Thunder Mountain
Thunder Mountain
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
4.0
20 reviews
Excellent
9
Very good
6
Average
4
Poor
1
Terrible
0
Mike S
1 contribution
Mar 2018 • Friends
Kitsch at its best. A genius of creativity, clearly... With maybe some Peyote thrown in? Absolutely a reflection of the 60-70's. Like Haight on Steroids. The gentleman was truly gifted. Definitely beat to his own drummer. I'm sure Thunder Mountain was a large contribution to the inception of the Burning Man Festival.
Long live Thunder Mountain and mr. Van Zant's son , for keeping his fathers vision as Preserved as possible.
A definite must see. I live locally ( Reno area), and it intrigues me every time I see it.
Bravo! Chief! This is Nevada!
Long live Thunder Mountain and mr. Van Zant's son , for keeping his fathers vision as Preserved as possible.
A definite must see. I live locally ( Reno area), and it intrigues me every time I see it.
Bravo! Chief! This is Nevada!
Written March 10, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
daytripper1977
daytripper197727 contributions
Jul 2015 • Friends
We were on the road from Reno to Winnemucca when we noticed a bizarre array of stick buildings on the right hand side of the road. Zooming past at 80mph, we vowed to stop and check it out on the drive back. Around 4pm on a hot July afternoon, we stepped into the wonder that is Thunder Mountain Indian Monument. As a lover of nature, creations, novelty, and weirdness, I couldn’t wait to see what treasures awaited at the end of this ¼ mile dirt road, under the arched wooden entryway.
At first glance, it almost looked like a graveyard for rusted old cars, swing sets, and broken cement; but as I stepped through the dirt and thorny weeds, wishing I’d been equipped with something better than dollar store flip flops, closer inspection revealed genuine pieces of art. Gorgeous slabs of granite, agate, and quartz, had been carefully imbedded in the concrete, forming incredible designs. Artfully placed wood slabs and sticks merged to create ornate gateways and framework, as well as human figures and faces.
A stunning piece in the heart of the junkyard garden is the cumulative effort of the monument’s creator, Frank Van Zant, who later became known as Chief Rolling Thunder Mountain. It contains a glass jar lined cement house, sculptures with hidden faces, and a few religious statues. A tree at the center holds a mounted steer skull with a creepy doll situated inside; its feet dangling through the eyes of the skull. The entire lot of sculptures looks as though Rob Zombie, Tool, and the Blair Witch attended a Hippie Art Workshop and went to town.
The centerpiece cement dwelling is topped with impressive coils of wood, rock and cement that form hoops, rising to create an arch. These were apparently created by the Chief as a handle for the monument, because he believed that in the end of days, the Great Spirit would swoop down and grab the structure, preserving it for eternity. He created this roadside museum as a “retreat for pilgrims aspiring to the pure and radiant heart”. He’s right. Inspite of the bizarre and sometimes creepy structures, it does make one feel at peace.
Walk a bit further down the path, and you’ll find the entryway to what I like to call the Devil’s Garden. Statues of devil like creatures are built into trees, and one particularly intricate devil stands over a makeshift grave. If you look closely at his face, you can see bits of broken bone that form the sides of his mouth and his forehead. On the circular grave pit, I found a beautiful piece of rough amethyst that had bonded with rock. I carried it around while we looked at the sculptures, but as we crossed back through the gateway, I decided this particular piece of nature should not leave the Devil’s Garden. I placed it at the bottom of the archway before stepping through to the other side. Just then, my boyfriend (about 50 feet ahead of me) yelped out in surprise, as a small snake slithered across his path. Eerily awesome, no?
This place is wonderfully fascinating. It’s a must-see monument if you’re ever traveling down this particular section of Interstate 80. It is only open during daylight hours - I saw a couple of cars and RVs on the property, so the caretakers must live on site and probably don’t want to be disturbed late at night. When you arrive, drive all the way to the end of the dirt path to find the entryway gate. They request that visitors leave a $2 donation per person, to help with upkeep and maintenance of the site. Unfortunately, I had no cash on me during the visit, but next time I will gladly leave a healthy contribution. Now that I’ve told friends about this, they are all eager to go - and I am eager to go back! The best time for picture taking is probably around noon when the sun is high. Since we arrived late, heavy shadows made detailed picture taking a bit difficult.
What an awesome little stop on an otherwise empty stretch of road! If you look closely, almost everything has faces; some that I didn’t even notice until looking back through pictures. I could almost sense the blood sweat and tears that went into every creation. You simply must stop and explore this fabulous stew of Native American art and random artifacts.
At first glance, it almost looked like a graveyard for rusted old cars, swing sets, and broken cement; but as I stepped through the dirt and thorny weeds, wishing I’d been equipped with something better than dollar store flip flops, closer inspection revealed genuine pieces of art. Gorgeous slabs of granite, agate, and quartz, had been carefully imbedded in the concrete, forming incredible designs. Artfully placed wood slabs and sticks merged to create ornate gateways and framework, as well as human figures and faces.
A stunning piece in the heart of the junkyard garden is the cumulative effort of the monument’s creator, Frank Van Zant, who later became known as Chief Rolling Thunder Mountain. It contains a glass jar lined cement house, sculptures with hidden faces, and a few religious statues. A tree at the center holds a mounted steer skull with a creepy doll situated inside; its feet dangling through the eyes of the skull. The entire lot of sculptures looks as though Rob Zombie, Tool, and the Blair Witch attended a Hippie Art Workshop and went to town.
The centerpiece cement dwelling is topped with impressive coils of wood, rock and cement that form hoops, rising to create an arch. These were apparently created by the Chief as a handle for the monument, because he believed that in the end of days, the Great Spirit would swoop down and grab the structure, preserving it for eternity. He created this roadside museum as a “retreat for pilgrims aspiring to the pure and radiant heart”. He’s right. Inspite of the bizarre and sometimes creepy structures, it does make one feel at peace.
Walk a bit further down the path, and you’ll find the entryway to what I like to call the Devil’s Garden. Statues of devil like creatures are built into trees, and one particularly intricate devil stands over a makeshift grave. If you look closely at his face, you can see bits of broken bone that form the sides of his mouth and his forehead. On the circular grave pit, I found a beautiful piece of rough amethyst that had bonded with rock. I carried it around while we looked at the sculptures, but as we crossed back through the gateway, I decided this particular piece of nature should not leave the Devil’s Garden. I placed it at the bottom of the archway before stepping through to the other side. Just then, my boyfriend (about 50 feet ahead of me) yelped out in surprise, as a small snake slithered across his path. Eerily awesome, no?
This place is wonderfully fascinating. It’s a must-see monument if you’re ever traveling down this particular section of Interstate 80. It is only open during daylight hours - I saw a couple of cars and RVs on the property, so the caretakers must live on site and probably don’t want to be disturbed late at night. When you arrive, drive all the way to the end of the dirt path to find the entryway gate. They request that visitors leave a $2 donation per person, to help with upkeep and maintenance of the site. Unfortunately, I had no cash on me during the visit, but next time I will gladly leave a healthy contribution. Now that I’ve told friends about this, they are all eager to go - and I am eager to go back! The best time for picture taking is probably around noon when the sun is high. Since we arrived late, heavy shadows made detailed picture taking a bit difficult.
What an awesome little stop on an otherwise empty stretch of road! If you look closely, almost everything has faces; some that I didn’t even notice until looking back through pictures. I could almost sense the blood sweat and tears that went into every creation. You simply must stop and explore this fabulous stew of Native American art and random artifacts.
Written July 27, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Pixtonian
Salt Lake City, UT961 contributions
Oct 2015 • Family
It is a strange and sad place to visit. Sad because of what it represents strange and interesting because of what it is. We loved it and loved exploring all around the grounds and seeing the interesting detail of this piece of art. Worth the short drive off the freeway for sure.
Written October 19, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
VANESSA C
SAINT PAUL53 contributions
May 2014 • Solo
If you are driving on I-80 through Imlay, NV, this is definitely worth stopping for. It is right off the highway (you can actually see it from the interstate), so it is very close, and a great place to stretch your legs. It is one CRAZY place! Fabulously unique, it is hard to describe this incredible architectural creation by an unusually creative mind. The website doesn't give much info for visitors, but that's because you just let yourself in and out, and drop an optional donation in the box. No one is there to greet you (except for a very sweet dog who is fenced in on the property), but you are free to wander around the property and take photos. You have to see it to believe it.
Written May 28, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Josh O
Braidwood, IL1 contribution
Aug 2013 • Friends
A great stop to rest and stretch your legs from the highways... alot of the material was collected from old automobiles and highway white man trash.
Written December 27, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Robby G C
Toronto, Canada78,235 contributions
Jun 2018 • Couples
We had to pay 5$. Then we could explore everywhere. He was quite good.
This is an artist that uses anything in sight.
My favorite was the big home at the center. He used stones, bricks, wooden poles and way more. We couldn’t enter in this edifice.
He makes statues and even a fence with rocks and a broken car.
It was quite different, but still attractive
Worthwhile to see
This is an artist that uses anything in sight.
My favorite was the big home at the center. He used stones, bricks, wooden poles and way more. We couldn’t enter in this edifice.
He makes statues and even a fence with rocks and a broken car.
It was quite different, but still attractive
Worthwhile to see
Written October 6, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
vintagetrailer
Helena, MT1,307 contributions
Sep 2018 • Solo
This is the remains of one mans efforts and dreams. And possibly too much desert sun. It is an interesting monument though and a good place to stretch your legs.
Interesting
Interesting
Written September 30, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Perkadventures
Banning, CA15,292 contributions
May 2018 • Friends
A good place to stop and see this amazing place. Spend as long as you want, but please do not enter off the fenced off areas. The State of Nevada has recently gotten involved to protect the site.
Very interesting on what has be achieved here. Stop and see.
Very interesting on what has be achieved here. Stop and see.
Written June 5, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
CaliforniaFellow
Healdsburg, CA812 contributions
Jul 2017 • Couples
Strange and interesting for several reasons:
1) There was a man behind this collection of junk-into-art. What was his mindset?
2) His son is preserving it as best he can. (I've heard that the man's children were taken away by Child Protective Services.)
3) Nevada has made his a State Monument.
Pull off the road and look. It's worth it, if only to marvel at the strangeness of man.
1) There was a man behind this collection of junk-into-art. What was his mindset?
2) His son is preserving it as best he can. (I've heard that the man's children were taken away by Child Protective Services.)
3) Nevada has made his a State Monument.
Pull off the road and look. It's worth it, if only to marvel at the strangeness of man.
Written July 13, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
ken l
22 contributions
Mar 2017 • Couples
the term klatchkey came to mind as we walked the site. and looked over many things. if nothing else it was a 1960,70,s dream that never came to futrition.
lots of beer bottle and concrete construction. well done before code inforcement type were around
lots of beer bottle and concrete construction. well done before code inforcement type were around
Written June 9, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
No questions have been asked about this experience
Thunder Mountain (Imlay) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go
Frequently Asked Questions about Thunder Mountain
- Hotels near Thunder Mountain:
- (0.80 mi) Thunderbnb
- (0.80 mi) Thunder Bed & Breakfast
- (0.80 mi) Wyatt Earp, has a queen bed, and has it's own bathroom.
- (0.81 mi) Doc Holliday, has a double bed, sleeps 2 and has a detached private bathroom.
- (0.89 mi) Butch Cassidy, sleeps 4, 5 with a roll away, and has a detached private bathroom