Visiting Imperial County

Salvation Mountain

Located in the California desert area of Imperial County you will discover the hillside visionary environment known as Salvation Mountain. Created by local resident, Leonard Knight, in 1984 this iconic piece of man-made California art took years to complete. Made of adobe bricks, discarded tires, thousands of gallons of paint and various other dump-found materials, this mountain was created out of a labor of love. The mountain is adorned with handpainted murals and Bible scripture. Leonard Knight passed away in 2014 but to this day, the Salvation Mountain Inc. charity and a handful of volunteers work to maintain and preserve the mountain. 

Imperial Sand Dunes

Tear up the sand dunes with ATV and Dirt Bike rentals out at Dumont Dunes. Dumont Dunes is an area of the Mojave Desert that contains plenty of sand dunes for the adrenaline junkie. Visit our Riding Imperial article for a complete guide to the Imperial Sand Dunes, including where to find ATV and bike rentals. 

Cloud Museum

The museum is located in the farming community of Imperial County. Drop $5 in the box up front and walk around the grounds to uncover what could be one of the world’s largest collections of Ford Model ‘T’s, several other makers of old vehicles, an assortment of old machines and signs. Don’t forget to tour the boneyard full of old car and machine parts for sale. 

Museum of History in Granite

The Museum of History in Granite is a museum located in Felicity, California that displays several monuments made from Missouri Red Granite. Each piece of granite is 100 feet long and was designed to be a record of humanity with the anticipation of it lasting four millennia. The collection houses over 900 large pieces of outdoor panels. The “History of Humanity” is only 31% engraved on these stones as of today and includes the history of California.

East Jesus

East Jesus is located in Niland and is a place for artists from all walks of life to gather. The area was once covered in trash before being overhauled into the beautiful desert oasis it is today for contemporary artists. East Jesus is now filled with residents who adhere to their own sets of rules and conduct. Tourists congregate to East Jesus to experience the vast Art Garden. The garden is open and free to the public all year round, the only rule is to not touch or disturb the unique, sometimes bizarre, pieces of art on display.