Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Central Asia yurt night stars
Uzbekistan • 15 days, 14 nights
Central Asia Road Trip: Backroads & Bazaars
from
Caucasus - Geghard Monastery, Armenia
Armenia • 15 days, 14 nights
Caucasus Road Trip: Azerbaijan, Georgia & Armenia
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
The khao soi at Gedhawa comes with a rich, coconutty broth.
Gedhawa
Nageshwar (Maharashtra)
Replicas of Jyotirlinga Temples
At Nai Mong Hoi Thod, the oyster omelet is worth waiting for.
Nai Mong Hoi Thod
Silver Queen
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
The khao soi at Gedhawa comes with a rich, coconutty broth.
Gedhawa
At Nai Mong Hoi Thod, the oyster omelet is worth waiting for.
Nai Mong Hoi Thod
In this deceptively simple dish, top-quality ingredients are paramount.
Kor Panich
Customize your bowl with sliced pork, pork balls, fish cake, and offal.
Rung Rueang
Pasties are an Upper Michigan tradition dating back to mining days.
Lehto’s Pasties
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
For Aguilar-Carrasco, nature is a powerful reminder of the interconnectedness of all life.
How Can National Parks Be Made Accessible to All? AO Wants to Know.
about 4 hours ago
Podcast: Finding ‘The Great Gatsby’ in Louisville
1 day ago
Here’s which treats you can safely lug home without risking a fine.
Dear Atlas: What International Food Can I Legally Bring Into the U.S.?
2 days ago
Cely’s map is not only accurate, but captures the unique characteristics of Congaree’s trees and waterways.
How One Biologist Drew a Hyper-Accurate, Ranger-Approved Map of Congaree National Park
4 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States Nevada Battle Mountain Armpit of America

Armpit of America

Small Nevada town embraced its designation as the "Armpit of America" with an Old Spice-sponsored festival.

Battle Mountain, Nevada

Added By
Nick Jackson
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
Entering Battle Mountain, Nevada.   Ken Lund
Entering Battle Mountain, Nevada.   Ken Lund
  Ken Lund
  Richard Masoner / Cyclelicious
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

The 3,000 people who live in the unincorporated community of Battle Mountain have embraced a name that the Washington Post Sunday Magazine bestowed on them in 2001: Armpit of America.

Writing in the magazine, Gene Weingarten said he chose Battle Mountain because of its "lack of character and charm, its pathetic assemblage of ghastly buildings and nasty people. He also wrote that its location in Lander County, Nevada, was "in the midst of harsh and uninviting wilderness."

After earning the title, the town convinced the Old Spice deodorant company to sponsor an annual Festival in the Pit, a celebration that has since been done away with, but included dancing in the streets, a parade, magic show, horseshoe throwing contest, a beauty pageant, and more. In 2006, the Festival in the Pit was replaced with a Bluegrass Festival.

Even without the festival, residents are proud of the nickname. "I think there are some pretty good armpits here," one visitor from Idaho said of the town. "Controversy is fine as long as it is used to make something good out of it. I think it will grow."

Related Tags

Cultures And Civilizations Festivals

Community Contributors

Added By

nbj914

Published

August 9, 2010

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • Wikipedia: Battle Mountain, Nevada: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_Mountain,_Nevada
  • Eccentric America: Regional Highlights: http://www.eccentricamerica.com/highlights.htm
  • The Nevada Travel Network: http://www.nevadatravel.net/travelgram/Armpit03.html
  • New Raleigh: "‘Cuegrass Festival at The Pit" (March 2009): http://www.newraleigh.com/articles/archive/cuegrass-festival-at-the-pit/
  • Howard Hickson's Histories: "Armpit of America:" http://www2.gbcnv.edu/howh/BattleMountain.html
Armpit of America
Battle Mountain Chamber of Commerce
625 S. Broad St.
Battle Mountain, Nevada, 89820
United States
40.636475, -116.943005
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Palisade

Carlin, Nevada

miles away

Tobin Range (Pearce) Scarps

Winnemucca, Nevada

miles away

Midas Ghost Town Saloon

Golconda, Nevada

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Nevada

Nevada

United States

Places 265
Stories 24

Nearby Places

Palisade

Carlin, Nevada

miles away

Tobin Range (Pearce) Scarps

Winnemucca, Nevada

miles away

Midas Ghost Town Saloon

Golconda, Nevada

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Nevada

Nevada

United States

Places 265
Stories 24

Related Places

  • Chios Rocket War.

    Chios, Greece

    Chios Rocket War

    Two churches shoot bottle rockets at each others' bell towers in an unusual Easter celebration.

  • A monster with two smaller monsters in tow.

    Mohács, Hungary

    Busójárás

    Festival of Perpetual Life and Rebirth.

  • Other logs lie in wait for purchase and an eventual fireplace beating

    Barcelona, Spain

    Tió de Nadal

    Catalonia Tradition: Beating the hollow Christmas log until it defecates in your fireplace.

  • La Cabotina, the lair of the witches

    Triora, Italy

    The Town Of Witches

    The location of the last witch trials of Italy, known as "The Salem of Europe."

  • Oymyakon

    Oymyakonsky District, Russia

    Oymyakon

    The villagers of the coldest inhabited place on Earth adjust to unique challenges presented by day-to-day living.

  • The wars.

    Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania

    The Pennsic War at Coopers Lake

    An otherwise quiet campground becomes a bustling medieval town for two weeks every year.

  • (Flickr/Jaume Meneses)

    Barcelona, Spain

    Festa Major de Gràcia

    Week-long block party becomes a competition for the best decorated street.

  • Boston, Massachusetts

    Site of St. Anthony's Feast

    Each August, one of the largest religious (and food) celebrations in the country is held in Boston.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.