Here at Only In Nevada, we’ve talked about a variety of strange things that can be found out in our state’s vast desert landscape. From abandoned ghost towns to unexplainable phenomena, the desert is home to a ton of oddities. It turns out there are even the remains of an old nuclear testing site sitting way out there, and they are just begging for a visit. If you’re the type of person that lives for off-grid adventures, then a visit to this fascinating spot is a must. Not only is this place perfectly strange, but it’s rich in Nevada history as well!
There are all sorts of oddities worth discovering in the Nevada desert, but this nuclear testing site might just be the least known. Are you up for the adventure?
Hiding out in the middle of the Mojave Desert in Nye County are the remnants of an old nuclear testing sit. This specific site was used for testing various nuclear-radiocative weapons during the Cold War. Most people are aware that Nevada's deserts were used for nuclear testing, but this particular test site is unique for a few reasons.
In 1968, the site was used for a nuclear research program called "Project Faultless", and its job was to test a really, really big bomb. The bomb was detonated 3,200-feet underground and produced about 67 times the energy of the bomb that was dropped on Hiroshima during World War II. As you can guess, the results were massive.
The ground collapsed spanning a radius of several miles, forming a sunken cave-like fissure at the exact point of detonation. Radiation levels were compared to those of the core of a nuclear reactor, and they are expected to stay that away for thousands of years.
Fascinatingly enough, the explosion's force pushed a steel pipe that was used for lowering the bomb into the earth about 10 feet above the ground. This exact pipe is the only sign of the explosion that is observable to this very day.
Since then, the massive crater has been filled and most signs of the explosion have been erased. However, there are a few things that have been left behind to inform adventurers of the history that lingers here. The pipe boasts a small plaque that talks about the history of Project Faultless.
If you'd like to see a piece of Nevada's nuclear history for yourself, you'll find the site along a dirt road about 15 miles off US-6 E. Click here to be taken to the GoogleMap location.
