Guarding the Edge of the Atomic Frontier
Rápidos de Cuerno
Just beyond the edge of Richland, the Horn Rapids area served as an important, and often overlooked, part of the region’s wartime footprint. Remote and rugged, it offered the space and security needed for specialized operations.
From High Desert to Strategic Outpost
Located on the edge of Richland, Horn Rapids played a unique role in the development of the city during and after World War II. While much of Richland’s wartime identity was defined by science and secrecy, Horn Rapids was tied to security and control.
This area once hosted military outposts, training facilities, and in later years, correctional and security infrastructure built in response to the Manhattan Project’s need for protection. The region’s isolation and desert terrain made it ideal for operations that required space, separation, and silence.
Today, Horn Rapids is better known for its residential developments and golf course, but its past is layered with stories of surveillance, security, and the infrastructure that guarded one of the most secretive efforts in American history.