The existence of Area 51, the Groom Lake facility, is not officially acknowledged by the United States Government. Although Area 51 is considered a part of Nellis Air Force Base, the area around the lake is off-limits to civilians and unauthorized military personnel. Protected by radar and armed guards, uninvited guests are not welcome in Area 51. Any invasion of the air space surrounding Area 51 is promptly investigated and trespassers are met with intense interrogation by military intelligence agents.
The entire boundary of Area 51 is patrolled by uniformed security guards, known as “camo dudes,” in desert-camouflaged vehicles. The “camo dudes” are armed with M-16s, but actual fines or arrests are left to the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department. Close surveillance is also conducted with Hawk military helicopters and buried motion sensors. Many satellite images of Area 51 are no longer available, except through NASA or IKRONOS, an earth observation satellite. In addition, Area 51 is exempt from any environmental control, further emphasizing the importance of its research.
The mystery surrounding Area 51 is based on many strange events, such as the Roswell Incident, reported UFO sightings, and encounters with alien spacecraft. It has been suggested that Area 51 personnel meet with extraterrestrials, share technology, and study the occupants of their space ships. Other random theories include the existence of a transcontinental underground railroad, a simulated lunar environment, a disappearing airstrip, and a secret conspiratorial government. Finally, although there has been no actual proof of any of these activities, the exact mission of Area 51 remains unknown.
The Area 51 location, with an area of approximately 60 square miles, is a remote location in Lincoln County, Nevada. The Area 51 location occupies a small, but unique part of the Nellis Air Force Range. The majority of Area 51 is located in the Emigrant Valley and is surrounded by the Groom Mountain Ranges on the North, the Papoose Mountains on the South, and the Jumbled Hills in the East. Groom Dry Lake, a dry lakebed of approximately three miles in area, lies between the Groom and the Papoose Mountains.
The Area 51 location on Nellis Air Force Base, situated in the southwest corner of Groom Dry Lake, has two concrete runways, with one of these extending onto the lakebed. In addition, there are four unpaved runways, with two twin airstrips, that lie across the lakebed itself. This complex system of runways within Area 51, visible only by high-image satellite, consists of one operating runway, over 11,000 feet long, and a partially dismantled secondary runway.
Area 51, not clearly identified on present-day Nevada maps, is shown only as a location within the Nevada Test Site (NTS), bordering upon the Yucca Flats. The Area 51 location is accessible internally by Groom Lake Road, originally an old track to defunct mines. Today, it is a wide, well-prepared dirt road that winds eastward through a pass in the Jumbled Hills. It continues past a security checkpoint through the restricted Area 51 location. Groom Lake Road joins Nevada State Route 375, the “Extraterrestrial Highway,” at the bottom of the Tikaboo Valley.