Extraterrestrial Highway is about 98 miles long and runs from Tonopah to Alamo in the heart of Nevada, and is chock-full of UFO and alien history. The most famous attraction along this route is Area 51, but the highly secretive base is off-limits to tourists. The base has security that prevents unauthorized access to those close to the base, so please stay clear. Being so far from cities makes the highway a fantastic place to view the night sky!

Length	98 miles
States	1 – Nevada
Astronomy Sites	2
Bortle Scale	1/2

Astronomy

Worthington Mountains Wilderness

The US Congress designated the Worthington Mountains Wilderness in 2004 and it now has a total of 30,594 acres. All of the wilderness is located in Nevada and is managed by the Bureau of Land Management. Worthington Mountain rises like a ship, 4,000 rugged feet above dry valleys of central Nevada to almost 9,000 feet. Worthington Mountains wonderfully expresses the Wilderness characteristics of stark beauty, chaotic topography, and remoteness of Nevada wildlands. The wilderness provides a place away from lights high above the canyon to provide a really wonderful dark sky opportunity. Although there are not many places to charge a battery, using a telescope to view the skies or DSLR to take some photos is ideal as the remoteness of the park makes it so lovely.

Mount Irish Wilderness

Mt. Irish Wilderness Area is managed by Nevada BLM, making free public access available to all.  The only thing preventing you from accessing Mt. Irish would be a seasonal, weather-related road closure. The Mount Irish Wilderness is located in the Mount Irish Range of western Lincoln County approximately 10 miles west of Hiko, Nevada and 48 miles west of Caliente, Nevada. There are a plethora of activities such as hiking in the area, and being so remote, the site has really amazing and dark skies that fit really well to DSLR photography and telescope viewing.

Camping

Worthington Mountains Wilderness

There are plenty of spaces for visitors to enjoy primitive camping in this BLM wilderness. No facilities and services are provided, so endeavor to come along with your camping gear and all the resources you’ll need. Make sure to pack everything in that you pack out.

Mount Irish Wilderness

You could camp just about anywhere on BLM land using common sense and the “leave no trace” ethic. Public camping can also be found below Alamo as there were good camping spots at the Upper Pahranagat Lake area. Unimproved camping and picnic sites are available along the eastern shoreline of Upper Pahranagat Lake. All camping is restricted to these areas. Camping is limited to 7 consecutive days, within a 30-day period, beginning upon day of arrival. No generators are allowed to run in the campground. Restore your campsite to a clean and orderly condition when you leave.

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