Most of the “mushroom cloud” photos come from the Nevada Test Site. This is one “attraction” at which visitors are distinctly not welcomed. The Nevada Test Site encompasses approximately 864,000 acres (1,350 square miles) in Nye County, Nevada, approximately 65 miles northwest of Las
Vegas. This facility used to be called the “Nevada Proving Grounds.” From January
of 1951 until 1992 this large, remote area was the site used for 928 “announced”
nuclear weapon tests and an unknown number of “unannounced” tests, detected
merely by seismographs.

For ten and a half years, until the summer of 1962, a total of 100 above-ground tests were conducted. The mushroom clouds from these tests could be seen clearly in Las Vegas, which turned them into a tourist attraction. Some bars would have “atomic cocktail” drink specials for those who sought a view of the explosions.

Underground testing of nuclear weapons ended in 1992, but testing continues
on mate-rials that do not have the critical mass for a nuclear explosion. For
the longest time the entire area was classified Top Secret. The U.S. Department
of Energy now administers this facility, and since 2004, the government has
relaxed its secretive position somewhat. The public is even allowed to tour
the facility occasionally; however, nothing may be taken out, not even photographs.
There is a Radioactive Waste Management Complex in Area 5 of the Test Site.
The Nuclear Test Site has over 1,000 buildings, multiple airstrips and heliports,
and 700 miles of roads, over half of which are paved. The town of Mercury,
Nevada is on the grounds.

Fallout from the testing has contributed to a high incidence of thyroid cancer amongst downwind populations, estimated at between 10,000 and 75,000 cases. Congress has provided compensation for such victims, as well as for people who worked at the facility during the time of high exposure.