Downtown Alkali Flats

Alkali Flats, population 3,230 at an elevation of 1,555 feet above sea level, is a small dusty desert town that supports the local rail industry. Founded by Thaddeus Durin in 1885, the town's mix of American and European influences reflects the origins and livelihood of Durin & Sons, the area's chief benefactor. Like all desert villages in the Mojave, it looks rather out of place, a tiny bit of modernity amid the washes, rocks, and brittle bush.