The Extraterrestrial Highway (NV-375)
Crystal Springs → Warm Springs, NV · ~98 miles · ~2 hours
Stylized illustration, not a photo — the real place looks different (and that’s half the fun).
Nevada officially dubbed State Route 375 the “Extraterrestrial Highway” in 1996. The ~98-mile road runs through empty basin-and-range desert near the secretive Area 51 installation, and its one tiny town, Rachel, has become a hub for UFO seekers — alien kitsch and all.
Good to know: No services for ~100 miles — fuel up first. It’s a long, lonely, high-speed desert drive; do not cross onto Area 51 / military land, which is patrolled and strictly off-limits.
Updated July 2026.
The lonely desert road past Area 51.
The world’s most famous “UFO road” — a desolate desert highway past the gates of Area 51, complete with alien kitsch in Rachel.
States on this route
The signature stops
What to pull over for.
The best stops on the The Extraterrestrial Highway (NV-375) are the places that define the drive, not just the nearest towns. Roamward orders them for the road: start with Rachel, Little A’Le’Inn, The Black Mailbox, Alien Research Center, then open each stop guide for the pull-over context.
01Rachelthe highway’s only town and the center of UFO culture — open the stop guideNV
02Little A’Le’Innan alien-themed motel, bar, and souvenir stop in Rachel — open the stop guideNV
03The Black Mailboxa legendary roadside UFO-watching landmark — open the stop guideNV
04Alien Research Centera giant metal alien and gift shop near the south end — open the stop guideNV
Where to eat
Restaurants along this route.
Restaurants on the The Extraterrestrial Highway (NV-375) are chosen for trip usefulness: gateway-town location, a clear reason to stop, and enough quality to make a traveler save the pick. Start with Alamo Kitchen, Windmill Ridge Restaurant, Happy Burro Chili & Beer, KC's Outpost Saloon & Eatery.
A curated set of trip-useful meals near the route — enough to anchor driving days without turning the guide into a phone book.
- Alamo Kitchen
A sturdy Alamo meal for the Extraterrestrial Highway run, giving the lonely desert stretch one more real-town option.
- Windmill Ridge Restaurant
A practical Alamo meal for the southern end of the Extraterrestrial Highway and Pahranagat Valley.
- Happy Burro Chili & Beer
Cult roadside shack where locals, bikers, and park travelers share picnic tables over award-winning chili and cold beer. The definitive cheap eat on Death Valley's east side.
- KC's Outpost Saloon & Eatery
Beatty saloon plates and cold drinks for the east side of Death Valley, with more sit-down certainty than most of the US-95 run.
- Mama Sara's Taco Shop
A Beatty Mexican stop for Extraterrestrial Highway travelers who want street tacos, burritos, enchiladas, and a real meal before the desert night drive.
- Knotty Pine Restaurant
A practical Caliente diner option for the ET Highway approach, useful when timing the Rachel stop is awkward.
- Side Track Restaurant
A Caliente rail-town stop that gives the Extraterrestrial Highway loop another grounded meal between desert miles.
- Little A'Le'Inn
The Extraterrestrial Highway’s required alien-themed diner and motel stop, weird in exactly the right way.
- Pittman Cafe
A Mizpah Hotel cafe stop for ET Highway travelers who overnight in Tonopah before or after the alien-road detour.
- Tonopah Brewing Company
A central Nevada smoke-and-beer stop that works as the practical meal before or after the ET Highway detour.
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Stay & experience
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Things to do near The Extraterrestrial Highway (NV-375)
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