8 creepy facts about Nevada that textbooks leave out

From paranormal sightings to barren highways and a centuries-old curse, there are some wild facts about Nevada. Check out eight of the creepiest here.

Nevada is one of the most interesting and complex states in the country. It was founded because of the old idea of manifest destiny, displacing Native American communities in the process, and has since become one of the nation’s biggest entertainment hubs. That’s not even to mention the precious minerals like silver found across our great state, or Nevada’s huge true crime cases that have kept folks on edge for years.

With so much rich history, it’s only natural that there are quite a few eerie facts about Nevada that are left out of textbooks for one reason or another. Maybe they’re too creepy for kids, or maybe they’re simply a little more obscure. In either case, we did some digging to unearth some of the most interesting facts you deserve to know about your state—that is, if you’re into the unsettling. This one’s for Nevadan fans of “Welcome to Night Vale.” So, grab your favorite cozy sweater or cardigan and curl up for a read you won’t soon forget.

1. Some claim that Elvis Presley still calls Sin City home

Elvis Presley made hearts across not only Las Vegas but also the world throb until his final days. The “Burning Love” singer famously died in 1977, but some people in Vegas have claimed that the crooner remains active in the city—from the afterlife. Most of these claims originate from the International Theater at Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino, where Presley performed many times.

One of the most famous cases of this is when longtime performer Wayne Newton, known professionally as Mr. Las Vegas, took to the stage at the International Theatre not long after Presley’s death. According to KTNV Las Vegas, when Newton led a cover tribute for the late Presley, every light on the stage bar his spotlight failed. This is where it gets even creepier: Newton recalled seeing a figure similar to Presley on the balcony, which wasn’t open that night. Coincidental timing? There’s no telling, but Presley’s apparent continued presence is just one of the many facts about Nevada that sends shivers down our spines.

2. The country’s oldest skeleton was unearthed in Nevada  

You undoubtedly learned about the Gold Rush and the silver mining that really put Nevada on the map for North American settlers in the nineteenth century, but did you know that our state is credited with providing scientists with the oldest mummy in the country’s history? Yes, you read that right.

But let’s back up. Where and when was this mummy found? As it turns out, it was uncovered in 1940 in Spirit Cave, leading many to call it the “Spirit Cave mummy” over the years (via The Guardian). Based on the mummy’s features, scientists determined that the preserved human was around 40 years old at the time of death. They were also able to decipher that they were male and Native American.

Now, understanding when this man lived is when this becomes one of the creepiest facts about Nevada. While an exact date has never been pinpointed—and will likely never be—the person may have lived 10,000 years ago, according to a scientific study of the skeleton. His skeleton being preserved for so many years is miraculous, and scientists continue to ponder his origins.

3. More than 80% of Nevada’s land is owned by the federal government

When contemplating creepy facts about Nevada, your mind might not initially wander to land ownership, but Nevada is a rare case in the U.S. The State Bar of Nevada notes that federal agencies and institutions own 85.9% of Nevada’s land, a staggering amount compared to other states. Sure, Nevada is home to Area 51 and other military bases, but they certainly don’t require nearly 90% of the state’s land.

The federal government’s ownership of Nevada’s lands might just go back to the Gold Rush. After all, with valuable minerals on the line, purchasing land for mines was in high demand in the mid-nineteenth century. But who actually owns all of the land? The State Bar of Nevada breaks it down: 48 million acres belong to the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, while 5.9 million acres fall under the care of the U.S. Forest Service. Ultimately, Nevada might not be the state for you if you’re looking to buy a lot of land, especially if you’re someone who wants to be more remote with less government surveillance. (For that matter, Alaska isn’t either, as it’s got a higher percentage than Nevada.)

4. Nevada is home to the ‘Loneliest Road in America’

Some locals know the tale of the “Loneliest Road in America,” while others may be oblivious to its sagey scents and ghost towns. In either case, it’s a treat to trek across. Yes, we’re talking about Highway 50, which stretches across the entire state and can take several days to maneuver through, especially if you take your time to enjoy the sights and creepy ambiance.

According to Travel Nevada, the name “Loneliest Road in America” hails from a 1986 feature on the highway in Life magazine, and it simply stuck. Notably, when you take this highway, you’re not bound to pass many cars; it’s a fairly dead freeway, which only racks up an eerie allure that makes people want to add it to their bucket lists. The highway is dotted with sagebrush, giving it a unique smell, and the old, abandoned buildings along its route only make it more unsettling to drive along. If that’s your thing, this is one of those creepy facts about Nevada that’s meant for you!

5. An 1800s curse seemingly predicted some of Nevada’s environmental tragedies

That might seem like a far-fetched thing to say, but stick with us. As The Las Vegas Review-Journal put it, Orson Hyde, a Mormon who’d settled in what is now known as Nevada, put a “curse” on Carson Valley and Washoe Valley after leaving to return to Salt Lake City, Utah. You see, Hyde had built buildings in the area—including a prized windmill that Hyde literally put blood, sweat, and tears into—and he demanded that the people of the two valleys pay for it after he decided he no longer wanted to live there. He left in 1856.

When the $20,000 he requested never came, a disgruntled Hyde attempted to hex the area with a written letter. In it, he wrote, in part, “You shall be visited of the Lord of Hosts with thunder and with earthquakes and with floods, with pestilence and with famine until your names are not known amongst men, for you have rejected the authority of God …”

Interestingly, the valleys have experienced flooding and earthquakes since, leaving just famine and pestilence to round out Hyde’s curse. According to The Las Vegas Review-Journal, one flood was even thought to have done around $20,000 in damage—the same amount he desired for his windmill. Even if you don’t believe in curses or magic, this is up there with the creepiest facts about Nevada.

6. Nevada is home to rocks that seem to move on their own

Now, we’ll be honest from the jump: This one has science to back up why it happens, but it’s still one of the most bizarre facts about Nevada. Near the ghost town of Bonnie Claire, there’s a barren playa on which rocks seem to move on their own, and trails seem to follow them on the arid dirt—at least for a short while until they disappear.

It sounds impossible, but it’s true—and a few folks have seen it with their own eyes over the years. According to Atlas Obscura, the movement happens because of a layer of ice that becomes trapped under the rock, leading it to slide across the ground with the gentle push of Nevadan wind. From humans’ perspectives, it looks like the rocks are moving on their own, and it’s something that’s especially creepy at night, given that the rocks call an abandoned ghost town home. Inanimate objects cruising through the night? No thank you.

7. Ghost towns like St. Thomas abound in Nevada

Bonnie Claire isn’t the only ghost town to know about in Nevada. No, there are many locales where Nevadans used to live, work, laugh, and love, but over the years, the citizens were diverted to larger hubs when their work—often mining—was no longer needed or the environment no longer cooperated. One prime example is St. Thomas.

Located in southern Nevada, St. Thomas is completely abandoned, having zero residents in it—and that’s a good thing considering the entire town was consumed by Lake Mead’s water. The National Park Service explains that the flooding was so bad that even the tallest building in the town was overtaken by 60 feet at one point.

St. Thomas was once popular among travelers, especially those commuting between California and Utah, but while those days are over, folks can catch glimpses of the lost city thanks to slowly decreasing water levels. Towns like this just go to show how much in Nevada has been lost to history over the years, though some things, like dead bodies that may date back more than 50 years, are arising now that Lake Mead’s waters have been evaporating due to intense droughts (via 8NewsNow.com).

8. Nuclear fallout in the ‘50s and beyond greatly impacted Native American communities

The Manhattan Project brought World War II to an end, but the development of nuclear bombs didn’t end there. No, Nevada became home to rigorous testing from the ‘50s to the ‘90s, but unfortunately, the government carried this out on and near Native American lands. More specifically, Western Shoshone territory was used for testing (via the Carleton College Department of Chemistry). If that weren’t bad enough, this area is only about 65 miles away from Las Vegas, making the chance of fallout impacting a lot of people quite high.

We know from history that nuclear explosions come with vast amounts of fallout that can bring horrible health side effects with them, including cancer. The lives of those around the test site didn’t seem to matter at the time, and even when testing was done in the ‘90s to see how folks might’ve actually been affected, Indigenous lifestyles weren’t considered, thus skewing the data for those in the immediate vicinity. The entire operation was careless with folks’ lives, making this one of the worst facts about Nevada in contemporary history.

This article first appeared on Good Info News Wire and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

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