In the 1950s and ’60s, aliens and UFOs were all the rage. Even homes were built to look like flying saucers, perhaps thanks to the many sci-fi space shows from “Space Patrol” and “Tales of Tomorrow” to “Lost in Space” and “Star Trek.” In more recent years there seems to have been somewhat of a resurgence, with lots of people fascinated with unexplained phenomena appearing in the sky.
If you’d like to stay somewhere that brings the best chance to spot an unidentified flying object or maybe even an alien, head to one of these destinations for all things extraterrestrial.
Joshua Tree, California
Joshua Tree National Park is said to lie on the 33rd North Parallel which is famous for its strange UFO and paranormal phenomena. There have been many UFO sightings reported here and some say the high mineral content, a unique quartz hill, and underground waterways, make it especially conducive for the unexplained. Here many come to gather to discuss the possibilities with “Contact in the Desert” being one of the biggest events of the year to do so. The four-day concert brings many researchers, amateurs, and pros alike to chat about extraterrestrials, ancient aliens, crop circles, UFOs, and more. Plus while you’re here you’ll find miles of trails to hike that wind around bizarre rock formations like Skull Rock, and plant life, including the park’s namesake Joshua tree.
Rachel, Nevada
Area 51 is one of America’s most famous UFO sites, with many reported sightings back in the 1950s around the Nevada Test and Training Range. In fact, it was practically a daily occurrence, but mostly because the military used the area to do test runs for military aircraft which had odd colored lighting and flew higher than traditional jets. Still, it didn’t stop the stories about autopsies being performed on aliens or the disappearing runway. It’s been a place of legend for some 70 years now, but it’s still off-limits and will get you thrown in jail if you trespass. Fortunately, the town of Rachel nearby offers plenty. It hosts a local motel/restaurant, the Little A’Le’Inn where you can pop in and get connected with a local guide who will bring you around the perimeter of Area 51 while pointing out the alleged alien sites through fences, for a fee.
Marfa, Texas
A secluded town in West Texas with a population of only around 2,000, Marfa hosts a surprising number of events from concerts and film festivals, but it’s best known for the appearance of mysterious lights that have been reported since the late 1800s. Cowhand Robert Reed Ellison was the first to spot the bright red, white, yellow, blue, and pink orbs dancing above the Chinati Mountains. They’ve been appearing around 30 times a year ever since and while some have tried to explain them by science, claiming they’re headlights or small fires, others believe they’re ghosts or UFOs. The mystery remains and the lights are celebrated annually in the fall at the Marfa Lights Festival with a parade, live music, food and drink.
Roswell, New Mexico
Roswell is one of the world’s most famous towns when it comes to all things alien and UFO. It all began in 1947 when farmer Mac Brazel was driving and came across some foil, sticks, and rubber all ablaze. After contacting authorities, the military came to the site and publicly declared that it was the remains of a flying saucer that had crashed in Roswell. Ultimately, the government decided it was a weather balloon, but there’s no changing this alien-themed town’s reputation. Many believe this is a top spot for UFO activity and there are many ways the town makes the most of it, from the annual UFO festival to the International UFO Museum and Research Center, and even a McDonald’s that’s shaped like a flying saucer.
Wycliffe Well, Australia
Located in Australia’s Northern Territory, Wycliffe Well is considered to be the UFO capital of the country. Reports of UFOs are so common that Wycliffe Well Holiday Park hosts an alien-themed junction considered one of the top five best places for sightings in the world. Between May and October, AKA UFO Season, strange objects are seen nearly every other day. There are two model aliens that sit in front of the park welcoming travelers in, and if you talk to the owner you can learn about the many bizarre incidents that have occurred here over the years. He says the park’s bar has the widest range of beer you’ll find anywhere in Australia, and he jokes that may be the reason so many other-worldly visitors come.
Pena de Bernal - San Sebastián Bernal, Queretaro, Mexico
Similar to Devil’s Tower in Wyoming, featured in 1977’s “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” the massive monolith known as Peña de Bernal looms over San Sebastián Bernal in the state of Querétaro in Mexico. It’s said to be a hotspot for paranormal happenings from modern UFO sightings and mysterious lights to sacred stories of the indigenous that date back for centuries. It happens to sit right in the center of the state, the center of Mexico, and the center of the world. Some say it’s a portal between dimensions and universes, emitting energy that’s charged with a lifeforce that causes people to feel more invigorated and even younger. In fact, the average life span for village inhabitants is said to be nearly 95 years old, about 20 years longer than the country’s average life expectancy.
Hooper, Colorado
The San Luis Valley of Southern Colorado is notorious for UFO sightings, with reports of bizarre cigar-shaped objects, flying discs, and fast-moving lights, with Hooper at the heart of all the action. The tiny town, with at best 100 residents, offers views of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains that rise above the valley, but the big attraction is the UFO watchtower. It was built by the town’s residents on Judy Messoline’s property in 2000 and offers a 360-degree view of the UFO hotspot that’s had many confirmed sightings. More than 20 psychics have claimed to see two large vortexes at Messoline’s “Healing Garden” too.
Wiltshire, England
Crop circle formations, UFO sightings, and all sorts of mystical happenings have been reported in Wiltshire. In and around Warminster farmers have discovered crop circles on their properties and residents have even captured flying saucers and strange lights on camera. Some claim that UFOs have killed flocks of pigeons and have even caused cars to fail. Stonehenge happens to be in Wiltshire and there has been talk of it being a landing pad for spaceships. How else could humans have built the iconic monument with such skill and precision with the lack of tools available then? The site dates back to 8000 BC and Stonehenge itself was built in stages from 3000 to 1520 BC.
Clifden, Ireland
Clifden is a beautiful city in western Ireland’s Connemara region, enjoying a backdrop of the Twelve Bens Mountain Range while being close to the sea. It also has an interesting past that includes a mystery yet to be solved. On July 23, 2008, two oval orbs were spotted nearby and eventually photographed but to date no one knows what they were, with conventional aircraft ruled out. In another incident that occurred in the 1980s, a strange looking broken cylinder was discovered in a small lake in the area which some say may have fallen from a UFO. Perhaps aliens enjoy the beauty of Connemara just as much as us humans do?
San Clemente, Chile
San Clemente claims to be the UFO capital of the world with UFO sightings that average at least once a week. The Chilean tourism board even established an 18.5-mile-long “UFO trail” that will bring you through the breathtaking Andes Mountains where there have been lots of close encounters reported. It includes a strange area called El Enladrillado made up of 200 perfectly cut volcanic blocks. Many believe it was the work of an ancient civilization but UFO hunters think the area was meant to be a landing pad for extraterrestrials.
Sedona, Arizona
Sedona is stunningly beautiful and known for its New Age vibe with lots of crystal shops and vortexes, swirling centers of energy conducive for healing and meditation – and, perhaps drawing alien life? Not surprisingly, it’s also a hotspot for UFO hunters. One of the reasons is that it’s home to Bradshaw Ranch, a place that’s said to have been closed down by the government in order to keep alien-related secrets hidden from the public. Some believe that it even contains an interdimensional portal. While the area is still restricted, there are nightly tours that will bring you out to search for UFOs, complete with binoculars and night vision glasses.
Bonnybridge, Scotland
Just 35 miles from Edinburgh, Bonnybridge, along with Fife and Stirling, form the Falkirk Triangle, a region that marks an above average number of UFO sightings. It started in the early 1990s in the small town, with the first recorded sighting in 1992 when James Walker reported witnessing a star-shaped object hovering just above a road. Many sightings soon followed and locals came together to discuss it. But to this day, no one knows what it is and hundreds of reports continue to be received, year after year.
Nazca Lines, Peru
The mystery of Peru’s famous Nazca Lines continues. Most can only be viewed from above and many have tried to figure out just how they got there, and why? Located on an isolated, arid plateau less than 200 miles from the capital city of Lima, these massive ground drawings measure as much as 660 feet. The precise artwork in the more than 70 “lines” includes detailed animals like monkeys, fish, birds, and llamas. Many believe the Nazca culture created them by removing red stones that covered the ground, leaving the white earth beneath visible. The question is, how did such a primitive civilization achieve a feat on this grand scale when they had no way of seeing them from above? Were they trying to attract aliens from other worlds? It could be a good place to find out.
Hoia Baciu Forest, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
The “Bermuda Triangle of Romania,” many unnatural phenomena and strange sightings have been recorded in this forest, including a UFO that was said to have swallowed up a sheepherder and his flock of 200 sheep. Other paranormal incidents have occurred, from flying saucer-like objects to bright beams of light suddenly appearing and disappearing just as mysteriously as they came.
