DIXIE VALLEY Revisited!

Dixie Valley is a remote valley in Churchill County, Nevada with a long and unusual history. The area was originally settled in the 1800s by ranchers and miners drawn by salt, borax and potash deposits and abundant artesian water, with families ranching and farming in the valley for decades. In 1995, the United States Navy acquired most of the land to expand its Fallon Range Training Complex (FRTC), a military training area supporting nearby Naval Air Station Fallon and its aviation and ground warfare exercises. After the purchase, Dixie Valley became essentially uninhabited as ranches and homesteads were removed. The Navy uses the valley for electronic warfare training and simulated combat scenarios as part of the range, and remnants of this training are visible across the landscape. Today, much of Dixie Valley still features decommissioned armored vehicles and tanks, including vehicles like M247 “Sergeant York” anti-aircraft systems and other armored platforms scattered throughout the old town and valley floor. These serve as inert training targets and markers in the Navy’s simulated battle environment. Because no live ordnance is typically used in much of the area, the valley remains publicly accessible for exploration, giving it a surreal mix of ghost-town ruins and Cold War-era military hardware in the desert. ://www.instagram.com/naturethroughdrones/ #offroading #outdoors #adventure #landscapes #hiking #exploring #coldwarera #coldwarmilitary #coldwar #history