The Salton Sea, California’s largest lake at over 300 square miles, lies south of Palm Springs in the southern part of the state and sits over 200 feet below sea level. The lake holds an intense beauty, yet this beauty sits in stark contrast to the ongoing struggles that exist for humans and wildlife who live in its midst. The lake lives among a mixture of dilapidated buildings covered in graffiti, empty lots, and currently occupied homes. The area serves as a reminder of a bygone era and the struggles here people have faced. Despite its challenges, people still live here, calling the shores of the Salton Sea home.
To understand the full story of this area, it’s important to know its past. The current lake was formed in 1905 when a canal broke, flooding the dry lake bed. The area had naturally been a lake at various times in history, but the current lake is due to this canal breaking. In the 1950s and 60s, the area was widely known as a resort. There was swimming, boating, really everything that a lake resort could offer. It was booming. But, things have changed.
In the 1970s, storms flooded resorts. In addition, over time, the lake’s salinity has increased. Agricultural runoff, algae blooms, and a variety of factors have led to bird and fish die-offs. Water evaporation has led to the exposure of toxic dust at the lake’s bottom, which has created a health hazard for residents. Take away? We need the area to be healthy for both humans and wildlife. For example, it serves as a habitat, stopover, etc. for millions of birds. One way to keep Salton on the brain is to visit and/or get educated!
The Salton Sea State Recreation area is a great starting point for exploration. The main entrance is on the east side of the lake on the northern end. There is a small entrance fee, and the visitor center has a large parking lot, access to the shoreline, and picnic tables, along with restrooms. To get to the visitor center, you take a left after paying your entrance fee. There is also a campground with showers there.
The beach (Sneaker Beach), which has fish bones scattered around, is made up of a large number of barnacles. There is an odor in the area, but it fluctuates depending on the health of the lake. Access to Sneaker Beach can be made both from the visitor center area, or you can take a right after paying your entrance fee instead of going left toward the visitor center. If you need restrooms and picnic tables, go to the visitor center. If you just want a quiet spot, taking the smaller parking area to the right will do.
Just a short distance from the visitor center, further south following the lake, lies Corvina Beach. This beach seems to stretch quite the distance! It’s a good place to park and look at the beautiful views as well. It’s visible from the main road and well marked.
Another important stop is Bombay Beach, which is further south than Corvina Beach. It was also once a bustling place that now sits as a reminder of what used to be. However, people still live there, people still visit there, and art projects sit both in the water and on the shores. There are even remains in the area of flooded buildings no longer inhabited.
The Salton Sea can be visited in a day, and done in loop fashion if you so desire. It really depends how much time you have. While the recreational beaches and Bombay Beach that I spoke of are on the eastern side, there are a few scattered towns on the western side where people still live in these once bustling towns.
I’ll end with the photograph below. It shows both sides of the Salton Sea. The gorgeous views, along with an old tire. What does it represent? To me, it represents a lake that used to mean so much to so many, and now needs fixing so both humans and wildlife can thrive. There are many ideas on how to help the dying sea, such as pumping more water in, and I would encourage you to remember this place. Do some internet searches, visit the Salton Sea, and tell others about this fascinating place. 
Safe travels, friends!