Explore The International Car Forest of the Last Church in Goldfield
Located right off U.S 95 in Goldfield, the small Nevadan town frozen in time, stands a unique roadside attraction…
2 minute read | may contain affiliate links
Located right off U.S 95 in Goldfield, a small Nevada town frozen in time, stands a unique roadside attraction showcasing a perfect fusion of art and car - The International Car Forest of the Last Church.
The car forest is a cluster of a few dozen or so vehicles that have been planted into the ground, hood first, causing them to stand vertically, mimicking trees (hence - car forest).
To make it even more unique, artists and taggers from around the world have left their mark here with varying designs, statements, quotes and more.
While I wouldn’t necessarily say it’s a destination all its own, the car forest is definitely worthy of a stop if you happen to be on a road trip along this stretch of highway.
Find out below how to get there, how much it costs, where to park and more. Let’s get into it!
Quick Stats
Location: Goldfield, NV
Fee: None, but donations are accepted
Open: All year
For: Anyone
Cell Service: Decent
Restroom: Port-O-Potty at the entrance
Parking: No designated lot, but plenty of pull outs
EV Stations: None
Popularity: Low to moderate
Time: An hour or so
Pets: Allowed on leash
Drones: No signs stating you can’t fly
Hazards: Rattlesnakes, rusty metal, other debris and not much shade
My Visit(s): August 2023
Getting There & Parking
The car forest is easy to get to as it’s just a few minutes off highway 95 down a dirt road. If you’re not already traveling through, though, it’s way out of the way.
The nearest towns to Goldfield are Tonopah to the north and Beatty to the south. The nearest major city is Las Vegas, roughly 185 miles away.
From the highway, you’ll turn onto Crystal Ave and travel along a dirt road, past a few homes, for about a quarter mile before arriving to the car forest’s entrance on the right.
You’ll first arrive to a booth and a welcome sign. Entry to the car forest is free but here is where you can leave a donation if you like.
Ahead of you the road will split. Going in either direction will take you to the same spot so don’t spend a lot of time deciding. The road on the left was better maintained, though.
There’s no official parking lot, but there are many pull outs. You can choose to park on the hilltop and walk in or drive into the car forest. I opted to walk in.
The Cars of the International Car Forest
There are a few vehicles on the hilltop to look at, but the bulk of the car forest is down the hill. They’re mostly clustered together, with a few others spread further out.
There’s no official path to follow, nor are the cars in any particular order. You also won’t find any informational signage detailing the art or the artists themselves.
There are about three dozen vehicles that make up the car forest. Each have a blend of artistic renderings, quotes, political statements and encouraging words. As the sign at the entrance states, “artists are welcomed, taggers are tolerated”.
That same sign indicates you yourself can partake in leaving your own artistic expression on any of the vehicles if you so choose. All they ask is you don’t resort to vandalism.
While most of the vehicles here are of the sedan variety, there are a couple buses and vans added to the mix. Most of which you can climb into and explore.
The car forest is one of those places where how long it takes to see it all depends entirely on your level of interest. Worst case, it’s a great way to stretch your legs for an hour or so.
Even if you only have a mild interest in cars, art or both, the car forest is a must-see attraction. It’s one of those unique, “Nevada things”, that cannot be missed.
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Dragon Lights Festival Reno (2023): Ticket Prices, Themes, Parking and More
Experience the annual Dragon Light Festival in Reno, a spectacular event that will ignite your imagination and illuminate
Experience the annual Dragon Light Festival in Reno, a spectacular event that will ignite your imagination and illuminate your senses.
Prepare to be mesmerized as you enter a world of enchantment, where intricate lanterns and larger-than-life creatures come to life with a symphony of lights.
Whether you're a local or a visitor, this extraordinary celebration offers an immersive experience for all.
In this guide, I’ll cover everything you’ll need to know to attend this unforgettable summer-time event. Let’s get into it.
Dragon Lights Reno 2023 Dates & New Additions
The Dragon Lights Festival is an annual summer time event in Reno and features hundreds of themed, illuminated lanterns along a trail just shy of a mile.
It’s held at Rancho San Rafael Park in the Wilbur D. May Arboretum and Botanical Gardens and features a new theme with accommodating lanterns each year.
In 2023, the theme is, “Nature’s Glow”, with several creatures typically found in gardens and tropical settings. Such as:
Honey Bees
Wasps
Ants
Tucson Birds
Lemurs
Peacocks
Parrots
Dragonflies
and more!
Also new in 2023 is the brand new presentation of the iconic Chinese Dragon and the expanded interactive playground featuring a swing set, drums, lighting effects and more.
The festival runs nightly from June 30th to August 13th, 6pm to 10:30pm.
Tickets & Parking
Parking at the event is included in the price of your admission ticket. There are several lots at the park you can utilize. They are:
Lot A: This is the lot nearest the entrance and exit. This lot is reserved for disability parking.
Lot B: This is the first lot you’ll come across and is smaller than Lot A. It typically fills quickly.
Lot C: The largest lot, but furtherest from the entrance, it is located down San Rafael drive on the eastern edge of the park.
Lot D (or '“green” lot): This lot is located at the UNR campus off Comstock Dr. and is utilized for overflow parking on the weekends.
If you park in A or B, you’ll be within walking distance of the festival entrance. If you end up in C, you can still walk or take advantage of the free shuttle service (runs Thursday - Sunday).
The D lot also offers free shuttle service to the entrance, but only on Saturdays and Sundays.
Tickets can be purchased either online (through this link) or in person at the gate. If you opt to purchase at the gate, be aware that you’ll pay a surcharge of $5 - $15, per ticket.
Purchasing online is easy and convenient. You’ll select your desired date, your ticket type, and once your purchase is complete, save the tickets to your phone to be scanned at the gate.
The 2023 festival ticket prices are as follows:
$20 per adult (age 12+)
$15 per child (age 3 -11)
Free for children under 3
$55 family pack (includes two adult and two child tickets)
$55 season pass (unlimited entry all season for ONE person)
When purchasing your tickets, you’ll be asked to select an entry time. They are 6:00, 7:00, 8:00 and 9:00. You’ll have one hour from your selected entry time to arrive and can stay as long as you wish.
We arrived 20-minutes early to our entry time and were still granted entry. No one batted an eye. If you arrive late, they’ll make every effort to accommodate you but there’s no guarantee.
There are no refunds, but they will allow you to change the date/time of your ticket up to one hour prior to your entry time. You can do so in the account you made while making your purchase.
The Lantern Trail & Amenities
After entering, you’ll come into an opening and see the iconic Chinese dragon ahead of you. To your right will be the interactive playground and to your left will be the food vendors.
To find the trail that winds through the lantern displays, follow the path through the dragon and go right (keeping the interactive playground to your right).
The trail is less than a mile and is on fairly even ground. There are some grade changes along the way but they’re barely noticeable. It’s mostly paved, but there are some dirt/gravel patches.
If you’re bringing little ones along, both strollers and wagons are permitted. They should have wheels appropriate for the terrain, though.
You’ll find dozens of illuminated lanterns along the trail. From beautiful floral themes to giant frogs and armadillos. Some are interactive and many have moving parts.
There are also a couple make-shift tunnels with special lighting affects you’ll get to walk through. Additionally, themed music plays throughout the length of the trail.
As you reach the end of the trail, it’ll split. If you’re done for the night, go left to exit. If you want to remain in the festival, go right to loop back in to where you entered earlier.
When Should You Enter & Tips
We arrived at around 7:45pm and there was still plenty of light left. When we did our first walk through the trail, we were impressed by how illuminated the lanterns still were, despite it not being dark.
However, once the night sky set in, that’s when the lanterns popped and were the most impressive and fun to look at. Consequently, that’s also when the crowds got thick.
Clearly, you’re going to want to be there when it’s dark. That’s the whole point. My suggestion, though, would be to select an entry time prior to sunset.
The reason for this is because it’ll allow you to get a feel for the festival and see the top attractions without having to worry about big crowds. The later it gets, the heavier the crowds get.
This way, you can do a second loop around the trail once it gets dark. You’ll already know what the best exhibits are, so you won’t waste time on the ones you don’t care about and can get through the crowd faster.
It’s also advantageous if you have small children tagging along. It’ll be a lot easier to keep track of them in the interactive playground while there’s still some light.
If you’re coming with a group consisting of two or more adults and two or more children, save money by purchasing the family ticket option. You’ll save at least $15.
If your group is 10 people or more, you’ll enjoy additional savings of 20% off each ticket. That discount will reflect in the cart when you’re checking out.
For more savings, take advantage of their policy of allowing outside food and beverages. There are plenty of areas in the festival to set up a picnic. The only exception is alcohol.
I hope you’ll consider attending the 2023 Dragon Lights Festival in Reno. It’s a fantastic event for the whole family. We had much more fun than we thought we would and can’t wait to attend in 2024.
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Thunder Mountain Monument: A Deeply Meaningful Roadside Oddity In Nevada
Imagine you’re on a road trip through the Northern Nevada desert along Interstate 80. You go miles seeing nothing but rolling…
4 minute read | Contains affiliate links
Imagine you’re on a road trip through the Northern Nevada desert along Interstate 80. You go miles seeing nothing but rolling mountains, vast openness and the occasional small town.
You eventually reach one of those small towns; Imlay. A former railroad station 130-miles east of Reno with a population of 178 (as of the 2020 census).
You look around and at first, nothing sticks out. But soon after getting past the main stretch of town, something catches your eye on the side of the freeway. Something strange, but unique. That something is Thunder Mountain Monument.
We recently visited Thunder Mountain, not knowing much about it and thinking it was just another cool (and weird), roadside oddity.
As we explored the property, though, we discovered how meaningful this property was to the original owner, Frank Van Zant, and the current owner, his son, David.
In this post, we’re going to cover some quick details about the property, what you can expect and some other important information.
However, we’re going to encourage you to visit the monument’s website for a more detailed account of its history and background. We will share the link at the end of this post.
Quick Stats
Location: Imlay, NV
Fee/Permit: None, but a $2 donation per group is requested (cash or check)
Open: Year round, from dusk to dawn
For: All visitors
Parking: Semi-large, dirt lot.
Restroom: None
EV Stations: None
Drone Use: Not allowed
Difficulty: Easy
Popularity: Low
Time: An hour or more
Milage: N/A
Elevation Gain: N/A
Trail Condition: Somewhat maintained pathway.
Main Feature(s): The monument and art installations
Pets: Not allowed
Special Notes/Hazards: Broken glass scattered throughout the property. Rattlesnakes have also been spotted here
Our Visit(s): June 2022.
Directions, Parking, & Fees
Thunder Mountain Monument may be located in the middle of nowhere, but it’s easy to reach as it’s located directly off Interstate-80 in Imlay, NV.
There isn’t a whole lot to do, see and eat in Imlay. So if you’re making the trip here from a larger area, you may want to ensure your tank is full and bring plenty of water/food with you.
Additionally, the nearest EV charging stations to Thunder Mountain are in Lovelock (40-miles west) and Winnemucca (35-miles east).
From Reno (133-miles, one way)
From wherever you are in Reno, make your way to I-80 eastbound and continue straight for 133-miles.
Take exit #145 for Frontage road.
At the stop sign, turn right and then make an (almost) immediate left on Frontage road.
You’ll follow this road for slightly less than a mile and it’ll terminate at the monument’s parking lot.
From Winnemucca (36-miles, one way)
Start by jumping on I-80 westbound and continue straight for roughly 36-miles.
Take exit #145 for Frontage road.
At the stop sign, turn left and go under the freeway.
Turn left on Frontage road and continue straight until it terminates at the parking lot.
Shortly after turning onto Frontage road, it’ll turn into dirt. No need to worry if you have a compact vehicle, it’ll make it just fine. Our Chevrolet Cruze made it without issue.
The parking lot is fairly large and entirely dirt. There are no official parking spaces so just find a spot that makes sense and go with it.
There are no parking or hard entry fees. They do request a (totally reasonable) $2 donation per group. There’s nobody on site collecting these donations but they do have an iron ranger adjacent to the picnic table.
It’s cash or check only. So if you don’t have either on hand, you can send a donation to the following address when you get home:
Thunder Mountain Monument, LLC
P.O Box 162 Imlay, Nevada 89418
Any donations left at or mailed to the monument go towards to continued growth, rehabilitation and maintenance of the property.
Exploring Thunder Mountain Monument
To begin exploring the monument, simply look for the official entry to the grounds (pictured above). You can easily spot it from the parking lot.
If your only interest is the monument itself, turn left along the dirt/gravel path as you approach the picnic table. If you have the time though, we recommend heading right and exploring the rest of the grounds in a loop.
At the picnic tables, you’ll find binders containing printed information about the monument’s history and development, as well as information about its founder, Frank Van Zant.
We highly encourage you to stop here and learn about the monument. Its history is fascinating. This is also where you can drop your donation (if you’re able to).
From the picnic table, go right along the path (away from the monument) to check out a cool, but admittedly creepy, art installation on the far side of the property.
Over here, you’ll find rusted vehicles lined up like a barricade of sorts, a swing set made out of wood and mud, a model airplane also made from mud/plaster and a de facto fort in front of all that. It’s weird, but so cool at the same time.
After exploring this area, simply follow the dirt path running parallel to the freeway. After a short distance, you will arrive at the monument itself.
The monument was conceptualized and built by Frank Van Zant (with the help of hippies and passerby’s) after being inspired by a visit to a bottle house in Death Valley.
As you walk up to the monument, the first thing you’ll notice is it’s fenced off with ‘no trespassing’ signs dotted along the fence. This was done to protect the monument from vandalism.
Based on our research, once upon a time the general public was allowed to explore the interior of the monument, but weather damage to the roof has made it too dangerous.
The monument was once lived in by its founder, Frank Van Zant and his family and initially started out as a one-room travel trailer. Over time, it was rocked over and additional features like bedrooms, corridors, stairwells and levels were added.
The roof is adorned with multiple statues and arches, the tallest of which stands fifty-feet. The exterior walls are covered in bas-relief tableaux depicting many historic events, betrayals and massacres of the American Indian.
If you know your history, you’ll no doubt recognize the depictions in some of the statues. Some notable figures include Standing Bear, Quietzalcoati, and Sarah Winnemucca. There’s even one honoring Franks’s late son, Sid.
It’s important to note that the vast majority of the materials used to construct the monument was “trash” Frank found discarded in the desert. This was done to honor the Native Indian tradition of using what you have and not be wasteful.
Many of the windows are windshields from old cars, glass bottles line much of the top end of the monument and a wooden Eagle is perched at the very top.
Some other material used in the monument includes galvanized pipe, scrap iron, chicken wire and concrete. It’s truly amazing what Frank was able to accomplish with what many perceived to be trash.
When you’re done exploring the monument, simply head back up the trail towards the entrance where you came in and back to your vehicle.
There are a few other nooks and features of the property, but we want to leave those things a surprise when you visit for yourself. We highly encourage you to do so.
As promised at the beginning of the post, be sure to visit the monuments official website for more in-depth information of its history and the background of its creator, Frank Van Zant, as well as photos of the interior.
Your Thoughts
Have you visited Thunder Mountain Monument before? We’d really like to know what you thought of it. Or if you’ve never been there, have you been wanting to visit or have you even heard of it?
Either way, let us know in the comments below. We LOVE hearing from our readers!
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