Since 1995, Tikaboo Peak, 42 km from Groom Lake, has provided the closest and best public observation deck for all of Area 51.
Approximately 22,987 acres of previously accessible land will be closed effective March 25, 2026, according to a notice from the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM). However, as recently as April 17th, members of the public were known to have undertaken the multi-mile hike to the 7,915-foot summit.
The current closure is classified as a temporary closure and will remain in effect “for at least one year or until the situation is reassessed and deemed safe for public use.”
It is almost certain that land grabbing will be legally challenged. Unlike in 1995, when the base’s restricted area was expanded to include Freedom Ridge and the closest observation points known as White Sides, any closure of Tikaboo Peak is not contiguous with Area 51’s boundaries. Instead, it will form an island of limited space, miles away from anywhere else.
Because Tikaboo Peak is inaccessible, the closest known point from which to view the entire base is currently Reveille Peak, located 45 miles from the base, adding an additional 19 miles of distance between the facility and the public eye.
Tonopah Test Site (KTNX) is currently closed under NOTAM until July 18th. Not long ago, two F-117s (call sign NIGHT) were spotted at Groom Lake on Tikaboo Peak. You can see a parachute on the runway. They are going back to the womb. 😍
🎥 n01_b4_flash pic.twitter.com/LCZFr3BiI5
— Thenewarea51 (@thenewarea51) April 26, 2025
News of Tikaboo’s closure comes just over a week after news broke that an aviation enthusiast, not a U.S. citizen, whom we’ve featured on several occasions previously, had been arrested and charged by the U.S. government after multiple visits to the mountain. Michał Rokita pleaded guilty to one count of photographing a defense facility without permission and one count of posting photos of a defense facility without permission and received a life sentence. We know that Michał is now in a safe home in Poland.
The law used to prosecute Rokita is the same law used in the case of an aviation enthusiast who was arrested by the FBI after a reported visit to Offutt Air Force Base in April.
Joerg Arnu, who runs the excellent Dreamland Resort website, wrote in recent weeks that he expects Tikaboo to be foreclosed in the near future.
