The Groom Lake Desert Rat Main Page/Area 51 Viewers Guide
The Groom Lake Desert Rat
"The Naked Truth from Open Sources."
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An on-line newsletter. Written, published, copyrighted and totally disavowed by Psychospy. Direct from the "UFO Capital," Rachel, Nevada.
concerning the following text file |
| For the first time in history, my Area 51 Viewer's Guide from the 1990s is available FREE to anyone who cares to download it. This is my visitors guide to the secret military base in Nevada, home of UFOs, government conspiracies or anything else you care to imagine. (Okay, I don't take you inside the base itself, but I tried to catalog and collate all the information we did have at the time.) This guide was instrumental in bringing legitimate press attention to the base and making Area 51 a public phenomenon.
Here is the whole 120-page document is right here in a PDF file. I am the author and publisher and I am authorizing its free release (superseding the copyright statement in the book itself). Before you download it, however, please read my terms, conditions and warnings below... I am authorizing any member of the human race (and alien races with PDF capabilities) to copy, download and print this document for their own personal use. However, I still retain my copyright to this work. I do not authorize reproduction, modification or excerpts for any commercial purpose. You can not sell this document or steal passages from it and claim them as your own. I'm pretty sure Edition 4.01 was the final one. Although 17+ years have passed since the last revision, little has changed in the area. My Area 51 Research Center no longer exists (now an empty lot), but most everything else is as it was. (July 2011 was the last time I visited the area and hiked Tikaboo.)
I am grateful to David Mallinson for scanning this document for me. I would have made it available earlier, but I didn't have such advanced alien technology myself. (It was originally written in MS Word, but I long ago lost the original files.) As of Feb. 2013, this version is now searchable, replacing the non-searchable version originally released, although they should look the same when printed. This just means that you should be able to search for keywords in the document. If downloading and printing this document yourself seems like too much work, you can buy the same thing from an Amazon seller for $50-500 (Amazon's entry & screenshot). Your choice! Enjoy! Glenn Campbell |
Area 51" Viewer's Guide
=> Mile-by-Mile Logs of Nevada 375, America's "Alien Highway"
=> Secret Base Viewing Sites
=> Area Attractions and Back Road Info => Annotated Reference List
=> Map Portfolio
=> Express Guide to Las Vegas
=> Comedy, Tragedy, Pathos and Drama
Researched October 1992 through JUly 1995 Edition 4.01, Printed 8/9/95
By Glenn Campbell With Contributions by Tom Mahood
"For all it's flippancy and deliberate epistemological murkiness, the Viewer's Guide is a work of real transformative power. Campbell seizes on the extravagant security measures intended to conceal Groom lAke and effectively turns them into a spotlight on the facility. " -Secrecy & Government Bulletin, Aug./Sept. 1993
©1995, Glenn Campbell, PO Box 448, Rachel, NV 89001. All rights reserved. May not be reproduced in any form without written permission.
Area 51 on the Internet
For current information on Area 51, see the World Wide Web page at...
http://www.cris.com/-psyspy/area51when above is not working)
(or http://www.infi.net/-psyspy/area51
For information on our free on-line newsletter, The Groom Lake Desert Rat, send an email message to area51rc@aol.com.
Area 51 on the Internet
A catalog of documents and products from the Area 51 Research Center is available free via email, WWW or regular mail.
Note: Glen has made the guild free for download. Download Free Copy Here
You.'re On Your Own!
[edit | edit source]While every effort has been made to assure the accuracy of the information herein, the author accepts no liability whatsoever for any damages or injury that may result if any information is in error. We have tried to provide the best information we can, but it may be subject to change. The reader must exercise his own judgement as to where he should and should not go.
About This Document
[edit | edit source]In UFO research, it can be hard to distill the truth from the overwhelming ocean of rumors, ideologies, hyperbole, hoaxes and false perceptions. All of these things are rampant here, so I have chosen in this document to stay as close as possible to concrete, undeniable fact. This is a guide not to UFOs themselves but to the many practical matters concerning the hunt for aerial objects in the vicinity of the "Black Mailbox," the remote highway location north of Las Vegas where many visitors claims to have seen UFOs. This document reviews the geography of the region, the references available, local accommodations and services and many other practical topics of interest to visitors. Much of this information should be helpful to any traveler passing through the area regardless of their views on flying saucers. It should also be of interest to aviation enthusiasts in search of secret "Black Budget" aircraft built entirely by humans.
This book is an anomaly. It is a guide to hunting for UFOs and secret aircraft, but I do not honestly believe you are going to see any. In over two years living in this area, I have never seen any light in the sky I cannot explain or any military device that I would regard as particularly secret. There are a few intelligent UFO stories emanating from the military area that I think deserve serious attention. These concern the claim that the U.S. government may have had extraterrestrial hardware in its possession and may even have been in contact with aliens themselves. That is different from the claim-fostered by the less reputable media and by a certain local merchant-that you can come here to this remote desert highway and see flying saucers in on demand. This is ridiculous. The "Alien Highway" is a myth that, regrettably, I helped create by drawing attention to this area. It serves the human need for rituals and things to buy, but it does not bring us any closer to the truth.
This document reflects a certain period in my investigation of Area 51, ending around Dec. 1993, when I was collecting a general base of geographical knowledge about the area. I continue to update this Viewer's Guide on an irregular basis to reflect changes in the facts initially reported, but I will not pursue any new avenues of investigation here. Active investigation of Area 51 is reported in our newsletter, The Groom Lake Desert Rat, available free by internet email or by mail subscription for a fee. To keep the background knowledge up to date, I encourage readers to send me their corrections and suggestions for future editions. I am concerned about the accuracy of details, and minor corrections are welcomed as much as major ones. (I apologize for the typographical errors; please tell me about any you find.) I want to thank the many people who have already contributed their advice and intelligence to this project. Their clues have lead me to a lot of interesting material I would have never discovered otherwise.
I have assembled this guide as a not-for-profit project at considerable personal expense. To help me recoup some of my costs, would you kindly not photocopy it but instead purchase additional copies. [Ordering instructions are in the back.] Authorized copies have a copy number written in pen on the front cover. Note: Glen has made the guild free for download. Download Free Copy Here
email:
psychospy@aol.com
Glenn Campbell PO Box448
Rachel, Nevada 89001
"When you have eliminated the impossible, what remains, however improbable, must be the troth. " - Sherlock Holmes
Warning!
[edit | edit source]Freedom Ridge and White Sides are new closed!
[edit | edit source]As of April I0, 1995, the popular near-in viewpoints overlooking the Groom Lake base were closed to the public. You can no longer see the base from any legal vantage point west of Highway 375. The old hiking trail to Freedom Ridge, described in previous versions of this Viewer's Guide, now crosses the border without any posted warning signs. Do not attempt this trail. The Groom Lake base can still be seen from a more distant mountaintop to the west, Tikaboo Peak, described in this guide. The hike is challenging, however, and is not for everyone.
Other important advice....
Do not cross the border.
[edit | edit source]Many visitors have driven past the signs that clearly say "Restricted Area" or "No Trespassing." If you cross the border, you will be arrested! The usual fine is $600, with no leniency given for ignorance. The border is marked by clear signs wherever a road crosses it, but often no fence or gate. Elsewhere in the desert, the border is usually marked only by orange posts spaced about every 200 feet. Do not pass them! Do not hike near the border after dark because the orange posts become impossible to sec. As long as you stay outside the border, you have a right to travel and camp anywhere on adjoining public lands. All "Restricted Area" signs in this vicinity are correctly placed. None can be ignored. Do not drive on rougher roads than your car can handle.
Many naive visitors driving standard cars have found themselves stranded on rugged dirt roads that arc passable only by four wheel drive vehicles. Maintained (bladed) dirt roads are generally safe for all vehicles, but stay off unmaintained ("two track") roads unless you are certain your vehicle is up to it. The danger is getting stuck in sand or hung-up on rocks. If you drive on any dirt road, you should bring all the water, warm clothing and other supplies you may need to hike back to the pavement should you break down.
Be prepared for desert extremes.
[edit | edit source]This area, at an elevation of 5000 feet can be bitterly cold in the winter and at night, and high winds are common. Many people come here thinking deserts are always hot and have been ill-prepared for the elements. If you choose to leave the maintained roads, remember that this is a remote area with little hope of rescue should you get into trouble away from the paved highway. In the summer, sunburn is a danger, and running out of water on a hike can be deadly. (You need at least one quart for every hour or mile on a hike.)
Commonly Asked Questions
[edit | edit source]Flying Saucers, Secret Aircraft and Other Uncertainties
What is the "Black Mailbox" and why is it famous?
[edit | edit source]The Black Mailbox marks a location on Nevada Highway 375 where many visitors-but few locals-claim to have seen UFOs. It gained its first publicity in late 1989 when a physicist [1], Bob Lazar, came forward on a Las Vegas TV station with the claim that he had worked at a secret "flying saucer base" over the mountains from here. There have long been rumors of alien craft at the Nevada Test Site and adjoining Nellis Range, but Lazar was the first to make specific first-hand public claims. He says that the U.S. military had in its possession at least nine alien-built flying saucers-but no live aliens he knew of-and was studying the craft with the goal of reproducing the technology. Lazar says he worked at this base for several months in late 1988 and early 1989, read briefing documents on human-alien contact and had hands-on technical experience with one of the craft. His story has been impossible to confirm but also curiously difficult to refute. Ifit is a hoax, it is coherent and well crafted and includes many plausible technical details. The alleged location was a good one-an off-limits area near Papoose Dry Lake-and no government agency seems willing to directly deny his claims. Even people who believe Lazar fmd it hard to make sense of it all. Where did the saucers come from? Why hasn't the public been told about them? There is no consensus on these questions, and one person's theory seems as good as anyone else's.
Whatever you think about Lazar and his truthfulness, his story is consistent and disciplined enough for investigators to draw logical conclusions about how to proceed. If the government did have alien hardware in its possession, Area 51 or nearby areas in the Nellis Air Force Range or Nevada Test Site would be the logical place to keep them. Secrecy and security are impressive here, and no one who knows what is really going on is talking. In the end, the Lazar story may prove to be no more real than the Adventures ofSherlock Holmes. Nonetheless, the setting is real, just like Baker Street, and there is an intellectual challenge in following the clues. Although the debate concerns extraterrestrials, Area 51 is a human mystery-a test of what we can believe from human witnesses and how much we can trust our government.
The Black Mailbox is simply a rancher's mailbox located at mile marker LN 29.5 on Nevada State Highway 375. This location is about 130 road miles north of Las Vegas and 20 miles southeast of the small settlement of Rachel, Nevada. This stretch of sagebrush is significant because it is the closest that an average civilian can come to the highly restricted military testing area where Lazar claims the flying saucers are kept Since his claims were first publicized, many people have come here looking for flying saucers and think they have seen them. "Area 51" has been featured in hundreds of articles and TV shows and is now America's most popular secret base. The area attracts occasional tours, conferences, believers, charlatans and curiosity seekers, not to mention a steady a stream of urban pilgrims in search of enlightenment. For the most part, however, the area remains as it always was, a vast and lonely desert where even a million sky watchers could easily find solitude.
Will I see flying saucers here?
[edit | edit source]Lazar himself thinks the UFO watchers are "nuts" and has never claimed that you can see flying saucers from Highway 375. It is important to separate the claim of government-sponsored UFO research from the suggestion that you can see now flying saucers from the highway "on demand." If the Lazar story is true, Highway 375 could be a better place to see flying saucers than, say, Hoboken or Des Moines but that isn't saying much. I f the saucers are real, the government will certainly be cautious about putting them on display, especially after all the massive publicity. I lived in Rachel full time for over two years-from Jan. 1993 through April 1995. I have spent countless days and nights in the desert and have seen a lot of spectacular lights associated with military exercises, but I have never seen any object in the sky that I did not have a prosaic explanation for. At the same, many UFO minded tourists have come to the area for only one night and seen UFOs everywhere. Maybe some people have seen real flying saucers here, but the reality is difficult to distill amid all the social noise. The truth is obscured not by government disinformation but by the vast mire of poor-quality observations and unsupported speculations publicized as fact by UFO believers.
Most of the "UFOs" people claim to see in this area are almost certainly misperceptions of conventional military activity-mostly flares of various kinds and aircraft lights seen under unusual conditions. As the nation's premiere air combat exercise area and an important weapons testing facility, the Nellis Air Force Range can offer many bizarre shows that involve no shred of alien technology. There are many military operations taking place here that most civilians have never seen before, and it takes some skepticism and patience to figure out what could be alien and what is not.
If you are unlikely to see flying saucers here, what is the point in coming?
[edit | edit source]Good question. This area is interesting at least for its stark emptiness and as an anthropological phenomenon. Like the Las Vegas gambling mecca to the south, the UFO hysteria in Rachel is an illustration of how people think - that is, not very rationally. It also shows how they respond to the unknown-by imposing a set of myths and rituals on it similar to how primitive humans explained the movement of sun and stars. The most popular ritual here is to sit beside the highway at night to look for UFOs in the sky. There is no reason to feel ashamed about participating in this local custom. On a clear night when there is no moon, the sky is alive with stars and celestial activity that you never see in the city. With a classified military base just over the mountains, a glimpse of a secret aircraft is always possible, but don't get your hopes up. The management of the secret base knows as well as you do that Highway 375 is a UFO tourist mecca. They read this Viewer's Guide and can probably adjust their flight patterns to avoid detection. Nonetheless, a saucer watching expedition has a certain nostalgic appeal, and nothing can be more pleasant in the summer than setting up a lawn chair under the crystal clear desert skies, miles from anywhere, with the dream of seeing something out of the ordinary.
Where are the flying saucers supposedly kept?
[edit | edit source]According to Lazar, the nine saucers he saw were stored in camouflaged hangers near Papoose Lake, south of Groom Lake. This remote location, referred to by Lazar as "Area S-4"2 is walled off by mountains and is buffered on the south and east by bombing ranges, on the west by the Nevada Test Site and on the north by the high security military base at Groom Lake. There are mountains far to the south where you can legally view the dry lake bed, but the distance is long: 35 to 45 miles.l Only the airspace over Papoose can be seen from the "Alien Highway."
Could the saucers have been moved from S-4 since the publicity began?
[edit | edit source]That seems plausible. If the original stories were true, then the secrecy of the Papoose Lake site has been seriously compromised, and Lazar's disclosures could have provided sufficient motivation to move the operation elsewhere. The current whereabouts of Lazar's saucers is a matter of endless speculation among UFO enthusiasts, but the fact remains, if the saucers were ever here, you cannot destroy the history of such a place. The memories of workers and physical traces of any supply and support mechanism cannot be
- ↑ Lazar claims to be a physicist and seems to have a physicist's knowledge and skills, but his credentials cannot be verified.
