Locations of Former Nike Site Locations & Status (text) Please Note credits below.
WARNING - Many of the roofs, windows, hand-rails, underground magazines, etc. have been collapsing, breaking, vandalized, rusting, filling with water, mud, dirt and who knows what for at least 30 years. Please look, no touch, from a respectful distance. A 15 foot fall from a rusted out radar tower ladder onto a concrete pad can ruin your whole day or life. Many old Nike sites are on private property and the owners do not wish to be sued for more than they are worth just because you are curious and careless. Asking permission, CRASH !! The purpose of this page is to aid interested people in finding the locations of old Nike sites world wide.
Oddly, or predicibly, there are/were uncertanties about the locations of some Nike sites. This note discusses some of the sites and situations.
A Table of Contents:
Known Nike Ajax and Hercules sites, ranges, centers:
Alaska, Belgium, Crazyfornia-*, ColoradoSprings, Connecticut,
Denmark, Florida, FtBliss, FtChurchill, Georgia,
Germany, Greece, Greenland, Hawaii, Illinois,
Indiana, Iowa, Italy, Japan, Johnston Atoll,
Kansas, Korea, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland,
Massachusetts, McGregorRange, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri,
NAMFI, Nebraska, NewJersey, NewMexico, NewYork,
Norway, Ohio, Okinawa, Pennsylvania, RedCanyonRange,
RhodeIsland, Sardinia, SeaRange, SouthDakota, Spain,
Taiwan, Texas, Turkey, Virginia, Washington,
WhiteSandsProvingGround, WisconsinDesign & manufacturing of Nike Ajax and Hercules:
Bell Telephone Labs, Douglas Aircraft, Western Electric.
Also see Maps of Nike sites
also Links to MsrMaps, TopoZone, and GlobeXplorer Images of Nike Sites
- in .html format - as of June 24, 2007 (237 KBytes)
by NikeSiteSearchersAs you might guess, Nike folks aren't the only ones looking at the ground for history. Here is an effort to find Low-Frequency Radio Ranges used to guide aircraft in the 1930s and '40s.
GOOGLE MAPS Germany and Italy GOOGLE EARTH
US Nike and related sites, mainland, Hawaii, Alaska, Greenland (Thule) Updated May 26, 2010 a German Launcher site all German Nike sites all Italian Nike sites
US Nike and related sites, mainland, Hawaii, Alaska, Greenland - File updated May 28, 2010 by Thomas Page )
- locations by NikeSiteSearchers(Operator's note: on the left side of the Google Earth window is a little window called "Places". In there click on "Temporary Places", Then click on "US Nike Missile Sites", and then the defense area and Nike site you wish to find. )
Previous comments by Tom Page The .kmz file requires "Google Earth" software, which may be freely downloaded from the "Google" website; "Google Earth" software in turn requires either the Microsoft or Mac operating system to run. For those who might have an older version, an upgrade to the latest version of "Google Earth" software is highly recommended. [Click here to start GoogleEarth using Tom's .kmz file] (updated 05-28-2010) "Thanks to the "Historic Aerials" website, http://www.historicaerials.com/.
The placemarks are color-coded to readily distinguish the different types of sites
- red for missile-launch batteries, - green for integrated fire-control (IFC) sites, - blue for Nike Army Air-Defense Command Post (AADCP) sites, - yellow for associated joint-use or USAF long-range radar sites.
NORAD SAGE direction centers and SAGE combat centers are also included using separate symbology. It's all fairly self-explanatory.Note that the Nike sites are organized by defense area, not by state, and each defense area is in a separate directory (folder); I found it more logical and easier to organize the sites this way. The NORAD SAGE DC / CC sites are likewise in a separate directory (folder).
In the enclosed .kmz file as saved, three Nike sites are not enabled, as they were "temporary" sites (as I understand):
W-13T, B-35C, and B-22L.
However, all three of these sites do have placemarks; they are just unchecked in the saved .kmz file -- one may easily open the respective directory (folder), and check the desired box ... or simply enable all.Finally, please note that some no-longer-extant Nike sites still have questionable locations. I used the best information I could from your website, Rings of Supersonic Steel (2nd Edition), USACE data, other notes, and terrain information on "Google Earth." If anyone sees any errors (or omissions), please bring them to my attention for correction -- thanks!
Questions and comments are welcome. Thanks once again.
-- Tom
http://www.radomes.org/museum/
In 2006, early versions of Google Earth came out - John Beaty sent me some GOOGLE EARTH based e-mail of his Nike site in Germany. Just load up GOOGLE EARTH and type in "49 37 42.12 n 7 17 28.42e" (with out the quotes), and there is his launcher area. And his e-mail had stick pins with his labels for the different buildings! I have no idea how to reproduce the stick pins for you.
Google Earth set up for German Nike sites (as of June 2007) by Rolf Dieter Görigk. You will need to have "Google Earth" loaded to view these. Spotted by Thomas Olson and Thomas Page
three Nike Hercules missile sites apparently are still inoperation, scheduled to be reconfigured very soon with Patriot PAC-3 missiles as part of the NATO Medium, Extended Air-Defense System (MEADS). This is per Aviation Week & Space Technology magazine, 21 January 2008, page 21, column 1. The article does not say which Nike Hercules missile sites will receive Patriot PAC-3 missiles, but I'd guess it will be the three operational sites (i.e., Bovolone, Bagnoli, and Cordovado). This information piqued my curiosity, so I decided to take a look at the "Google Earth" aerial imagery to see which, if any, these Italian Nike missile sites were visible. Thanks to existing "Google Earth Community" placemarks, all sites were found easily. The placemarks also flagged two Nike Ajax missile sites not listed on Ed's website, plus quite a few HAWK missile batteries also not listed on Ed's website -- I suspect the Ajax sites and HAWK sites might have been Italian owned and operated (?), while the Hercules sites were originally U.S. Army owned and operated (?). Does anyone know if this is correct or not?
Enclosed are two "Google Earth" .kmz files, one for the Nike Hercules and Ajax missile sites, and one for the HAWK missile batteries. (There might be still other Ajax and/or HAWK sites that I did not find placemarks for yet.) If I come across any others, I'll update the file. If anyone else finds others, let me know please. By the way, for reference, I included Aviano Air Base and the NATO CAOC / radar station at Poggio Renatico in the Nike missile .kmz file.
Please forward any GPS positional information to Ed Thelen and I will put it on this web page.
The format is Latitude first, then Longitude as in nn.nnnnnn and mm.mmmmmm
Please use the Map Datum "WGS 84" - most GPS units are preset to this.Aeral views of the sites ar And, the following is a typical of Microsoft MsrMap image of a Nike site.
DF-01 Dallas-Fort Worth site (Denton, Texas) control site), and launcher site, spotted by Scott MurdockA request - for those of us who do not do well at photo reconasance, could you supply GPS coordinates?
On MsrMap you can click on"Image Info"
and you are then presented with Lat. and Long.And on-line TopoMaps spotted by Tim Tyler
"Here's an UNCLAS example. It's zoomed in on the former Detroit Nike D-17 Sites. The "Area Vocational Sch" explains a little bit about the appearance of the former IFC compound ..."Also, Donald E. Bender picked up on U.S. Army Corps of Engineer web pages in Alaska - Clicking on USACE in the description of sites below will link to the appropriate U.S. Army Corps of Engineer web page. These are currently in Alaska, but will be extended if/when more are found.
There was also a ring of Army radars around Chicago/Milwaukee
For the real experts on wide area surveillance radars go to North American Air Defense Online Radar Museum. If you want a little fun, you can TerraFly about.
Using 'HistoricAerials.com' from Tom Page, July 2009, re Site C-08,09
The double IFC's (SF-08C/SF-09C) on San Pablo Ridge may be viewed at Lat 37.93932500 and Lon -122.27794722 by using the "Historic Aerials" website, http://www.historicaerials.com/,
for the year 1959 (when Nike Missile Site SF-08 / SF-09 was active). ...The view in 1968 shows the sites after de-activation.
Please Note: Much of the following U.S. Nike site location and current status is taken from "Rings of Supersonic Steel" and used with the kind permission of the authors Mark A. Berhow and Mark L. Morgan. (The information is arranged here by states rather than defense areas as in the original.) Also see Update Contributors.
Please also note: the information on this page is a small sub-set of the information in the book, which also includes site by site information of active dates, equipment and changes, military unit(s), maps, Defense Area Headquarters and radars, HAWK sites and general remarks.
Mark Morgan continues to travel and to collect Nike/ARADCOM history.
"I'm looking for personal recollections from former ARADCOM and anti-aircraft personnel. Any location, any time from World War II to the present, any specialty." His (new) address is:Mark Morgan 607 White Oak Dr No. 1 O'Fallon, IL 62269 (618)628-3115
And from Don Bender
... there were discrepencies in the ARADCOM site numbering system; my guess is it was a function of the site planning, survey and acquisition process. ARADCOM documents do put W-93 east of W-94. Another example can be found in the Boston Defense Area; B-85 Bedford is west of B-84 Burlington. In the Chicago Defense Area, C-93 Northfield/Skokie is south and slightly east of C-98 Fort Sheridan and east of C-94 Libertyville. Strange, but true. MK
The names for the Nike sites were assigned by the Army and provided in the ARADCOM station listings of the period which formed much of the foundation for Rings. ... sometimes they didn't make complete sense.
Mark and gentlemen: Another notable discrepency in the site designation system is site NY-56 at Fort Hancock, NJ, which is EAST of sites NY-53 (Middletown) and NY-54 (Holmdel/Hazlet). Sorted by Code rough sort on facility
Site
CodeDefense Area, Comments Site
CodeDefense Area, Comments ... Anchorage Defense Area (Alaska) LA-nn Los Angeles (California) B-nn Boston (Massachusetts) LI-nn Lincoln (Lincoln AFB) (Nebraska) BA-nn Baltimore (Maryland) M-nn Milwaukee (Wisconsin) BD-nn Barksdale (AFB) Louisiana MS-nn Minneapolis - St. Paul (Minnesota, Wisconsin) BG-nn Bergstrom (AFB) (Texas) N-nn Norfolk (Virginia) BR-nn Bridgeport (Connecticut) NF-nn Niagara Falls (merged with Buffalo in 1961) (New York) BU-nn Buffalo (merged with Niagara Falls in 1961) (New York) NY-nn New York (New York, New Jersey) C-nn Chicago (Illinois, Indiana) OA-nn Oahu (Pearl Harbor) (Hawaii) CD-nn Cincinnati-Dayton (Ohio) (Indiana) OF-nn Offutt (AFB) (Iowa, Nebraska) CL-nn Cleveland (Ohio) PH-nn Philadelphia (Penna. & N.J.) D-nn Detroit (Michigan) PI-nn Pittsburgh (Penna.) DF-nn Dallas-Fort Worth (Texas) PR-nn Providence (Rhode Island, Mass. ) DY-nn Dyes (AFB) (Texas) R-nn Robins (AFB) (Georga) E-nn Ellsworth (Air Force Missiles?) (South Dakota) S-nn Seattle (Washington) ... Fairbanks (Ft Wainwright & Eielson AFB) (Alaska) SC-nn Shilling AFB (- inactivated after 2 months) (Kansas) F-nn Fairchild (Fairchild AFB) (Washington) SF-nn San Francisco (Calif.) H-nn Hanford (Atomic "device" production) (Washington) SL-nn St. Louis (Ill. & Mo.) HA-nn Hartford (Connecticut) T-nn Travis (AFB) (California) HM-nn Homestead - Miami (after Cuban Missile Crisis) (Florida) TU-nn Turner (AFB) (Georgia) KC-nn Kansas City (Kansas, Missouri)) W-nn Washington D.C. (Maryland, Virginia) KW-nn Key West (after Cuban Missile Crisis) (Florida) WA-nn Walker (AFB) (New Mexico) L-nn Loring (SAC bases) (Maine) . . Site facility codes used are:
A - Admin facility
C - Control/IFC (integrated fire control
DC - Direction Center
H - Housing
L - Launcher Area
R - Radar facility
Site Status codes are
(I) - Intact; buildings, launch pads and possibly radar towers in place
(O) - Obliterated: all traces removed
(P) - Partial; some modifications or dismantling of buildings and launch facilities
My added codes are:
[ ... ] information sent to update/enhance the book's information
{name} contributor code, for Contributors details
*** - a headquarters.For maps showing many of these sites, go to Maps showing Nike sites near U.S. cities
The following are firing batteries only - no area headquarters or radars listed. Sites that were surveyed but never built are not listed below.
Please note that the Nike defense system was ever changing during its life in the United States from 1954 until the "SALT" treaty in 1974 (1979 for Anchorage Alaska). Sites were constructed, equiped and manned, sites re-named, their units renamed, and sites were closed at a much higher rate than most people were accustomed to. (People tended to think that a military installation was as permanent as taxes, at least until recently.) Some of the reasons for the frequent changes were:
- The much greater range and power of the Nike Hercules which started replacing the Nike Ajax in 1959 reduced the number of sites required to protect a given area with the same effectiveness.
- Changing air defense priorities - example the Cuban Missile situation in October 1962 caused some re-location of some systems to quickly constructed above ground sites in Florida.
- Changing manpower commitments - moved some Nike people to Vietnam.
- Review of existing situations - such as the merging of the Buffalo and Niagara Defense Areas in 1961.
- The ever changing funding situation from congress, such as the 1970 defense cut backs.
Contributors & Locations they updated
100 % of the U.S. site information above originally came from "Rings of Supersonic Steel" with the very kind permission of the authors. ("RSS" has a lot more information including equipment, years, dates, etc.) Since then, the following people have contributed information and updates:
A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, Q, R, S, T, U, V, W, X, Y, Z
Name Locations Updated A A.G. Crazyfornia Abbazia, Edward Connecticut Abernethy, Mike Chicago/Milwaukee radar ring Allen, Ron Connecticut Alvarez, Luis Florida Amelong, Bernd Germany Anderson, Erik Washington Anderson, Michael Indiana Anderson, Tyson California Anton, Ken California Aresu, Roberto Capo San Lorenzo Range [Sardinia] Italy Austerslått, Tor Willy Norway Azzollini, Robert New York
C Cameron, James Minnesota Campbell, Bob Missouri, Illinois, Florida Carpenito, George Pennsylvania Carter, Charles Florida - South Florida Web Site Castelnau, Jorge Florida - Cocherell, Harold Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan,[text about radar ring around Chicago] Conklin, Mark Maryland Coogan, Jack Florida Crossley, Gary Maryland Cuerdon, Matt Korea Cunningham, Jim Illinois
D Darrall, Mark Pennsylvania Dart, Dale New York Davidson, Marian Colorado Springs DeMarco, Peter Alaska Denja, Mike Michigan Deutsch, Elliot Maryland Devine, Brian California Doubleman, Phil New Mexico, Hawaii Dowdy, Glenn Washington (state) Dunlap, Ken Michigan
E Edwards, Dale Korea Edwards, Tom Minnesota, Wisconsin Eichenlaub, John South Dakota Elonich, C J Illinois Emiliano, . Italy Enders, Rolf Germany Eric California Eriksen, Erik Virginia Erkelens, Ronald Germany (Royal Dutch Airforce) Etem, Blake Italy Etten, Sara, New York Evans, Bill Maryland Nike web site Evans, Richard E. Greenland Everett, Charles Germany
F Faresin, Marco Italy Fischer, William Minnesota Foster, Mark Boston, Maine Foster, Robert California Federico, John J, Jr. Greece Fornash, John Florida Freak Alaska Freeman, Calvin Michigan Friedel, George C. New Jersey Froehlich, John Alaska Frost, Craig MVFD New York Fuller, Jon Illinois Funk, Dick Washington
G Gale, Mike Pennsylvania, New Jersey Gamerro, Rob Pennsylvania Gardner, Kevin Alaska Garreta, Lluis Spain Garver, Jason Maryland Gatto, Tim Korea, Florida, author of Kimchee Days Gearhart, Philip Greece Gibson, James A Wisconsin Photos & information JC Gielen Belgium, Germany Giera, Allen Ohio Gilliss, Dave New York Goettlich, Walt Germany Görigk, Rolf Dieter Germany, Nike Web site 1, Nike Web site 2 Greer, Lou New York Gregorios, John Turkey Griswold, Stephen Connecticut
H Hammitt, Mathew Minnesota Handa, Dave Washington (state) Halinar, Karen Illinois Hankel, Carl Maryland Harris, Wes Pittsburgh Harris, William W. Washington (state) Hashash, Bruno Pittsburgh Harvey, Val S. Michigan Hathaway, Craig Maryland Hawkins, Joe, California www.vaq34.com/ccc Heck, Greg Texas Hedges, Christopher C. Illinois, Indiana Herbert, Edward R. III Maryland Hintz, Les Okinawa Hirose, Paul, California Hiscox, George, California Hoehne, Don Florida Hobbs, Daemon E. Korea - web site Holdorf, David E. Wisconsin Horton, Don Maryland Hottel, Alan OV Illinois Houck, Larry Washington Housman, John C. New York Hranicka, Joe Illinois Hughes, Jim Texas
I Innes, Jim Pennsylvania
J Janesic, Joe California, (webmaster, Fort MacArthur Museum -www.ftmac.org) Jankowski, Andrew Illinois John Massachusetts Jordan, Jace Ohio
K Kalderis, D. Crete Kallman, Ray Virginia Kaltofen, Marco, Massachusetts Kamienski, Roman, California Karg, Dan, Minnesota Karr, David Alaska Kastner, Derek Virginia Keilman, Larry Indiana Kerns, Terry Alaska - RIP :-(( King, Jerome Kansas Kinney, Richard E., Korea Koch, Jim Germany Koch, Michael, Maryland Koedel, Tom Pennsylvania Kosmeder, Raymond Wisconsin Kotakis, Paul, Greece Kotakis, Paul, Greece Kramer, Chris California Kramp, Ken, Maryland Kraus, Andrew, Florida Krimmel, Karl Michigan Kurylowicz, Chris Krzysztof Illinois
L LaFaye, Troy Minnesota Lagerstrom, Stellan California Larish, John Pennsylvania, Massachusetts Larsen, David A. Maine, Massachusetts Laughlin, Kurt Pennsylvania LaVite, Tyler Illinois Lesky, Mike Pennsylvania Linhart, Bill Pennsylvania Lisa, Mark P. LT Maryland Lockman, Matt Illinois
M MacDonald, David New York MacDonald, John Conneticut MacDonald, James F Massachusetts MacDonald, Raymond Rhode Island, Ft. Bliss Make, Brenda Ellen New York, Conneticut Mandeville, Paul New York, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania Marak, Rich Pennsylvania Markert, Tom New York Maxey, Gale L. California, Ohio, Virginia McAulay, George Florida McDonald, Mary Rose Connecticut McGrath, J. Mass. NIKE Sites of Massachusetts and Rhode Island McNeill, Roy California Meuti, Alessio Italy Michalsky, Jay Florida, California, Indiana Miller, Keith Germany, Kansas Miner, Marcia Conneticut Mittermaier, Beth Wisconsin Moore, J.P. New Mexico (ranges), Kansas Moore, Leonard (Tony), California Morin, Charles Illinois Morales, Robert Virginia Morgan, Mark, L. co-author of "Rings of Supersonic Steel" which formed the basis of this web page (book has much more than here), California, New Mexico, Texas, Washington Morgenstern, Aaron Washington Moses, Larry W. Indiana Motel, Corey J. Illinois Murdock, Scott California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Texas, Washington, Virginia, - WebSite USAF Installations
N Nagl, Roy New York Needham, Andre Washington [state] Neil, Jenna Wisconsin "NikeSiteSearchers" Mark Morgan, Scott Murdock, and Tom Page e-mailed back and forth extensively (over 300 e-mails) trying to locate MsrMap images of old Nike sites - some listed as "probable" or "possible".
also see list of Nike Sites with MsrMap Images (237 K bytes) (June 24, 2007 )
and US Nike and related sites, mainland, Hawaii, Alaska, Greenland (Thule)Norris, Rick Florida
O O'Callaghan, Brian New York O'Connell, Dave Taiwan O'Donnell, Mickey New Jersey Ojarovsky, John Conneticut Olson, Thomas California, Indiana Osgood, Pete Pennsylvania
P Packard, Doug Washington Page, Tom, California, Maryland, New York, Hawaii, list of MsrMap images, "Google Earth" US Nike sites Parrich, Richard Texas Partington, Dennis K Michigan Peabody, Milton New Jersey Pellino, John A. Conneticut Pendell, Bob Okinawa Perro, Walter D LRL Illinois Pettinari, John Okinawa Piland, Doyle Indiana, New York, website Nike Ajax and Hercules Ordnance Support Units Plante, Ron Minnesota, Washington Podgorski, Joseph Indiana Poehlein, David M. Germany Polmon, Dave Connecticut Poole, Rowen S. Pennsylvania Poskanzer, Jef, California, San Francisco Defense Area Nike sites with a detailed page for each site. Powell, Nick Hawaii, Greenland Proffitt, Bill J. Alaska Pumphret, Eric Texas Purcell, Alex Conneticut Pytko, Walter Nebraska
R R, Marc Maryland Raichle, Bob California Rappange, Frank Germany (Royal Dutch Airforce) Ray, Jim Washington Revie, Charlie, Georgia Rhoden, Allie Georgia Ricks, Dave Crazyfornia Riggs, Daryl Ohio Rigney, Roger Korea Rishar, Dave (Ishtar) Washington Roberts-Abel, Cate New York Roby, James Korea Roehrig, Robert Maine, Kansas Roggenkamp, Erik Denmark Rollins, Bert California Rovner, Jan Minnesota Rubbo, A. Virginia Runkle, George Pennsylvania Ruth, Dennis Virginia Rzeznik, Jon Wisconsin
T Talley, Jim New York Tannucilli, Anthony P. "Tony" Maryland, New Jersey Tesar, Dan Nebraska Thelen, Ed Illinois Thompson, Ted Maryland "Tim" California Tow, Jerry M New Jersey Treib, Bill Indiana Tufts, Patrick California Turner, Dayle K. Hawaii Turner, Jon Kansas Turner, Kenneth A. Georgia website Tyler, Tim, Michigan, California, Texas
U Usher, Richard (Rick) Wisconsin
V Vadnais, Ed California Vaughn, Tom Florida, Illinois, Indiana, California, Maryland, Nike web site
W Wallace, Roy New Jersey Warren, Jim Alaska Warren, Mark Virginia Weber, Mark New York Welshans, Terry Illinois Whitaker, Jim Florida, story Cuban Missile Crisis Williams, Christopher Texas Williams, Chuck Korea Willis, Nate New York Wilson, Doug, Ohio Wisz, Ken , Korea Woida, Carl, Illinois Woodbury, Tom Korea Worrell, Bill California Wright, Dan at Rolnick Observatory Connecticut Wroblewski, Brian, New York
X
Y Yeager, Dorian Washington
Z Zimnickas, Jeffrey Michigan
Asking permission
----- Original Message ----- From: - To: ed@ed-thelen.org Ed, I want to photograph the old Nike Site PH-58 in Swedsboro, NJ. I was wondering if you ever got permission to do that and who you contacted to get permission? Thank You - - The very few (maybe 8?) old Nike sites that I have photographed were on public land in California and Illinois - It is considered polite, and is often advantageous, to get permission from the owner. I am told of property owners/guardians who gave requesting visitors much more complete tours, under pleasant conditions, than the usual "gorilla" sneak in and watch over your shoulder tactics. (If your not looking where your going your even more likely to get hurt.) There is even some self interest in a land owner giving you a nice tour and photo op. a) you the guest are less likely to bust in and get hurt and sue b) if you publish the photos, it is less macho for someone else to do a gorilla and getting hurt (I know that asking might not be as challenging, but I chose other challenges, and am now slowing, creaking and lazy ;-) I am CCing Mark Morgan who has visited many U.S. sites for his impressions In this case, easy way is often the best way ;-)) Ed Thelen
CRASH !! - received March 2011
Hi Ed, We’ve recently corresponded several times about MD/DC area Nike sites. I’d like to re-iterate something that I know you’ve addressed at length on your web site, namely safety. I’ve spent the last six weeks in a walking cast thanks to my own blithe disregard of safety factors on a certain ruined Nike site. My own story doesn’t bear telling, mostly because it is too easy to imagine: I took a Stupid Risk and got for my trouble something called a Jones Fracture. By the grace of God, I was able to simply walk out and drive myself to the hospital. Anyway, the thrust of my emphasis is thus:
Thanks again for your great site. And be careful out there!
- Old Nike sites-especially ruinous ones-are Dangerous. Any structure that you see hasn’t been maintained for at least 35 years, and probably closer to 50 years. Even sturdy-looking objects can be in a state of teetering disintegration. Blindly trusting an ancient ladder or a fence to support your weight is foolhardy. Assume that everything you see is compromised unless someone knowledgeable tells you otherwise. You would NOT want one of the emergency escape ladders to “pop loose” and drop you into a pit. Also, there are underground structures you may not be aware of that can yawn open where you least expect them. I almost went head-first into a hidden septic pit a few months ago. It still smelled kinda ripe, even though the last use it got was in 1963..
- This advice goes double for underground or elevated spaces (i.e. magazines or radar towers). If you break a leg in a magazine and can’t climb out, you may very well end up being rodent chow. There’s no cell service down in the pits-I’ve checked. Yelling might not get you help, either. Most of the intact sites are a bit remote. God help you if you got a head injury and couldn’t signal for help at all.
- There’s another hazard, too: knuckleheads. I’ve seen plenty of evidence of them in my explorations. Taggers, huffers and dopeheads seem to just LOVE old Nike pits. I’ve never actually run into any of them in the flesh, but it is easy to imagine that they might be territorial and not fond of prying eyes. It occurs to me that an unwatched Nike pit would be a Jim-dandy place for some tweaker to set up his meth lab. Need I mention that you might not want to walk in on that??
- Lastly, I’ve seen any amount of crazy junk dragged into the pits; shopping carts, mattresses, dead deer, you name it. But the worst hazard is broken glass. If a pit is open and unattended, it’s gonna be full of broken glass.
If you have comments or suggestions, Send e-mail to Ed Thelen
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Updated Jan 11, 2012