Greetings, earthlings. Want to take a ride that is truly out of this world? ✌️👽✌️ Then look no further than Nevada’s Highway 375, better known to road trippers as the Extraterrestrial Highway. 

The Extraterrestrial Highway runs 148 miles through southern Nevada between Crystal Springs and Tonopah, but when I drove it, my journey ended in the tiny town of Rachel. Crystal Springs is about 100 miles north of Las Vegas. The ET Highway is so named because the dirt road that leads to Area 51 is located at about the halfway point between Crystal Springs and Rachel. The communities along this highway have leaned in to the alien lore, and have themed their businesses accordingly. 

There are a handful of funky places to pull over, and in between stops you’re treated to gorgeous mountain views on all sides and Nevada’s beautiful blue skies. These kinds of offbeat roadside attractions are some of my favorite scenes to photograph. Keep reading to see my highlights along the Extraterrestrial Highway.

The first stop on the highway is the E-T Fresh Jerky store, but I skipped this stop because I got an early start that day and it wasn’t open yet when I arrived. A mile or two after the jerky store is the first Extraterrestrial Highway road sign. I believe this one is the more famous one, but it had been knocked down or removed when I drove past (but don’t worry, there’s a second sign as you approach the town of Rachel!).

My first official stop was the Alien Research Center. This building is guarded by a giant metal alien at its front door, so you won’t be able to miss it from the road. Inside are plenty of photo ops and tons of souvenirs. You can grab an ET highway shirt as well as a bottle of Alien Tequila. They also have a selection of snacks and beverages if you need a caffeine or sugar boost. 

About 19 miles past the Alien Research Center, you’ll arrive at the Black Mailbox. The mailbox’s location is right at the entry road to Area 51, so it’s used as a drop box for alien hunters to leave notes and souvenirs. The current mailbox is actually not the original; the first few boxes have been vandalized or knocked down, so a new one has been erected. You can see the remnants of the old mailbox. It’s fun to open the mailbox and see what kinds of random goodies are in there. When I stopped, it had a pair of socks, a can of beans, a lint roller, and a small bottle of Jack Daniels. 

After another 20-ish miles, you’ll approach the town of Rachel (population: 70). Here is where you’ll find the second ET Highway sign, with plenty of space to pull over for a photo. 

Just beyond the sign is a tiny gas station with just two pumps and a small convenience store to grab snacks. This is where I took my favorite photo from this road trip.

Finally I hit my last stop, a place I had on my road trip wish list for years: The Little A'Le'Inn in Rachel. It’s a motel and restaurant/bar that is fully decked out in alien memorabilia, both inside and out. The bar had themed drinks like “Alien Blood” and “Ch’Area 51.” I ordered the “world famous alien burger” that really hit the spot after a long morning of driving. It was so exciting to finally this place for myself. I will definitely be back!

I took my burger to-go and pulled over a few miles down the road at a Joshua tree viewing area to eat. I took a little walk around the plants after to take in the scenery and the mountain views. I also came across a decomposing cow skull, which served as a reminder of how wild the west can really be. 

This was a fun and gorgeous drive. It is a hike to get there and back from Vegas, but it’s always a treat to be out on the open roads of Nevada with almost no one else around. So worth the effort and a road I will absolutely be visiting again.

All photos taken by me with a Sony A6600 and Tamron 17-70mm f/2.8 lens.