Slab City, the isolated hippie colony now overrun by Instagrammers

It would appear that no secret spot in the world is safe from being over-taken by social media nuts wanting the perfect shot.

251km outside of San Diego, buried deep in the desert, is Slab City, a secret hippie community who had, until recently, enjoyed a peaceful and eccentric life off the grid in California.

There's no running water or electricity, but the residents have transformed the former World War II navy base into a canopy of colour and quirkiness.

At the centre of the community is the Salvation Mountain, a man-made mound of straw and adobe painted with murals which encases a labyrinth of tunnels.

The area is also spotted with sculptures and installations, all made from reused and recycled materials from the area. There's a wall made solely out of old broken glass bottles.

It's beautiful and weird, and that's perhaps why there's been a sudden influx of young tourists wanting to use the backdrop for the perfect Instagram shot.

It couldn't be any further from what the 150 residents of the lawless community, similar to our very own Nimbin, must have imagined when they set up camp in 1961.

Many of them became "Slabs" when they were forced out of the community due to poverty, and have since enjoyed an alternative life away from the modern world and social media.

However, there is a stage and dance floor, named The Range, which residents use every Saturday night from dark to dusk, so perhaps it's turned into one big party.