Salvation Mountain

 

We hadn’t been to Salvation Mountain (Wikipedia page) for over ten years and thought it would be fun to check in. So on a late Sunday afternoon recently we stopped by on our way back up to Palm Springs. 

The creator, Leonard Knight, had already gone to bed and we were left to talk with a guy who was helping Leonard out, but otherwise, we just wandered around. The setting is whimsical and colorful; don’t forget to follow the yellow road to the top of the hill. The Balloon Museum is a bit Gaudi-esque in its organic construction. 

Maybe Leonard Knight is a road-side Gaudi? What attracts one to this place? Is it the message of God is Love in endless variations? No, though I give Leonard high marks for picking a theme and sticking to it. Is it the Mad Max setting with brightly painted surfaces juxtaposed with the dusty brown surroundings? No, though it’s fun. Is it the fact that this “outsider art” piece must constantly be maintained with new paint or else it would be reclaimed by the desert? No, but it feels better somehow that used paint is going on this mountain than in a landfill. 

I think what attracts me is simply that Leonard Knight created Salvation Mountain as his statement and continues to do so, until he dies. When I think of that I feel partly envious that he did and does. What do we dedicate our lives to really? What kind of statement do we leave? For Leonard Knight, the answer is a bit easier to answer than for most people: Salvation Mountain. Salvation Mountain is located just east and slightly north from Niland, California here. 

 
Salvation Mountain - Mailbox


Salvation Mountain - Looking Down From the Top


Salvation Mountain - Inside the Balloon