Metal Monolith Mysteriously Disappears From Utah Desert Without a Trace

A mysterious metal monolith appeared in a Utah desert earlier this month without explanation, and just as suddenly it has now disappeared. The Utah Bureau of Land Management explained in a Facebook post that the monolith vanished on Friday night, again with no warning or explanation. This has only added fuel to the fire of conspiracy theories and urban legends around it.

The Utah BLM referred to the mysterious metal obelisk as “the Monolith” or “the illegally installed structure,” noting that it was placed on public lands “by an unknown party.” The BLM’s Facebook post went up on Saturday night, confirming that the monolith disappeared on Friday night. The bureau added: “The BLM did not remove the structure which is considered private property. We do not investigate crimes involving private property which are handled by the local sheriff’s office.”

“The structure has received international and national attention and we received reports that a person or group removed it on the evening of Nov. 27,” the post concluded.

The “monolith” was a shiny, silver metal structure jutting about 12 feet straight up out of the desert ground. It was first spotted by scientists from the Utah Department of Public Safety’s Aero Bureau on Wednesday, Nov. 18. It was found in southeastern Utah, and was given its name based on the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey.

“One of the biologists … spotted it, and we just happened to fly directly over the top of it,” pilot Bret Hutchings told local news outlet KSL. “He was like, ‘Whoa, whoa, whoa, turn around, turn around!’ And I was like, ‘What?’ And he’s like, ‘There’s this thing back there — we’ve got to go look at it!’”

Hutchings said that the monolith did not appear to be randomly dropped or dumped there, but rather placed with some intention. He speculated: “I’m assuming it’s some new wave artist or something or, you know, somebody that was a big [2001: A Space Odyssey] fan.”

The local authorities played along with the oddity of the monolith, even as they noted that it was illegal. A statement from the Utah DPS said that it is against the law to install any structure or art on public lands without authorization, “no matter what planet you’re from.” However, upon the monolith’s disappearance, the BLM was quick to assure the public that it was not removed by them.

The original location of the monolith was never publicly revealed, as it was apparently remote, and officials were afraid that curious visitors would be stranded out in the desert. So far, no one has come forward to take credit for its removal.