Abandoned Places, Niland, California

Historic Camp Dunlap
After visiting Salvation Mountain we drove through Slab City formerly Camp Dunlap and saw what appeared to be desert hippies and retired travelers. They had their own colony of trailers and even what appeared to be a community venue called "The Range". They had tables and a small makeshift stage for the evening music events. Slab City is definitely an odd place in the middle of nowhere.

History:
Camp Dunlap was a U.S. Marine Corps base activated on October 15, 1942, as a training facility during World War II. The camp was named for Brigadier General Robert H. Dunlap. Construction of Camp Dunlap was completed in 1942. Improvements included an estimated 30 buildings, a water treatment system, distribution system, sewage collection and treatment system, over 8.2 miles of paved streets, recreational areas including a 76 x 165 foot foot swimming pool, and concrete fuel tanks. The 631.345 acre site was used by the Marine Corps as headquarters for Camp Dunlap at which over 185,000 troops received special artillery training over a 3-year wartime high-activity period. After the war, military operations at this location wound down, but a "fair sized" contingent was said to remain until 1949. A skeleton crew was maintained until the base was dismantled in 1956.

Date: 02.14.2013
Temp: 68°
Elevation: 72 ft
Latitude: 33.258136
Longitude: -115.462029

History: 
militarymuseum.org