In September 2020, with the need to get out and do something after being cooped up, we headed out for a day run to explore an area of Nevada we had often driven through but never stopped to see. This route started in Fallon and looped all the way to Lovelock.
Starting the day early, the group hit the trails right out of town, following the western tracks along Highway 50 and past Sand Mountain. Stopping for a little fun in the sand, some of the group made dune runs up and down the sandbanks to see how high they could get. Luckily, no one got stuck, and we were able to continue onto new trails we had never explored before. Just north of Sand Mountain, we detoured over to an old mining site to see if there was any gold left. Sadly no luck.
As the group headed north, we began to come across parts of the training range for Fallon Naval Air Station. Sitting out in the middle of the desert were old tanks and trucks set up to simulate enemy forces for pilots to practice attack runs on. We stopped to check out a few of the tanks and take pictures — it’s not every day you find tanks in the middle of the desert! Continuing on, we made our way to what appeared to be an old mining camp for our lunch stop. To our surprise, the camp turned out to be a “mock” military base.
At the site, we found a M247 Sergeant York anti-aircraft tank likely placed there to give trainee pilots a target to simulate attack runs on — or maybe just to scare a few! The area also had other vehicles, simulated bunkers, and camouflage netting, all arranged to look like a real base camp. Despite the elaborate setup, the grounds had picnic benches and what looked like outdoor campsites, leaving us to wonder if it once doubled as a campground or was solely used for military training exercises.
After lunch, we headed toward Lovelock by taking a high-speed route around a dry lake bed. Once the group reached the other side, we turned toward our final stop — the Cave of the Giants. This was a place we had wanted to visit for years, as we’d driven past it many times. The legend tells of a tribe of red-haired giants, the Si-Te-Cah, who were said to have been wiped out by the Paiute tribe in a final battle at the cave. While archaeological evidence has not confirmed the existence of giants, excavations in 1911 uncovered mummified human remains and thousands of artifacts, which helped fuel the legend.
Visitors can only go about 100 feet into the cave, and while there isn’t much to see inside, it’s home to plenty of bats — and we saw our fair share during the visit! With this final stop complete, the group continued into Lovelock for fuel before making our way home.
