Salvation Mountain, Searching Salvation

Located just outside of Niland, California, less than an hour away from the Mexican border, Salvation Mountain is a work of art unlike any other. Built by Leonard Knight, the mountain was constructed out of straw, wood, adobe, and gallons and gallons of paint. There's no denying that it was a labour of love that Leonard dedicated years of his life to while living at the site. 

Leonard passed away in February 2014, however my friend Dave and I spoke to him in 2009 on our road trip across the Western USA. Being back here was a surreal moment on my return visit this past December. Dave died unexpectedly in 2011, so without him or Leonard to share with, I feel like I'm the only one left holding on to the memory. 

Nothing stays the same forever. Salvation Mountain has crumbled a bit since my last visit. I noticed that the paint has started to crack without the regular maintenance it was used to. Similarly, I felt my emotions crack a bit as well as I brought everything back to the surface. It wasn't what I prepared myself for, but it was serendipitous nonetheless to tour the site again. This was what my pilgrimage to the desert was all about.

Standing at the top of Salvation Mountain. 2009 meets 2014.

Carrying a photograph of Dave and myself that I snapped while standing on top of the mountain in 2009, my goal was to photo journal the location, shoot footage for my Searching Salvation video, and leave the image behind as a memorial. I accomplished all of these things by driving out to Salvation Mountain on two separate occasions during my time in the area.

I'm not a religious person, but in my eyes Salvation Mountain really isn't as fanatical as it may look on the surface. Hearing Leonard speak about it those years ago and from touring the site in detail, the take away for me is just to love - spread it, share it, create it.

Leonard's passion was infectious, and I began to view this location as a symbol of my friendship with Dave following his death because just being there was an uplifting experience. For me it was enlightening; a realization that some of the greatest things that can happen to you aren't because you planned them perfectly. Sometimes you're just in the right place at the right time and everything unfolds better than you could have scripted it.

When we left Salvation Mountain on that day back in 2009, Dave and I were in a state of euphoria that was fueled by Leonard's excitement in sharing this place with us. If you're familiar with the scene from Into the Wild (see below) it was like he recreated that moment for us (as I'm sure he did with countless others). It was a pure, natural high and I got to share it with one of my best friends. That's something that I never want to forget.

I left my photograph in here with the other notes and messages.

Salvation Mountain: Indio Outio

Day Five (08.27.09) Of all the places we visited, Salvation Mountain was the one that made me realize I was never going to forget this road trip. Much like the Salton Sea in general, this man-made mountain of paint is so incredibly different and unique, it's almost dream-like when you find yourself practically alone in a setting like this.

Created by Leonard Knight, I first came to know of Salvation Mountain from the movie Into the Wild. There's a scene where Emile Hirsch's character is given a tour by Knight and I was captivated. I never really pictured myself getting there necessarily, but it's funny how those plans came together - how my interest in Indio lead to the Salton Sea which lead to Salvation Mountain.

Another interesting fact about this site is that it's built on government land and for years had been threatened with removal. Until 2002 when senator Barbara Boxer took interest and helped Salvation Mountain gain special designation as a national treasure - an honour held by only one other landmark, Mount Rushmore. The coincidence in this is that the last major road trip I went on before this one was to Mount Rushmore - you can see the edits here.

Dave and I took full advantage of the experience. When we arrived Leonard was giving a tour to a group of girls, and we all met up as he told us we could walk the yellow path up to the top of the mountain if we wanted to. Naturally we said yes, we had no idea he'd let us walk on his art, but when considering how hands-on the construction must've been there's really no better way to experience it.

We walked the winding path, marveling at the intricate details (like the litte coloured flowers) and were rewarded with a spectacular view at the top.

The setting sun gave the desert a rich golden hue, and the colours of Salvation Mountain only looked further saturated by the contrasting monochromatic landscape that surrounded it. There were miles of desert, hills, and small glimpses of civilization. None more present than Slab City - a community of nomads, off the grid. But ultimately, it was quiet and refreshingly secluded. A scene that almost forces you to be alone with your thoughts; comfortably at peace.

While the messaging (God is Love, etc.) is strong, and the display eccentric, there was nothing scary about Leonard himself. If there was one word I'd choose to describe him it's passionate. He really just wanted to make his mark, to express love, and devote his life to a higher purpose - whether religious or not you have to value his commitment and vision to make a positive impact. After we came down from the mountain and had our private look around, we approached Leonard to talk (see the next video).

I'm still pinching myself that several thousand kilometers from home we found ourselves talking casually, face to face, with the man who built this hidden treasure in the middle of nowhere. 

Salvation Mountain

There are places that immediately distinguish themselves as one of a kind. When getting my first glance of Salvation Mountain just outside of Niland, California it was clear that we were about to experience something we wouldn't soon forget.

Created by Leonard Knight, Salvation Mountain is a shrine created from hay bails, old telephone poles, and layers upon layers of paint. Everything at the site has been decorated in such bright colors it gives the impression of a cartoon-like atmosphere. Leonard lives at the site, and despite being in his eighties now is more than happy to give you a personal tour and share his stories.


I first heard about Salvation Mountain after watching Into the Wild - a portion of the film takes place in Slab City which you can see from the site. At first I expected Leonard Knight to be overly eccentric, maybe even a little scary, but the reality is that all that apprehension disappears when meeting him face to face. He wasn't pushy about religion and he didn't seem to have any motive for making money from the visits, instead he was simply proud to share and talk about what has become his masterpiece.

I think the photographs speak volumes about the level of detail and originality that exist in this quiet site off the eastern shore of the Salton Sea. It was undoubtedly one of the biggest highlights from our 2009 cross country road trip.

You can read more about my experience and watch the original edits I made of the location by visiting my Indio Outio posts for Salvation Mountain and Leonard Knight.

Salvation Mountain Project

I've had it in my mind for some time to create something special with all of the footage I shot on the road in 2009.  Of that footage, my favorite scenes include those that I shot at Salvation Mountain near Niland, California.  My friend Dave and I had spent the day exploring the areas around the Salton Sea and capped it all off with a trip out to Leonard Knight's epic art project in the middle of nowhere.

Last month Dave passed away and this ultimately brought all of the memories from our road trips flooding back.  I started reviewing the footage I shot and began to find some inspiration.  There's a story in that footage and a short film there that I now feel compelled to create.  Part documentary, part poetic experiment, I'm already visualizing what a rewarding and challenging edit this will be for me.  It's a way for me to honor my memories with Dave, to emphasize what our experience at Salvation Mountain was like, to reflect on my views of life and death, and to really address my own emotions and frustrations with losing such a close friend.

My goal is to keep this project under five minutes in length, which will really help me to condense and further define my thoughts about this entire experience.  While I've just begun outlining exactly what I plan on doing, I'm feeling ambitious and charged to really create something special and personal that I could see myself submitting to short film festivals.  This already feels different from any of the other videos I've ever created or worked on, but I think it also plays on my strengths as an editor and the archival video work that I've done in the past.

I look forward to sharing more about this project in the coming weeks.

Salvation Mountain near Niland, California.

Exploring the Salton Sea

My recent road trip around the Salton Sea in Southern California was motivated by my desire to retrace the steps I took with my friend Dave in 2009 and 2010. When he passed away suddenly a year after that last road trip, I started working on a personal project about our first visit to Salvation Mountain. The area has only become more compelling to me as a result. 

On my tour around the Salton Sea I visited abandoned structures and ruins in Bombay Beach, Salton City, North Shore, Niland and Salton Sea Beach. I also explored East Jesus in Slab City, and took several trips to photograph Salvation Mountain. My return to the North Shore Yacht Club was also memorable. As was my impromptu photo shoot with the mysterious boxes around the Red Hill Marina. With large gaps between my visits the changes to these places have always seemed extreme. Perhaps it's part of what keeps calling me back to the Salton Sea.

Abandoned Market in North Shore

North Shore Yacht Club

Abandoned Yacht Club in Salton City

Dave and I exploring the Salton Sea in 2010.

Bombay Beach Ruins

A photo shoot with the mysterious boxes around the Red Hill Marina.

Salton Sea Beach Marina

Slab City & East Jesus

Salvation Mountain