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Voykit pocket guide · United States
Bombay Beach
Go for a half-day detour from the Salton Sea loop: see the sunken trailer park, walk the berm, and leave before dark. Not a base.
Bombay Beach is a tiny, half-abandoned town on the east shore of the Salton Sea, famous for a trailer park half-sunk by the rising and falling water levels in the 1980s. The main sight is a berm and the remains of that park, with power poles sticking out of the water. There is no proper restaurant, no hotel, and little shade. Most visitors stop for 30–60 minutes on the way between Indio and El Centro or as part of a Salton Sea / Slab City day trip. Come for the eerie, post-industrial landscape, not for a meal or a night.
- Country
- United States
- Best months
- Oct–Apr
- Avoid
- Jun–Sep (extreme heat, over 40°C (104°F))Jun–Sep (extreme heat, over 104°F (40°C))
- Stay
- 0 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- USD
- Money
- Currency is the US dollar (USD, $). Cards and phone payments work almost everywhere; carry a little cash for tips and small vendors.
- Daily spend
- Budget $0–10 (no accommodation, bring own food) · Mid $10–30 (snacks, gas, possible cabin) · High $30+ (rental cabin, dining in nearby towns) (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile cover the country; prepaid SIMs at their stores and Walmart/Target (passport required), or an eSIM before you fly.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 911
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 120 V · 60 Hz · Chargers are dual-voltage; hair dryers and straighteners from 230 V countries need a converter.
- Tipping
- Sit-down restaurant: 18–22% of the pre-tax bill.; Bar: US$1–2 per drink or 20% of the tab.; Taxi / ride-hailing: 15–20%, in the app.; Hotel housekeeping: US$3–5 a night.; Porter / valet: US$2–5 per bag or car.; Tour guide: US$10–20 per person for a day tour.; Counter service / tablet prompts: Optional; 0–15%.
- Water
- Tap water is drinkable nearly everywhere; boil or treat water from streams in parks.
- Toilets
- Free public toilets are scarce in big cities; use cafés, department stores, libraries, stations. Rest areas on highways are free.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Bottled water (bring from outside) | $2–3 (check) |
| Gas (fill up before arriving) | $4–5 per gallon (check) |
| Snack (packed) | $5–10 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- PSP · Palm Springs International Airport
- About 1 h 15 min drive north via CA-111
- IPL · Imperial County Airport
- About 45 min drive south; limited commercial flights
Typical fares
- Palm Springs → Bombay Beach by car
- about 1 h 15 min, CA-111 south
- El Centro → Bombay Beach by car
- about 45 min, CA-111 north
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
You need a car. The town is a few blocks along CA-111; the sunken trailer park is at the south end of Avenue E, reachable by a short walk on dirt.
See and do
Known for
- Sunken trailer park
- Salton Sea shoreline
- Post-apocalyptic atmosphere
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Slab City | CA-111 north then East Jesus Rd, about 15 min | 20 min |
| Salton City | CA-111 south across the sea, about 25 min | 30 min |
| El Centro | CA-111 south, about 45 min | 50 min |
| Calexico | CA-111 south, about 55 min | 1 h |
Sleep
- Bombay Beach itself
- No hotels; a few rental cabins may be available (check Airbnb).
- El Centro
- About 45 min south; full motel selection.
- Palm Springs / Indio
- About 1 h north; resorts and hotels.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Hellohello |
| Thank you | Thank youthank you |
| How much? | How much?how much |
| Where is the sunken trailer park? | Where is the sunken trailer park?south end of Avenue E |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake and 'hi, how are you?' — reply 'good, thanks'; avoid: Treating the question as a real health enquiry
- Restaurants: Tip 18–22% and wait for the check; avoid: Leaving without tipping
- Personal space: Keep an arm's length in queues; avoid: Standing close to strangers
- Politics and religion: Listen more than you speak; avoid: Opening with hot-button topics
- Smoking: Smoke only in marked areas; avoid: Smoking near doors or in parks where banned
Scams and watch-outs
- No gas station in town; fill up in Coachella or Niland.
- No food or drink for sale; bring water and snacks.
- Summer heat is dangerous: carry at least 2 L of water per person, wear a hat, and avoid midday.
- The sunken trailer park is on private land? check access; stay on the berm and do not enter structures.
Extreme summer heat is the main hazard. The area is remote; carry water, tell someone your plan, and have a full tank of gas. The sunken trailer park is unstable — do not climb on structures.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Bombay Beach yet. Suggested stay: 0 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Sunken trailer park
- Salton Sea shoreline
- Post-apocalyptic atmosphere
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Wikivoyage: Bombay Beach, revision 3948101 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=3948101
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Bombay Beach
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, fire, ambulance911
The nearest US consulate is in Tijuana, Mexico; embassies in Washington, DC.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/bombay-beach). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.