The test site itself is marked by a plaque that commemorates the explosion at ground zero, meaning that you can stand exactly where the bomb was detonated. Although unsurprisingly, the area has higher than average radiation levels it is still technically safe to visit, and the prohibition around visitor numbers has nothing to do with nuclear fallout.
In total, the park stretches over 51,500 acres and includes Ranch House, one of two old ranch buildings that were borrowed by the government to house the teams who exploded the atomic bomb. At the entrance to the site, visitors can also see the remains of “Jumbo,” another bomb design that was shelved in favor of the “Gadget” bomb used in the Trinity Test. It has sat in the parking lot since 1976.
Upon arrival, lucky visitors will be offered a half a mile tour across the test area, where they can go “Trinitite” spotting in the desert. Trinitite is the glassy green substance created by the bomb when the desert sands melted at incredibly high temperatures. Although most of it was removed in the ’50s, small pieces can still be spotted there today, glinting in the New Mexico sun.
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