The Salton Sea is a fascinating camping location with an amazing history. Previously known as the Salton Sink, directly above the San Andreas fault, the introduction of river water changed all of that. The Salton Sea was created in 1905, when spring flooding on the Colorado River Broke through canal gates that empty towards the Imperial Valley. It was nearly a year and a half before the breech was finally repaired. The result was the creation of a mammoth sea that is 20 miles wide and 45 miles long.