May 23, 2016
At 234 feet below sea level, the Salton Sea is the lowest lake in North America. It was formed by accident in 1905 when a nearby canal carrying fresh water from the Colorado River burst and for the next two years, until the canal could be repaired, it filled this depression with water.
And yes, it's actually a lake rather than a sea. But it tastes and smells like the sea, considering the extremely high levels of salinity. Actually it smells like dead fish, hundreds of which were scattered along the rocky shore. Between the fishy smell and the 100-degree temps when I was here, it was no wonder that no one was camping in the campground!
- To see my 360-degree panorama photo, click on the photo above.
- To read about my visit to the Salton Sea, see News: May 23, 2016.