A seven-story boulder on federal land has become a tinderbox of tensions over who gets to enjoy this patch of Mojave Desert, which has rapidly gentrified since the COVID-19 pandemic.
For some, the enormous boulder in the Mojave Desert is a sacred site. For others, it's a gathering spot to camp, climb, off-road or party. On a recent afternoon, the aptly named Giant Rock is the first stop on a tour from a UFO convention whose guides tout it as the place where, in 1953, extraterrestrials visited a man and instructed him to build a time machine that is now one of the area’s main tourism draws, helping to spawn a movement of “contactees” who still periodically gather there.
Residents jokingly call themselves “Landroids.” Next to the sign welcoming visitors to town is an art installation featuring the silhouette of a flying saucer, a classic bulb-headed alien peering from each window. Giant Rock and the Integratron, now a privately owned venue that can be visited for sound baths or rented for spiritual retreats, continue to be the town’s main draws, along with an exotic orchid farm.
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