Leonard Knight's Salvation Mountain was one of must go places on our bucket list, I kept checking the temperature at Niland and realized there is not a chance to go there without burning ourselves during summer time unless we get there at 6 am, so I kept pushing back this trip to an unknown future date.
we woke up in one morning without any plan, I was like... hey, why not stop overthinking and just do it today? it's JUST 3.5 HOURS DRIVE right?
people says that if you are in the shadow of the mountain, is hard to penetrate, hard to grasp, and hard to describe.
this massive, hand-painted monument is located in the lower desert of SoCal in Imperial County.
Salvation Mountain is Leonard Knight's tribute and determination to spread the love of God with its simple message
"God Is Love"
like it says in the Bible:
"God Is Love"
like it says in the Bible:
accept Jesus into your heart, repent your sins, and be saved.
In 1971, Leonard began seeking materials to build a hot air balloon, wanted to "market" God like how people advertising a brand of beer, he stitched together a balloon that was 200 feet high, 100 feet wide, but the balloon never got off the ground.
The vision took over Leonard's life and travels until his trip to Slabs City in 1984, he planned to stay no more than a week to build a small replica of the balloon as a small remembrance of his faith in the GOD in the middle of the desert, a week then turned into years.
Leonard constructed his mountain out of tires, local adobe clay and more than 100,000 gallons of paint, he also bolted branches he cut from nearby dead trees on to the mountain, and painted them.
Leonard worked on this project for 25 years, created a giant mountain with a clear message of LOVE for the inspiration to anyone who visits.
Leonard himself tended this structure daily and greeted visitors for most of his life,
but sadly entered a nursing home in 2012, Leonard Knight died on February 10th, 2014, age 82.
His project lives on, many visitors bring paint to donate to this project, and a group of volunteers are gathering to take over care of the site and has been working to protect and maintain the mountain.
no matter what your background is or what your feelings are on God, you can’t help but be impressed when you stand in front of this massive work, what struck me the most was Leonard Knight incredible commitment to this task, I couldn't help but be overwhelmed by the dedication and conviction it took to create such a powerful symbol.
Leonard's truck remains where it broke down decades ago, it was the place he lived in.
if you are planing for a visit with your dog, be sure to bring LOTS of F R O Z E N water for both you and your furry friend, (you can thank me for this later), check out the weather at there official website, ideally come early in the morning or late afternoon, the weather here is brutal, if you are worry about the heat, it could be better to visit during winter time, but keep in mind this place will be packed by tourists by than.
