Salvation Mountain is a colorful artificial mountain north of Calipatria, California, near Slab City. It is made from adobe, straw, and thousands of gallons of paint. It was created by Leonard Knight to convey the message that “God Loves Everyone”. Mr. Knight refused substantial donations of money and labor from supporters who wished to modify his message of universal love to favor or disfavor particular groups. Salvation Mountain is the second most visited tourist attraction in Imperial County.
Steps cut into the side of the hill lead to the summit which is topped by a cross. Knight lives full-time at the site in a small cabin mounted on the rear of a 1930s-vintage Chevrolet two-ton truck. Like Salvation Mountain, Knight’s Salvation Truck and a collection of other vehicles and machinery are entirely covered with paint and Biblical quotes as well. He estimates that more than 100,000 gallons of paint have gone into the creation of the mountain and that every California-based paint manufacturer has donated paint to the project.
Friendly and accessible, Knight welcomes visitors to Slab City and Salvation Mountain and gladly accepts donations of both labor and acrylic paint. Once labeled an environmental hazard, the hill was threatened with removal by Imperial County. In recent years, the furor seems to have died down and the project has been likened to an epic work of folk art comparable to the Watts Towers. Although the project is an unauthorized one on state land, Salvation Mountain was placed under protection in 2002 when Senator Barbara Boxer entered it into the Congressional Record as a national treasure.Source
September 28th, 2009 at 7:27 pm
What a waste of paint.
September 28th, 2009 at 7:33 pm
AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
September 28th, 2009 at 7:35 pm
Are muslims welcome at this location? My friends would love to check it out.
September 28th, 2009 at 7:37 pm
I live about 30 min. form the site and never heard about it until just recently. I was there a couple of months ago and its a really great sight! ! It is also very inspiring to those who believe in Jesus Christ as Lord. If you ever have a chance go out there and visit! ! !
September 28th, 2009 at 7:50 pm
This is why i dont believe in god…
September 28th, 2009 at 7:53 pm
Hmm… but I created that desert just the way I wanted it. Does this man think he is above the Lord his creator? Well. We’ll see about that.
September 28th, 2009 at 7:55 pm
wow that’s not bad for the environment X_X & way to go dude. great message since everyone is Christian….
September 28th, 2009 at 8:02 pm
thats a lot of paint
September 28th, 2009 at 8:03 pm
A nuke would make this a better place…
September 28th, 2009 at 8:05 pm
Looks great for the environment.
September 28th, 2009 at 8:26 pm
This guy is a lunatic. Sheer, wonderful, absolute bonkers, and a good thing too – we could use more like him.
What I want to know is if it wasn’t Christ-themed, would it still have been made a national treasure?
September 28th, 2009 at 8:35 pm
do they have one for pastafarians?
September 28th, 2009 at 8:38 pm
Great for the environment?!? Have you ever been through the Mojave? NOTHING lives there, nothing grows there, it is desolate and barren.
What is wrong with shaping the face of the earth inspired by one’s faith? When the Taliban destroyed the giant Buddha sandstone carvings in Afghanistan, the entire world objected. You think the Great Pyramids didn’t have an ecological impact on the entire Egyptian geography?
Do you people stop to *think* about it before you mindlessly condemn? And I am certain that the people who are complaining the loudest (about Christianity and environmental concerns)… would be the first attacking “Christian intolerance” if this were NOT a Christian themed monument.
I have no religious affiliation whatsoever, but I am strongly opposed to hypocrisy.
September 28th, 2009 at 8:38 pm
All that paint probably destroyed a vast and delicate ecosystem of microorganisms.
September 28th, 2009 at 8:47 pm
The earth is a pretty big place – seems He made plenty of room for His people to express their worship of Him.
If self-proclaimed defender of the environment (Barbara Boxer) can have it declared a national treasure, even those who prefer to worship the creation rather than the Creator need to hold their peace.
When will the scarcity-minded ever embrace the abundance God has given them through His creation?
September 28th, 2009 at 8:58 pm
@PiddlyD
Have you been to the Mojave? Did you ever take the time to notice that thousands of species of plants and animals that actually live in the desert? I love how your railing about ignorance when only the uneducated actually thinks deserts are devoid of life and environmental beauty.
Also thought it was pretty funny you equated the Great Pyramids with some dude who empties cans of paint onto the rock with the artistic talent of my 5 year old daughter. LOL….
September 28th, 2009 at 9:01 pm
At least someone can stand up for what he believes in, its a little wacky looking, but this is his praise to God, who are you to judge? And if you are not religious, why feel like you have to cut it down? I don’t bash atheists, i just feel sorry for you…and who gives a sh!t about the paint and the environment that others are complaining about. Far greater disgraces happen to the earth daily (war, logging, mining)
September 28th, 2009 at 9:34 pm
Wow what a fantastic piece of underground urban art… not to diminish the artists work… just like temples in India, Cambodia, Tibet, Mexico, etc… it has its own distint flavor… I’m an Atheist and an artist and I think it’s cool..I’d love to visit it…Love is universal …Peace man!!!
September 28th, 2009 at 9:42 pm
amazing! too bad it’s dedicated to god. hehe.
September 28th, 2009 at 10:25 pm
“At least someone can stand up for what he believes in, its a little wacky looking, but this is his praise to God, who are you to judge? And if you are not religious, why feel like you have to cut it down? I don’t bash atheists, i just feel sorry for you”
How is painting “JESUS LOVES YOU” standing up for what he believes in? This is a tacky piece of “art” that defaces a damn mountain on state property. As a California resident that pays taxes, I really can’t think of anyone better to complain about this. I’m not Christian, Jesus -doesn’t- love me because at best he’s dead, and at worst he never even existed.
Your religion does NOT belong on our community property. Your religion is yours alone, and you have no business destroying a park and ecosystem trying to convert people who have no need for your “pity”
September 28th, 2009 at 10:32 pm
I think all the people making the snarky, in your face cut downs about Salvation Mountain and Leonard Knight should STFU until they actually visit the place and meet him and talk to him. I visited it back in 2007 after a trip dune crawling around Ocotillo Wells, and he was extremely hospitable and friendly. Never once pushed any kind of religion on anyone in our group. His own personal relationship with his god is just that, personal. He doesn’t proseltyze or try to convert.
As for any arguments about bacteria or wildlife harmed in the making of salvation mountain, there’s literally millions of acres of the same across CA, NV and AZ. An acre or so covered in household latex enamel is less than a drop in the bucket compared to normal die-off in the wild.
September 28th, 2009 at 11:19 pm
Pathetic. Poor old man, wasting all that effort on a fantasy.
As to “Have you ever been through the Mojave? NOTHING lives there, nothing grows there, it is desolate and barren.”
Ahem. The Mojave Desert is full of life — tenacious, heroic life, but also fragile life.
When I was younger, I thought mountains should be blasted down by nuclear explosions, so humans would have more room to live and farm. But then I moved to the mountains, and the desert, and I discovered how wonderful they are, how valuable they are, all on their own.
Anyone who thinks deserts are worthless is painfully ingrown. Anyone who thinks everything on earth — such as deserts, for instance — should be measured only by its value to humans is … well, so shortsighted that they represent a danger to humanity itself.
September 28th, 2009 at 11:29 pm
@PiddlyD
I live in the mojave desert, and I assure you, plenty of flora and fauna live here. What this man has done to the enviroment should be illegal. I want to know why he hasn’t been arrested.
Plus, i’m pretty sure Jesus wouldn’t approve. If he was real.
September 28th, 2009 at 11:41 pm
@PiddlyD This is a comments section. Keep that in mind.
In fact, all of you keep that in mind.
Comments = Opinions
For the most part at least.
You’re a douchebag for making a big deal over a comment, not the person you’re making a big deal about. Jesus Christ(ha)
September 28th, 2009 at 11:44 pm
In the begining… Man created God
September 28th, 2009 at 11:45 pm
I don’t like how you wasted all that paint messing up the ground and writing my name like that. God is pissed about it, and im kinda choked… If you could just stop being all fucking crazy and maybe use that paint money to buy poor people food or even make a sign in support of health reform, that would be great.
Oh and just to be sure you know, Jesus does not love you or anyone else… Unless you have nice tits… The I will love you for about 15min, then your back on your own…
September 29th, 2009 at 12:10 am
Sad to see more of Earth’s landscape ruined by overzealous teeth suc****
September 29th, 2009 at 12:19 am
Also if anyone is opposed to this either ignore it or make your own anti God mountain, let’s see you stand up to your beliefs in the 110+ heat.
September 29th, 2009 at 2:57 am
I just returned from camping in the Mojave. Such ignorance! It is beautiful there, all the acacia and creosote, hedgehog cactus, bighorn goats, coyotes, tortoises, many kinds of mice, more flora and fauna than I can list here. Too bad small minded people try to sound like know-it-alls in the name of god. Nature is glorious in and of itself. It’s too bad many so called christians are so judgmental and lately, very hateful. I’m sure this old guy is neither.
Also an atheist and an artist, I saw this man featured in Sean Penn’s Into The Wild and I think this huge monument is the most amazing piece of art I’ve ever seen, a life’s work of a sweet, loving man.
September 29th, 2009 at 3:07 am
Once again this proves those who are religious must have some sort of mental illness.
September 29th, 2009 at 6:20 am
It’s a beautiful shrine, and if you’re not religious then I’m sure you can still appreciate it as a beautiful work of art and hard work.
As for environmental concerns, a quarter of the earth is covered in moutains – I really don’t think stucco’ing this ONE mountain (and a very small one at that!) is not going to make much of an impact. Chill, kids.
September 29th, 2009 at 6:23 am
Hey, ****… did you happen to read the intro? It’s an ARTIFICIAL mountain… he built it out of straw and clay. He didn’t destroy anything any more than you hollowing out the earth and building a house would destroy something. Would you rather he tear it down, for environmental concerns, excluding religious debate, and then also tear down your house and live off the earth? Didn’t think so.
The only debate you could possibly have here is whether the land was originally his, which I cannot say.
September 29th, 2009 at 11:28 am
Relationships tend to be a reflection of the people that are involved in them. If there is happiness in the relationship, then the people involved are usually happy people. So, to start actively making your relationship a love that lasts, you have to know what is going on with you first. You have to be happy with yourself if you want to be happy with another person.
September 29th, 2009 at 2:01 pm
If he really wanted to honor his creator and the creator of the wondrous beauty of nature he should have left it alone… Does anybody really think this is more beautiful than the desert landscape it destroyed?
October 27th, 2009 at 6:40 pm
He said that all of the paint was donated. so no money was spent on paint, no money could go to the poor. the entire mountain was built out of adobe and straw, so nothing was destroyed. Also, latex paint is biodegradable, so it’s not exactly a permanent mark on the mountain. It will probably be destroyed in the next grass fire hits the area. also, who says it’s not his property? he lives there.
October 27th, 2009 at 7:30 pm
What a wonderful way to for a man to express his love for his creator.
Sadly, here in the UK some wingeing, lefty, liberal planning authority would put the kybosh on it before he even started: Wouldn’t meet safety standards; not in keeping with existing structures; not in keeping with the environmental plan for the region etc etc.
Americans: you are blessed with having the open space.
October 27th, 2009 at 11:59 pm
I have actually been here. It’s quite amazing. He told us he landed there in a hot air balloon some tens of years ago and hasn’t left since. It’s really a cool thing and it’s out in the middle of nowhere by the salton sea.
October 28th, 2009 at 12:00 am
He also used old telephone polls, tires to create stacks, and 2×4s. He pretty much uses anything and everything thats donated.
October 28th, 2009 at 11:32 pm
Didn’t we see that guy and his piece of work in the movie “into the wild” ?
October 28th, 2009 at 11:56 pm
HAHA, I TOTALLY WENT TO THIS PLACE. We accidently stoppoed there on the way back to san diego like ten years ago.
October 29th, 2009 at 4:17 am
He might be the nicest man in the world, but what he did is illegal and he should be busted for it. That is STATE land, not his, and he dumped what he says is 100,000 gallons of paint on it. That is an extreme case of littering and if a corporation had dumped 100,000 gallons of paint there I’m sure something would have happened to them (and if not then the authorities are idiots).
Also look at the construction of that thing. From an engineering standpoint it is a disaster waiting to happen. I wonder if he will have remorse when it finally collapses if it injures/kills someone. Those are look ready to go anytime.
That is fact. As for opinion….its ugly as sin and it is beyond me how anyone can consider such works as “art”. Any fool, or child could do this. There is zero talent involved. Just a fanaticism to support his God (by defacing the land God created).
October 30th, 2009 at 4:50 am
I can’t believe how hateful and intolerant people can be to post such negative comments. This man has conveyed a message of hope, love, and peace to everyone. What do people think that a person who believes in perfect love has to be crazy? The amazing monument that he has created obviously took years of dedicated toil and hardship. I applaud his tenacity, endurance and dedication.
On a more cynical note, his monument did not go up overnight. Officials stood by and let him erect it. I am sure that it drives a good deal of tourism (and therefore MONEY) into the area. Those two ideas may be related. For whatever reason, I am glad they allowed him to create it. It is a wonderful example of a public artwork and I think his dedication and personal sacrifice for the good of others is a wonderful example.
October 30th, 2009 at 4:53 am
Ok, here is the reality. I lived in Imperial County for a while and anything this guy did is a huge improvement over the normal crappiness that surrounds you every day, whether in the desert or communities like Brawley, El Centro, or Calipat.
There are tons of barren desert left for everyone to ‘enjoy’ and on an average weekend recreational vehicles are raging all over the place running over scrub brush so pick up a protest sign and go whine about that instead of someone who’s actually doing something interesting. And furthermore, THIS IS NOT THE MOJAVE DESERT so stop talking about how many of God’s wonderful critters live over there. Nothing, and I mean nothing is buzzing around this desert except for maybe some flies and illegal immigrants.
And if you live in a house and/or drive a car on roads maybe you should be looking at yourself first and then worry about one artist in the middle of nowhere.
October 30th, 2009 at 11:35 am
superb really good and i want to see that place but unfortunately am leaving in Bangalore but one day defiantly iwill get chance to see this place in presence of lord Jesus he is my dad he will make my dreams come true PRAISE THE LORD
October 30th, 2009 at 1:28 pm
This is one of the things that anybody do because they thinks by themselfs that is stupid. thats why anybody know about them.
October 30th, 2009 at 4:05 pm
I have been there, and this place is amazing. What makes me sad is the several times this art work has been attacked by gay people with sledgehammers.
Just because it sends a Christian message it does not mean it is preaching ‘against’ anyone. In fact, the message of Salvation Mountain is one of acceptance (by god).
October 30th, 2009 at 4:42 pm
That is Awesome!!!!!
October 31st, 2009 at 2:28 pm
In response to Becks comments i compleely agree.
Maybe those people should do a little more research into what the actual message is saying. Watching a film on Youtube, a man representing the Gay community asked Leonard Knight whether God has Love for Gays. and he replied God loves everyone.
I think this piece is inspirational, and im not Christian
November 2nd, 2009 at 2:06 pm
Jesus is my dad
November 13th, 2009 at 4:42 pm
i was gonna say something but imperialite pretty much covered it
December 23rd, 2009 at 11:16 am
Is it real? Is that kind of place is located?
Thanks
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Honda Robots as Tea boy in Japan
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March 12th, 2010 at 7:44 pm
So…hideous…can’t…stand…colors…ugly…