The bright lights of Las Vegas attract millions of tourists every year. While visitors work their way up and down the strip, enjoying restaurants, sightseeing, gambling, and shows, a whole other world exists below their feet.
Many have never heard of the tunnels beneath Las Vegas, including residents. Fewer have seen them. Fewer still know that they act as a sanctuary for an entire community of people.
Vegas’ Underground Tunnels
There’s a lot of folklore around the origin of this underground city and indeed around the origin of the tunnels themselves. Some say they started as a way for bootleggers to escape during prohibition.
But this is a common misconception — the tunnels were first dug by the government to redirect water from Las Vegas.
A Labyrinth Beneath Vegas
The tunnels are a labyrinthine maze beneath the city, encompassing hundreds of miles of tunneling between 4-5 feet to 15 feet tall, with multiple entrances to the tunnel system all over Las Vegas.
Some of the largest entrances are close to popular casinos and resorts, like the Flamingo, Casear’s Palace, and the Rio.
A Place to Start a New Life
Within these miles of mostly dark, damp tunneling are thousands of people who call the subterranean expanse home.
These people are America’s forgotten — unhoused people seeking any shelter they can find in a country that seems to have left them behind. Some find temporary refuge in these tunnels, while others have made them their permanent home.
America’s Homelessness Epidemic
If you struggle to fathom how so many people could choose to live in underground tunnels designed to collect water, you need only look at some of the statistics regarding America’s homeless.
Over 600,000 people in the US are believed to be homeless, pitching tents or simply sleeping on streets or under bridges if they can’t find refuge in crowded shelters.
Post-Pandemic
Homelessness has skyrocketed recently as struggling individuals are no longer receiving pandemic support and resources that helped them keep a roof over their heads.
With surging rents and a rise in evictions, more and more people are finding themselves in a dire situation. With few alternatives, taking refuge in the Las Vegas tunnel system seems the best option to many.
Subterranean Refuge
Within these tunnels, you’ll find not just individuals taking shelter, but a whole community — hidden and in stark contrast to the community above.
Here, there are no bright lights and room service. The only electricity comes from batteries, and residents have no running water. But those living in these tunnels have pieced together what they can into an existence. Individual tunnels have their own rituals and customs, and there are unofficial leaders overseeing life underground, upholding their ‘laws’ and keeping the peace.
Sanctuary and Prison
People living here have made a haven as best they can from what they can find. They have bed frames, tables, chairs — even barbeques and grills. Most of these items have been salvaged from dumpsters or curbs, but they’ve helped create a somewhat comfortable home for residents.
As comparatively comfortable as this community might be, there are many who would love to leave but feel trapped. They’re trapped by the fear of experiencing something much more traumatic and dangerous outside of the tunnels, so they end up stuck in their relative safety, unable to make progress and get back on their feet.
Shelter From the Storm
If you look at many of the furnishings set up in the tunnels, like beds and bookcases, you’ll notice they’re a foot or two off the floor. The tunnels were designed to redirect floods from the city — when the water comes, it can come hard and fast, sweeping away whatever it comes into contact with.
Residents have adapted to find ways to survive the floods, never straying too far from the tunnel entrances to minimize the risk of getting swept away in the powerful waves that can rip through the tunnel system.
A Culture of Sharing
There is a sense of community and a culture of sharing among many calling these tunnels home. Relying on those around you, who are facing similar struggles, is the only way many can survive.
Many residents look out for one another and share what little resources they have, be it a sleeping bag or a can of food. As a result, many strong bonds are formed between residents.
Drugs, Crime, and Violence
As is sadly a common story among those struggling with homelessness, many in the underground community battle addiction. This has provided an opportunity for drug peddlers who have set up operations within the tunnels.
There are dangers down there besides the risk of flooding. Things can get violent, with many criminals looking to take advantage of the anonymity the tunnels provide and sometimes preying on the vulnerable residents occupying them.
An Underground Refuge, of Sorts
The tunnels beneath Las Vegas provide shelter to an entire community of invisible homeless. While many find the refuge as a blessing, it is far from perfect.
Paul Vautrinot, a former tunnel resident, now runs the non-profit outreach program Shine A Light to help those who live in the tunnels. Through the actions of Paul and people like him, we can take an important first step in tackling America’s homelessness epidemic — recognizing the people who are struggling and not sweeping them beneath the rug; or beneath the city.
