CAPhoto byTracy Carbone
For 27 years, Knight mostly lived a shack adjacent to the mountain. He moved to a care facility in 2013 and passed away in 2014. Salvation Mountain, Inc, a non-profit run by volunteers provides the much-needed upkeep to the site.
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