Inside a Titan 1 Missile Base
By Jonathan Haeber
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Titan bases contain over 2,500 feet of underground passages, built to withstand a nuclear attack as close as 3,000 feet away (photo copyright Jon Haeber).
Over 1/2-mile of underground passageways; three 150-foot-deep launch silos; PCBs, lead paint, zinc, cadmium, mercury — it’s a toxic soup, stagnant for over 40 years.
Photo courtesy SiloWorld.com
In 1962, these gigantic underground complexes began to take shape. Menacing images of power domes 150 feet across and two stories high put anyone lucky enough to see these underground cities in awe. They were said to support a 150-man army for 30 days. They could withstand a nuclear blast from less than 3,000 feet away.
Photo copyright Jon Haeber
And today, frozen icicles of contaminated groundwater hang from its rusticated quonset-hut-like ceilings. Breathing the air inside of a Titan base is not recommended. One breath will make you wonder how anything could survive within it.
The U.S. had 54 of these silos dotting the Midwest and West Coast. From Beale A.F.B in California to Lowry A.F.B. outside of Denver, CO these places were once the bargaining chips in a Cold War standoff with the Soviet Union. These were missiles that could travel across the upper atmosphere at speeds 25 times the speed of sound. They could hit targets over 6,000 miles away and deploy a 4 megaton nuclear warhead, a yield of destructive force 20 times the 20 Kt bomb dropped on Hiroshima.
Photo copyright Jon Haeber
Today, only an empty shell remains. Some are filled in with water, others turned into tourist destinations; and still others on the market as potential “wine cellars or underground rock climbing gyms”
There’s one thing this author knows: Walking through an abandoned Titan missile base is a life-altering experience. Straddling the precarious catwalks and 2,500 feet of underground passages, looking down into the abyss of the 155-foot launch silo, and donning a P95 respirator to protect yourself from the toxic fumes — all of it makes you feel as if you’re walking in an alien environment and that you’re one of the few lucky people to have seen this modern wonder. At one time, these places were the landmark sites of the U.S. military industrial complex. Today, they only represent the incredible amount of money spent (wasted?) on the U.S. war machine.
Further Research
- KOMO TV article on Washington Titan Base for Sale http://www.komotv.com/news/archive/4120821.html
- Denver Westword article on exploring a Titan base
http://www.westword.com/2003-11-20/news/search-party/print - Missile Threat Titan 1 Statistics
http://www.missilethreat.com/missilesoftheworld/id.171/missile_detail.asp
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December 13th, 2007 at 12:45 am
[...] Looking down into the 159-foot high, 40-foot wide Silo #1 of a Titan intercontinental ballistic missile base in California. Experiencing this is nothing short of religious (photo copyright Jon Haeber) Lately, I’ve committed myself to a number of professional projects, and am in the midst of writing a few theses, so please forgive the lack of posts lately. But, I had to pull myself away from prior obligations to bring you breaking news. I recently was one of a privileged few to see the interior of a Titan 1 ICBM complex. We at Bearings have written about these governmental behemoths borne of the Cold War. But it’s worth noting that our previous entry on a Titan 1 ICBM covered the bare bones stats — the fact that they travel at 5-6 times the speed of sound, carried a 4-megaton nuclear payload, and that there were 54 such missile bases dotting the Continental U.S. (I don’t believe there were ever any in Alaska or Hawaii, but please do correct me if I’m wrong). [...]
December 17th, 2007 at 11:32 am
[...] The EA featured the extraordinary work of itinerant traveler, Jon Haeber, a few short weeks ago on his sojourn of reverie down California highway 101 [EA 12/08/07]. His latest pilgrimage, again in California, is imbued with the same wonderful flavor evident in all his travelogues — a thirst for adventure coupled with a love of solitude. “I recently was one of a privileged few to see the interior of a Titan 1 ICBM complex. We at Bearings have written about these governmental behemoths borne of the Cold War. But it’s worth noting that our previous entry on a Titan 1 ICBM covered the bare bones stats — the fact that they travel at 5-6 times the speed of sound, carried a 4-megaton nuclear payload, and that there were 54 such missile bases dotting the Continental U.S. [...]
December 18th, 2007 at 5:20 am
does it flood?
December 18th, 2007 at 7:55 am
Only the silo floods, Josh. The rest of it is high and dry — for the most part
June 29th, 2008 at 6:41 pm
I worked for RCA Service Co at the Lincoln Ca site as an electrician.I ran the Nordberg diesel generators during construction and turnup. I have a picture of the powerhouse taken during those times. The movie, A Gathering of Eagles with Rock Hudson was filmed at this site. A few years later, about 1966, I got to tour the Live Oak site after it’s shutdown. They were awesome places.
January 31st, 2009 at 11:12 am
Is the Live Oak site the one at the north end of the Sutter Buttes, near Gridley?
If yes, is it flooded or are the tunnels open?
Email me at Peteemail@aol.com, Thanks
February 1st, 2009 at 11:25 am
Hi Peter,
You’re correct. The live oak site is near the Sutter Buttes, but there are a half dozen or so other sites in California, and as of today, none of these sites are physically accessible without trespassing (the live oak site is also locked up tight and closely watched). Most of the other sites are essentially inaccessible because they’re on an active military base. Chico has a house right next to it and Lincoln is flooded.
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:35 am
[...] Inside a Colorado Titan Missile Base [...]
February 6th, 2009 at 11:40 pm
Really want the following:
1) Conversations with people who built Titan 1 sites, served there
2) Dimensions of the rooms in the Titan 1 complexes
Thanks
PETER
February 26th, 2009 at 7:47 pm
Just wondering wich sight this is? the best I have seen yet , are the generators still intact?
I’m from Ohio, so you don’t have to worry about tresspassing. Thanks
March 5th, 2009 at 8:31 pm
I have titan 1 site for sale by Sturgis SD could be next big motorcycle ralley site 57 acres 125×80 shop with redone trailer home on second level 2.7mil call 605 390-4812
March 5th, 2009 at 9:24 pm
make offer
March 31st, 2009 at 9:10 am
Cody nice Titan, do you know the guy from Utah who owns the Colorado Titan site?
-dan
April 7th, 2009 at 10:49 pm
Check google .earth or maps in the north end of the sutter buttes.I have looked over alot of titan sites.this one is different,looks like they quit using it a few years ago.check it out even the H on the helipad looks pretty fresh,and I noticed this one has a air srip just to the right of the site.Just long enough for a jet to escape? there seems to be a trail from the end of the strip to the old guard entrance,check it out tell me what you think,kevin
April 29th, 2009 at 12:24 pm
How did you get into this base. From what Ive heard all the old Beale silos are impossible to get into. I would give just about anything to crawl around in that base.
July 26th, 2009 at 10:44 am
All the Titan 1 & 2 plus the Minute Men Missile Sites, as they all looks the same, as I got to work on the construction in 1963 in Colorado. Nebraska & Wyoming, as I was drafted into the Army November 1963.
I did a tour of Vietnam in 1965.
What Memories from the Titian 1 & 2 in Colorado, and Deer Trail 2B Missile site construction and with the Minute Men sites in Colorado. Nebraska & Wyoming.
Thanks for your great stories and photos.
Ron Schaffer
August 26th, 2009 at 2:32 pm
If you ever worked on one of the Titan 1 sites in California, please email me.
I wish to speak with you.
Thanks
November 18th, 2009 at 9:22 am
I am one of the lucky ones to have trespassed my way into the Sutter Buttes site….. TWICE. The first time in about 1991, and the second about a year or so later. Both times we went in through an air shaft which had the steel grate pulled up enough on one side to squeeze through and get on the ladder built into the side of the shaft. In was easy— getting out, not so easy.
The second trip in, we spent a good 4 or 5 hours down there exploring everything we could get to. No masks, no protective clothing, no gloves, no nothing but flashlights….. and I’m still here to tell the story. That was almost 20 years ago and I still talk about it to this day, frozen in my mind like it was last week. I wish I had taken some sort of keepsake, but I didn’t. I was young and figured I’d be back again, but never did. We had to park about a mile walk away, and both times we went at night. Through an orchard, over a wire fence, through a cow pasture, up a hill, down a hill, through some bushes and blam, you’re there. I could still drive right to it if I had to, but as I understand, times are different now. There is a house built very nearby and they keep a close watch, ready to call the cops.
It was an experience to remember, but unfortunately, one my kids will never get to see.
December 23rd, 2009 at 6:22 pm
I was an instructor for the Nuclear Weapons Course at Lowry AFB, CO. I had a map showing all of the Titan sites around Lowry. Several of us visited the Deer Trail site in 1982. We wandered around inside for about an hour. It had been used for parties and had been stripped of anything that looked important. We decided to leave when one of us fell 3 feet through a loose tile in the elevated floor of the control room. The silo had at least 20 feet of water in it. I loaned that map to someone and never got it back. I still have a map of all of the Atlas sites of F. E. Warren AFB in WY.
January 12th, 2010 at 7:31 pm
I was at CSU Chico in the 1990’s when the base was still a big deal. But the year I moved there someone got hurt and so they welded the entrances shut. Some friends climbed down one of the 160′ shafts using just the debris that had been thrown in there. I was not brave/stupid enough to follow them. It was an amazing place though, even during the day. Sometime in the late 90’s the base was sold and now it’s all cleaned up and there is a house on it.
If you want to see the property, use Google Earth (39 49′ N, 121 51′ W), or look up “Missile Rose Rd. Chico CA” on Google Maps.