El Dorado Dry Lake

El Dorado Dry Lake is a flat expanse of cracked, pale earth that stretches from HELIOS One to Vault 11, south of the 188 Trading Post and north of Novac. Before the war it held seasonal water; now it is a baked lakebed with little cover and a view in every direction. The El Dorado Substation sits off its northwestern edge, Highway 95 runs along the east side past the gas station, and an abandoned trailer and a stalled military convoy rest near the northern edge by Vault 11.

The flat belongs to fire ants, which come out of mounds and a tunnel in the lakebed, and vicious dogs that fight them over a dead pack brahmin near the fast travel point. A prospector's dog roams the northern side. Because there is so little to hide behind you will see trouble coming from a long way off, which also means it sees you. Snipers and anyone with a long range rifle will like the terrain; melee characters will not enjoy it nearly as much.

Most players cross El Dorado Dry Lake on their way between the 188 and HELIOS One or Vault 11 without stopping. Beyond the pack brahmin's saddlebags and plants like jalapeño peppers and barrel cactus there is little loot and no quest, so its main value is as a landmark and a fast travel point. Keep your distance from the military convoy, though, because its vehicles chain explode in one of the biggest blasts in the game.