Silver State Sights: The Extraterrestrial Highway

Depending on what your taste in scenery, it is either one of the most boring, desolate drives you can make, or a hard to find collection of sights that only the Nevada desert can offer.

Nevada State Route 375 is a 98-mile stretch of road that runs from U.S. 6 in Nye County to U.S. 93 in Lincoln County. The northern most stretch of the road is the most barren section, and the southern stretch features one of the densest Joshua tree forests in the state.

“Really a great example of a business in Nevada taking a marketing idea and running with it,” said Bethany Drysdale of Travel Nevada.

The road was branded an extra-terrestrial highway in conjunction with the release of the 1996 film Independence Day. And while the scenes of Area 51 in that movie were shot in Wendover, Route 375 is the closest road to the actual base. 20th Century Fox even set up a time capsule in the small town of Rachel – the closest town to Area 51 – home of the “Little Ale’inn” – a place where you can stop to get lunch and check out an assortment of alien-themed souvenirs.

But it’s not the only place where that is possible.

Farther south near the town of Hiko is the Alien Research Center, a place where you can buy all things alien. From posters, to t-shirts, to personalized shot glasses with your name in an alien language; the research center is full of alien gifts, and people hoping to see something memorable.

“They are hoping they will see a UFO,” said Manager Linda Looney. “That’s what they are hoping. They want to go to the entrance down there on Groom Lake Road, though they won’t be able to get on site.”

Another popular stop is ET Fresh Jerky, which you’ll find on the southern end of the highway.

It’s the name of the road, and social media, that have helped elevate tourism of one of the state’s least traveled routes, even bringing in people from the other side of the world like Demelda Newlove and Richard Albanese of Australia,

“It quite famous,” said Albanese. “It’s definitely worthy of a Facebook post.”