Scorpion gulch

Scorpion Gulch is a location in Fallout: New Vegas.

Layout
The gulch is a direct passage from Hidden Valley to Helios One, with numerous bark scorpions and giant radscorpions calling it home. The route allows players to bypass Nipton and Primm Pass, coming almost directly to New Vegas. The exit is located in the northeastern corner of Hidden Valley, through a hole in the fence.

The gulch is fairly straightforward, with several "waves" of scorpions spawning, usually four bark scorpions and a giant radscorpion. The larger one will prey on their weaker cousins, though they will all prioritize attacking the player. At the bottom of the gulch is a dead wastelander with random loot, and the missing laser pistol misplaced by Initiate Stanton (spawns only if the player talks to the gun range Paladin and then Stanton). Exits lead east through the canyon to Helios One and north towards Black Mountain and the crater south of it. This approach allows direct access to the summit without having to go through the nightkin on the way up.

Notable loot

 * Missing laser pistol: On the rocks in the center, by the dead wastelander. It will only appear if the player talked to the gun range Paladin and Stanton first.
 * Sunset Sarsaparilla star bottle cap: On the dead wastelander.

Bugs

 * The area is quite rough and Radscorpions tend to get stuck on level geometry due to their complex animations.
 * The wastelander may respawn every three days (if the cell isn't loaded during that time) with his inventory intact, giving an endless supply of star caps.

Behind the scenes

 * The shortcut to Helios One was specifically placed by Obsidian to allow players to access New Vegas early.

Appearances
Scorpion Gulch appears in Fallout: New Vegas.