How People Live Off the Grid in Slab City: A Look Into Their Lives

slab city

Slab City is called many things, from the “Last Free Place in America” to a community of squatters. Formerly a military base called Camp Dunlap; Slab City sits quietly in the desert about 140 miles east of San Diego.

After World War II had ended, the military abandoned the camp but left slabs of concrete that were used in construction.

It is home to a variety of people, both young and old, and attracts those that want to escape the confines of modern society.

It consists of 640 acres, and it is completely off the grid, and the Slab City community lives peacefully without modern technology and conveniences.

There's a lot you can take away from a community like this, especially if you're a prepper hoping to live in a place like this in the future.

Take a look at the next page to find out how its inhabitants live!

Next Page »


44 Comments

  1. Ernest Levesque said:

    I would build a Earthship in taos NM before I go to slab city. Sooner or later people will tire of them and the bulldozer will move in.

  2. Murray Ratzlaff said:

    The first ones to live there were officers who decided they would stay after World War II. The sheriff rolls through there regularly I, a water truck shows up once a week to fill their water tanks if they want it. It’s not going anywhere, it had no real other use and is not desirable real estate.

  3. Kate Josse said:

    lol!don’t be scared because soon as possible you we see the man talk

  4. Ken Berscheit said:

    sure beets working and have to support 10 others that dont in the socialist society they call america

  5. Jean Colegrove said:

    I’ve read about Slab City before, but I never knew they had a hot spring with a cistern for communal showers.

  6. Lynn Cannon said:

    Oddly enough this is a “bucket list” item for me. Would love to go and visit this unique place and its unique community.

  7. Willy Wold said:

    In the early 80”s till the late 90’s the neighbors went there in the winter, and came back in the summer. One summer they didn’t come back, 3 years later the county took the property for taxes, apparently they passed away there.

  8. Jon W. Miller said:

    And its just down the road from a Bombing range / navy special warfare desert training facility that they tend to scavenge the$#%&!@*out of.

  9. Marcianna Elliott said:

    No sewers, and the cistern, as they call it, is undrinkable water. Very, very salty!
    People have to drive around 12 miles to fill jugs up with water.
    Have to drive further for groceries.
    No trash services, huge piles! Not everyone hauls off their trash.
    Nothing grows.
    Snakes, spiders, scorpions, …found in everything.
    Spent 1 winter there…never again!!

  10. Sam Crowe said:

    I’ve thought about getting a motor home and going there. Guess it gets up to 120 degrees there in the day though.

  11. Sam Crowe said:

    why would customs check people when they leave if theres nothing there to take and its like your not going to another country . Don’t understand that.

  12. Matt LeBlanc said:

    Of course it is doable. It wasn’t much more than 100 years ago that most lived without the common household luxuries we have today.

  13. David Poston said:

    Yes but it was painted differently back in the early 90s. Used to see it every day back 25+ years ago

  14. Daniel Boone said:

    I don’t think they touch up on the lack of sewers and restrooms enough. My little sister lived out here. When my dad went there he physically started a few of people to father the mountains of garbage that had been accumulating and what he found is that every person leaves there camp to$#%&!@*in front of someone else’s and it happens thousands of times a a day. The smell of$#%&!@*and piss travel through the air with thre slightest breeze.
    My question is how can you have a night club and stage and a pirate radio station and not grasp the consent of all shitting is fucking holes in the ground dug out for that reason at the least. No thanks on the slab city tour. Thanks though.

  15. Dennis Firth said:

    Yea. Unless you’ve been there you wouldn’t understand how fucked up the slabs really are lol

  16. Darren Linkeman said:

    Jennifer Linkeman Waite
    Alice Templeton
    Renee Gray
    Kayla LaNasa
    Justin Ryan Slevin

*

*

Top