A place with a rather interesting history, Hawthorne is a small town located in Mineral County, Nevada which prides itself in calling the town “America’s Patriotic Home”. Hawthorne’s crown jewel is its long-established El Capitan right in the heart of the town. The place experiences a mild winter and a hot summer with the best time to visit around the autumn months. The majority of the town continues to have maintained original buildings, with not much change over the decades gone by. Nonetheless, the town has a lot of substantial points of interest for you to spend your time during your vacation here to make it a truly unforgettable experience. So choose among the best places to stay for your accommodation needs then read on below for the list of best things to do in America’s Patriotic Home, Hawthorne, NV:
1. Explore everything military at the Hawthorne Ordnance Museum
This small, locally run museum is dedicated to everything military and is the single largest museum collection of inert ordnance, missiles, bombs, rockets and nuclear weapons in the world. Not only that, it has a great group of friendly and knowledgeable volunteers besides the eclectic collection of stuff decommissioned from military service that it houses. Some displays are of World War I and World War II era armaments and other antiques. For military history buffs, this is a great place with a huge selection of modern ordnance and militaria. Enjoy an educational afternoon at the museum!
Hawthorne Ordnance Museum
Address: 925 E Street, Hawthorne, Nevada
Contact Number : 775-945-5400
Website: Hawthorne Ordnance Museum
2. Stop by the Mineral County Museum and Resource Center
Once you’re done marveling over decommissioned military equipment, head over to the Mineral County Museum to explore exhibits and collections which include everything from antique clothing and mining equipment to minerals, photographs to horse-drawn carriages and fire equipment from the ages hitherto. The place is also a repository of all local newspapers and many historical documents and thus has come to be a resource center.
Mineral County Museum
Address: 400 Tenth Street, Hawthorne, Nevada
Contact Number : +1 775-945-5142
Website: Mineral County Museum
3. Camp under the star-lit sky at Sportsmans Beach
Located in the Walker Lake Recreation Area, the place allows for dry tent camping, housing thirty-one individual campsites and two undeveloped camping areas that accommodate tent campers. The venue also allows pets on the camping site. It has facilities such as vault toilets, covered picnic tables, grills, pull-through, back-in camp sites along with paved access, a public boat ramp area and a fire-ring for the campers. There is, however, no potable water available and visitors need to make arrangements by themselves.
Sportsmans Beach
Address: Veterans Memorial Hwy, 89415 Hawthorne, NV
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4. Head over to the Walker Lake to relax and enjoy
The picturesque lake makes for a very relaxing spot and often a variety of resident and migratory wildlife and bird species can be spotted here. The spot is conducive to visit at any time besides the summers as the oppressive heat renders the place infested with thousands of orb-weaving spiders. There are also a variety of recreational opportunities like swimming, picnicking, boating, fishing, bird watching, water-skiing and camping that can be done in or around the lake on your visit.
Walker Lake
Address: Veterans Memorial Highway, Nevada
5. Speed away at the Hawthorne Speedway dirt track
Meant for dirt racing, it is a quarter mile semi-baned clay oval and 1.6-kilometer (1-mile) motocross race track which races IMCA modified’s, street stocks, hobby stocks, mini stocks & modified minis. It holds races every 10 days on an average. The tracks are smooth, making it a great place for all levels. Keep posted on their Facebook page on any developments or construction of the facility. Enjoy an adrenalin-filled day at Hawthorne Speedway!
Hawthorne Speedway
Address: 1 Bonanza Rd, 89415 Hawthorne, Nevada
Contact Number: 775-945-5950
Website: Hawthorne Speedway
6. Try your hand at the Walker Lake Golf Course
This 9-hole golf course has plush fairways and well-manicured greens maintained all year round. Measuring 2,844 yards from the longest tees, it has four sets of tees for different skill levels. The facilities include a clubhouse with fully stocked bar with snacks available during the round at the course. Additionally, the course features a driving range, practice green and chipping and bunker practice area. While the golf course runs a membership program, it is open to non-members as well and has frequent tournaments and a separate Men’s and Women’s League.
Walker Lake Golf Course
Address: 61 Lawrence Rd, 89415 Hawthorne, NV
Contact Number : +1 775-945-1111
Website: Walker Lake Golf Course
7. Enjoy the birds eye view through helicopter tours
Located at the Hawthorne Muni Aiport, Star Helicopter tour agency gives chartered tours over the city, giving you a breathtaking view of the city at 10,600 meters (36000 feet). As the only Helicopter Tour Company with a Jet Turbine Helicopter in the Los Angeles Area, be sure to book a tour to be completely amazed!
Helicopter tours
Address: 3670 W 120th St, Hawthorne Municipal Airport, 90250 Hawthorne, CA
Visit for booking your tour: Star Helicopters
Be sure to also explore the beautiful parks of Hawthorne, Nevada
The city of Hawthorne maintains some excellent parks and recreation areas which include ball fields, picnic areas, barbecue grills along with plenty of play area for kids and their families. Some of the more popular parks in the area are the Holly Glen Park, the Eucalyptus Park, the Jim Thorpe Park and the Memorial Park. Each of which has a number of courts for different sports, and pools beside just the picnic spots and open playgrounds.
There are plenty of things to do and see for everyone at Hawthorne! You can learn about history, enjoy outdoor activities, fly through the skies on a helicopter or enjoy nature.