If you squint really hard, you can almost imagine what life
was like back when dinosaurs were becoming extinct.
The land is dry, cracked
and barren and everywhere you step is a bubbling, active volcano. It smells
like the tar pits and in this highly seismic area, it is normal to feel an
occasional earth shake. We knew we had to venture back in time by witnessing the
geothermal wonders of the Salton Sea Mud Volcanoes.
Although not true volcanoes (because they don’t
produce lava), they still spew and bubble with molten mud, creating a fun and
fascinating sight. The earth is always making a mud-like substance and it mixes
with the boiling water that is heated deep within the earth. This hot mud is
forced upward by an intense amount of pressure from a geological fault which creates
the appearance of these mini volcanoes and mud baths. The Salton Sea area has a
tremendous amount of heat rising from the earth’s crust known as geothermal
activity. In addition to the geothermal activity, this area sits below sea
level and directly on the overly active San Andreas Fault. These geological
ingredients create a “hot bed” (pun intended) and breeding ground for these
miniature natural wonders.
We had heard that the smell was really intense, but
during our visit the area directly around the simmering pots smelled like the
La Brea Tar Pits but it was not overwhelming. We had a great time getting dirty
and listening to the earth gurgle and spit. On multiple occasions, we got a
little too close and the mud volcanoes reminded us that this was their home, by
flinging scalding hot mud on us! Each volcano had their own story to tell, some
were big open pits, some were boiling mud baths and some were a perfect representation
of real volcano.
The mud pots are not hard to find and can be easily reached by
car, but be sure to dress appropriately to avoid the occasional mud flinging
and spitting!
Totally Trailer recommends that you take your RV or trailer and camp on nearby BLM land or at the Fountain of Youth Resort in neighboring Niland, CA.
Totally Trailer recommends that you take your RV or trailer and camp on nearby BLM land or at the Fountain of Youth Resort in neighboring Niland, CA.
Aerial view of the mud volcano location
Large mud baths...chocolate milk anyone?
Looking into the mouth of the pot in mid spit and pop
Although it's not lava, it sure leaves an ominous trial like from a real volcano
You can see the dry, cracked land, mud baths and mini volcanoes as they erupt!
