OffBeat Pathfinder Basecamp

If Mars and Dr. Seuss had a baby, it would be Little Finland. Got lost three times just getting here—my GPS tried to sell me a timeshare in Mesquite.
By the time I found the turnoff, my car was covered in more dust than a Vegas slot machine on Monday morning.
Walked into the desert thinking “okay, some rocks”—and then boom: wind-sculpted red sandstone fins, wild arches, shapes that look like melted dragon heads and a couple that look suspiciously like politicians.
No joke, I spent an hour trying to photograph something called “The Bacon.” It does not taste like bacon. The wind will try to take your hat, your snacks, and possibly your last shred of sanity.
I met a couple from Sweden out there who thought the name was a joke—until they saw the rock that looks exactly like a giant salmon fillet.
Brought a lunch (ate it next to a lizard doing yoga), then almost stepped on a rattlesnake. Highly recommend: real boots, 2+ liters of water, and sunglasses that make you look cooler than you are, because the sun is BRUTAL.
Best moment: sunset. The whole place glows like a lava lamp in a 1970s basement.
Fact or fiction? There’s a rumor about buried Spanish gold out there, but all I found was a sunburn shaped like New Jersey and a bag of trail mix that exploded in my backpack.
Anyone else see the “alien face” arch, or did the heat finally get to me? Drop your weirdest desert stories. Nevada—never boring, always weird.

Got a flat tire on the way in. Sand is not my friend.

Okay, this place is not marked on half the maps for a reason. It’s like Nevada’s secret level.
Hiked in with my buddy who insisted on bringing a drone (illegal, oops). Sandstone formations are unreal, but the best part? Saw wild burros at sunrise and they would NOT move for us.
Found a little slot canyon with petroglyphs (maybe, or just someone’s attempt at modern art). Spent 20 minutes arguing if that one rock looks like a duck or a lawyer.
No services, no rangers—just the wind, sun, and whatever lives under those rocks. My phone melted at noon, so I just sat and ate peanut butter crackers and watched the shadows move.
For real: bring a real camera and extra memory cards. And maybe leave a note with your coordinates in case you decide to follow a lizard for an hour.
PS: If you think Valley of Fire is wild, this place will melt your mind. PPS: Is it just me, or do the rocks whisper if you sit still long enough?

Best rocks I’ve ever seen. Worst sunburn of my life.

Drove out thinking it’d be like Red Rocks in Colorado. NOPE. Got lost, phone said “you’re on your own.” Stopped to pee behind a bush—startled a jackrabbit the size of a small dog.
My wife yelled at me for getting red dust on the sandwiches. Ended up eating lunch on a boulder shaped like Elvis.
Never saw so many colors in “just rocks” before.
Real question: is there an actual “little” Finland here or did someone just make this up on a dare?

Showed up with four gallons of water and left with sand in places I didn’t know I had places.
Real fact: some call it “Hobgoblin’s Playground” but locals just call it “the weird rocks.”
My cousin claims he saw UFOs out there, but he also eats expired tuna.
Saw a tour group get lost for 2 hours, then they “discovered” the same rock I was sitting on.
Not much actual Finland about it, but 100% worth the drive, IF your car survives.
Saw my first Gila monster here—do NOT touch.
If you bring kids, teach them how to spot lizard tracks.
Anyone else get static shocks from touching the rocks, or am I just electrified?

Packed a flask, didn’t use it. Found a lizard in my Cheetos.
Red rocks, blue sky, weird day. Would snack again.

Is it true you can see Area 51 from the top of the tallest fin, or did my brother make that up so I’d climb it for a TikTok?