Area 51 - Aliens have visited* but should you?

Located 148 miles north of Las Vegas lies one of the most famous areas of paranormal phenomena. Any fan of the X-Files will be familiar with Area 51, the United States Nellis Air Force Range that is shrouded in secrecy. Camps of Winnebagos, homes for dedicated paranormal investigators, park as close to the border of the military range as they legally can to try and observe… well anything.

Numerous photographs have been taken of unidentified flying objects and the rumour mill runs about what those objects are. There are many stories of people travelling along the highway around this area and losing time, blacking out and regaining consciousness later with no memory of that period. There are more stories of those who have had supernatural occurrences around the area; tales of abductions by beings that are not human and sightings of bodies that are other worldly are famous over the world (if you read the right publications).

So, with so much interest surrounding this location, is it an absolute must to visit?

The drive from Las Vegas’s Strip to Rachel, the only town in the area and about half way along the Extraterrestrial Highway, is approximately 2 hours 30 mins. The drive is a straight road with virtually no landscape to speak of. The bareness and flat surroundings are clearly the reasons that the US Air Force chose this location but it does not make for an interesting drive.

So, if you are embarking on this trip, download some podcasts, stock up on snacks and settle in for an uneventful couple of hours to reach your destination.

The most important point to note is that you will not get anywhere near Area 51. The boundary of the base is 20-30 miles off the highway and is heavily guarded. I didn’t see any fencing or even signage from the road and I didn’t attempt to approach the direction of the base. I believe that even if you were able to approach the boundary then you still wouldn’t see anything of note and would only attract the attention of the armed security guards.

Hiko and ET Jerky

The fun begins when you approach Hiko, a junction on this very long straight road. There lies ‘ET Jerky’, a shop that 100% leans in to the phenomenon of the area. The building is covered in spray painted images of aliens and the welcome signage is comical.

Inside you will be greeted by 5ft statues of the traditional little green men and all of the merchandise that you could want if you are a fan of aliens. Everything from peppermints to t-shirts will be adorned in extra terrestrial images. The prices are reasonable and the staff are friendly. It is definitely worth picking up a souvenir.

There are also bathrooms and they sell snacks and drinks, if you need to replenish for the onward journey.

E.T. Fresh Jerky

Delicious Jerky from Area 51

Extraterrestrial Highway Sign

The next stop is just 2 minutes along the road, to another junction (I cannot stress how straight the road had been that these two junctions stood out like beacons to me) where the road sign for the ‘Extra Terrestrial Highway’ stands tall and proud. It is adorned with stickers of passionate conspiracy theorists and travel enthusiasts.

It is then onwards, along this road (or Route 375 as it is officially known) towards Rachel. You have warnings that there are no petrol stations for 40 miles. The route at this point only gets more barren and expansive. There is literally nothing for miles so definitely check your tank as you would not want to be stranded out there in the searing Nevada heat.

Extraterrestrial Highway Sign in Rachel

This sign designates the road that leads to the infamous Area 51.

The Black Mailbox

The next marker that you might want to stop at is “The Black Mailbox”. This is location is marked on Google maps and is where enthusiasts can leave messages for extraterrestrial beings and they can leave messages in return.

Unfortunately, when I visited, the mailbox had been vandalised and the box had been removed. The post was still in place, adorned with more stickers, and a rock had been placed next to it for messages and trinkets to be left for any visitors. It is a real shame that a lovely and harmless location had been damaged.

The Black Mailbox in Alamo

Mysterious meeting place for UFO hunters near Area 51.

Rachel

It is then onwards to Rachel, the tiny town that is a base for enthusiasts. The sign as you approach is covered in more stickers, so much so that you can barely read the words.

There is a small petrol station with a shop but one minute further up the road is the famous “Little A’le’Inn”. A cafe, bar and gift shop that is the place to visit for Area 51. The UFO that is being towed in the car park sets the tone. This cafe is a love letter to the phenomenon of Area 51. The walls in the cafe are plastered with posters, newspaper articles and signed photos. The names of the dishes on the menu are wonderfully ‘themed’ and the drinks from the bar are equally appropriate.

The gift shop is small but it has a solid stock of alien merchandise and again, is reasonably priced. The food from the cafe is good, a modest portion but tasty and is once again reasonably priced, considering you are over a hundred miles in to the middle of nowhere.

The real fun is the decorations of this cafe; the spray painted images on the outside of the building, the vast array of alien toys and figures that are dotted around the bar, the statues around the car park and the stories on the wall. These show how much this area means to some people and how deeply some people believe. It equally shows the humour that is able to be had with the ideas but it is never punching down and embraces those who do believe.

Outside, there was a table of locals who were talking and sharing stories of their experiences and who would be ready to tell anyone who asked what they have seen. This is a landmark where interested explorers can visit and also a haven for enthusiasts to meet.

Rachel, Nevada | Town Near To Area 51

Delightfully oddball Rachel, Nevada is not to be missed when touring the (in)famous Extraterrestrial Highway in central Nevada. Grab an Alien Burger, stock up on ET-themed swag, or spend the night trying to spot UFOs.

Preparing for the Return Journey

The journey back is more straight roads. I pulled up at the tiny petrol station in Rachel to check the price and it was very expensive… prohibitively expensive, useful in an emergency but definitely not to be relied on for a standard filling of the tank.

That being said, if you haven’t got a healthy supply of water this is an essential requirement before you leave town.

So, would I recommend a visit to Area 51? Yes, it is a fun destination that does not take itself too seriously.

You can take some cool photos and you can buy some unusual merchandise. I visited on the return journey from Zion National Park, Utah. I had 7 hours before my flight check in and I decided to take a detour to explore this famous location. This was a great use of the time doing something a little off the beaten track.

Would I recommend visiting from Las Vegas? Probably not. If you have a long weekend in the City of Sin, and are not a hardcore enthusiast, then there is plenty to see there and the time taken to visit Area 51 would probably be a waste. Tours from Las Vegas cost approximately $200-300 per person whilst the cost to do it on your own is only a tank of petrol.

I would summarise it as a destination to be taken in on a road trip and not necessarily worth a specific, individual trip.