Is the Nevada monolith the one that went missing from Utah?

In November 2020, the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources discovered a mysterious monolith in the desert during a survey of bighorn sheep. It caused quite a stir. No one knew how it got there or why. And what was it? Speculations ranged from an art installation to a portal to proof of aliens.

However, Dave Sparks from the Diesel Brothers TV show shot holes in the alien theory. He concluded it was “actually just an insanely creative piece of metal art” after an inspection revealed the structure was made with rivets holding together stainless sheet metal of very man-made origin.

Then, no sooner had it appeared, the Utah monolith disappeared. Although, it hadn’t really “appeared” as suddenly as it seemed. Some diligent researchers delved into Google Earth satellite images and learned the Utah monolith had actually been installed in the remote desert area sometime between August 2015 and October 2016.

But it did disappear suddenly. Many suspected the Utah division of the Bureau of Land Management had done it since the monolith was on public land. Nope. Adventure sports enthusiasts Sylvan Christensen and Andy Lewis claimed responsibility.

Additional monoliths popped up all over the world in 2020, but I always wondered what happened to the pieces from Utah. The first thing I thought when I saw the news about the mysterious Nevada monolith was, “Is it the missing one from Utah?”

I’m not sure whether Christensen or Lewis even still had the parts. I thought I’d heard they had held on to them, though, and hadn’t destroyed them. Did they decide to resurrect the monolith in Nevada for some reason? Or is this an entirely different one erected by one of the mystery monolith makers who struck in 2020 and 2021?

Comparing the Nevada and Utah Monoliths

The most obvious comparison is how similar they look. The Nevada monolith may be shinier than the Utah one, but I’m not sure. And are they the same height? I don’t know. None of the articles I’ve read about it have shared specifics about its height or dimensions.

While both were discovered in deserts, the Nevada monolith turned up in a much less remote area. Near Gass Peak, a hiking spot about 20 miles north of Las Vegas.

Employees of government agencies found both. The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources found the Utah monolith. The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department found the one in Nevada. Both also posted their finds on social media, which went viral and propelled the monoliths into the news.

Mystery surrounds both. Who created them and put them up? How did they do it without being detected? Why did they do it? Is it, as CNN wondered, alien, artist or prank? If it’s a human being behind it, why are they keeping their identity a secret? Something that’s really unusual in this attention-seeking age of social media, isn’t it?

Both monoliths also appeared during presidential election years. Probably matters naught, but then again…maybe it does?

Check-In

What are your thoughts about the Nevada monolith? Do you think it’s connected to the Utah one? (Or any of the others that have shown up over the years?)

Courtney Mroch

Courtney Mroch is a globe-trotting restless spirit who’s both possessed by wanderlust and the spirit of adventure, and obsessed with true crime, horror, the paranormal, and weird days. Perhaps it has something to do with her genes? She is related to occult royalty, after all. Marie Laveau, the famous Voodoo practitioner of New Orleans, is one of her ancestors. (Yes, really! As explained here.) That could also explain her infatuation with skeletons.

Speaking of mystical, to learn how Courtney channeled her battle with cancer to conjure up this site, check out HJ’s Origin Story.