Monolith found in Las Vegas begs question(s): How did it get there and why?

A new monolith — the latest in nearly 250 discovered across the globe since 2020 — was found on a Nevada hiking trail north of Las Vegas over the weekend.

Described as a tall, reflective column, the mysterious monolith is located in a hiking area near Gass Peak north of Las Vegas Valley, Las Vegas police reported Monday.

Metro police, who posted two photos of the structure on social media, were conducting a search and rescue operation when a team spotted the monolith.

The hiking spot includes a summit about 7,000 feet high. It’s not yet known who installed the monolith or why.

“We see a lot of weird things when people go hiking like not being prepared for the weather, not bringing enough water... but check this out!” Las Vegas police posted on X.

About 245 monoliths of similar sizes and shapes have been discovered around the world, according to Monolith Tracker, an independent group that records and classifies monolith discoveries as they're reported.

The Gass Peak monolith is the second in Nevada. The first appeared on the Fremont Street Experience in downtown Las Vegas in December 2020.

The first monolith in the U.S., a three-sided column about 10 feet high, was found in a remote area of Utah’s Red Rock Country in November 2020.

Monoliths and those in '2001: A Space Odyssey' movie

Discovery of the Utah monolith kicked off a series of subsequent reports of structures found in Romania, California, and other areas.

The last one, a three-sided column, was found in Wales, U.K., in March. Made of metal, it was also about 10 feet high and was close in dimension to the first monolith found in Utah.

Source: USA TODAY Network reporting and research; Reuters; Monolith Tracker