High Desert Institute
Outposts
These are the land projects currently being developed by the High Desert Institute. These are intended as landing-spots where nomads and travelers can find likeminded poeple and explore new regions, learning and teaching as they go. Each outpost will be set up as a hub for permaculture, mutual-aid, and sustainable, off-grid infrastructure.
🌄 High Ground
Status: Fundraising
Location: Grand Canyon, Arizona
A flagship build focused on developing and sharing the most accessible, sustainable, and code-compliant off-grid housing plans.
💧 Sky Spring
Status: Waiting...
Location: Joshua Tree, California
Focused on demonstrating off-grid infrastructure: water, power, and waste systems.
❄️ The People’s Winter Palace
Status: Ongoing Discussion
Location: Tucson, Arizona
A warm desert outpost where nomads and travelers can congregate with likeminded folk during winter months.
🐘 Mammoth 🦖
Status: Discussion
Location: Mammoth Lakes, California
Geothermal synergies create a spectacular and bizare landscape on this ancient dry sea bed at the peaks of the Sierra Nevada Mountains.
🪨 Quartzsite 🔆
Status: Discussion
Location: Quartzsite, Arizona
A migratory nexus for nomads, RVers, and solar boondockers — Quartzsite offers fertile ground for experimenting with scalable desert infrastructure and engaging with large nomadic audiences.
🛰️ Slab City
Status: Discussion
Location: Slab City, California
An off-grid cultural crossroads deep in the Sonoran Desert — Slab City offers a one-of-a-kind site for experimental infrastructure and radical collaboration.
🌀 Taos 🌄
Status: Discussion
Location: Taos, New Mexico
A high desert mecca for off-grid architecture, creative self-reliance, and Indigenous solidarity — Taos is home to Earthships, mutual aid, and deep ancestral knowledge.