Travel Info
Below are important facts and tips everyone should know for their journey to/from Burning Man.
Survival
Read Burning Man’s Survival Guide so you don’t die!
Travel Advisories
Burners are generally welcome throughout the region around Black Rock City. But please keep the following guideposts in mind while driving the few remaining highways to the planet’s edge:
– Don’t go to Burning Man if you don’t have a ticket to Burning Man. Tickets are not sold at the Burning Man entrance, nearby, or anywhere else in the region.
– Plan for delays as you get closer to Black Rock City. You can probably expect heavy traffic, and maybe even weather or other events, road accidents or construction, and law enforcement activities causing delay.
– Be prepared for heightened law enforcement activity on Highway 447 and other highways to, from, around, and within Black Rock City. Know what to prepare for here.
– Traveling from abroad? Research U.S. traffic rules.
– It’s best to fill up your gas tanks before leaving Reno/Sparks, Fernley/Wadsworth, or Cedarville for the playa. You likely can get gas in one of the towns (Gerlach, Empire, Nixon and Wadsworth) closer to the playa, but you can’t count on it, at least not without potentially lengthy delay.
– Drive sober, the speed limit, and with your seatbelts or helmets on.
– The long and amazing Highways 447 and 34 to the playa are single-lane roads without sides to pull over onto. Doing so is a great hazard for you and other drivers.
– Plan and prepare for potentially numerous, lengthy, and challenging traffic delays.
– Beware also of cows, horses, jackrabbits and other critters lingering or running along the road.
– Don’t arrive to the Black Rock City gate before the Burning Man event is open.
– Don’t wait around in Gerlach or Empire for the event to open.
– Please be super respectful of the locals, their properties, cultures and customs.
– Keep your clothes on (no nudity).
– Leave no trace on and off the playa (see more below).
– The Black Rock Desert and most all hot springs in the area are closed during August and September. Don’t try to bypass the closures. If you’re interested in visiting them the rest of the year, visit the Friends of Black Rock-High Rock for more info.
Directions to Black Rock City
From Reno to BRC (two routes):
Route 1 (via Interstate 80 through Wadsworth) – From Downtown Reno, go east 30 miles on Interstate 80. Take the Wadsworth Exit #43. Best to fill your gas tanks around here. Turn left, go north 1 mile to Wadsworth, and turn left onto State Highway 447. It’s 78 miles from here to Gerlach, and then 8 miles north on State Route 34 to Burning Man.
Route 2 (via Highway 445 by Pyramid Lake) – From Downtown Reno, go east 3 miles on Interstate 80. Take Pyramid Way/Highway 445 Exit #18. Turn left, go north 30 miles. At Pyramid Lake, turn right on Hwy 446 and go east 14 miles to Nixon. You can get gas here, but expect a delay. Turn left on Hwy 447, traveling north. 59 miles to Gerlach, and then 8 miles north on State Route 34 to Burning Man.
From Las Vegas to BRC:
Take State Highway 95 386 miles to Fallon. Turn left on State Highway 50, go 30 miles. You’re entering Fernley. At roundabout, continue west through Fernley, on State Highway Alt-95. After 1 mile, the road veers north and, going under Interstate 80, turns into State Highway 427. Go 1 more mile to Wadsworth. Turn right onto State Highway 447. It’s 78 miles from here to Gerlach, and then 8 miles north on State Route 34 to Burning Man.
From the East to BRC on Interstate 80:
Take Fernley Exit #46. Turn right, you’re now on State Highway 427. Go north 1 mile. Turn right onto State Highway 447. It’s 78 miles from here to Gerlach, and then 8 miles north on State Route 34 to Burning Man.
From the North to BRC:
Whether you’re traveling from the north via Interstate 395, or from the northwest via California State Route 299, you will eventually be heading directly for Cedarville via Highway 299. Into downtown Cedarville, turn right onto Surprise Valley Road. Continue 82 miles south to Gerlach. NOTE at the Nevada Border the road name changes to State Highway 447. At the entrance to Gerlach, turn left onto State Route 34 and head north 8 miles to Burning Man.
Reno Airport-Air Playa Info, The Burner Express, and Ridesharing
Reno Airport
Go here for all things about flying in and out of the Reno Airport.
Air Playa Info
Inside the Reno-Tahoe International Airport, Burning Man volunteers will be located near Baggage Claim to greet you with big open arms, provide directions and info on resources
Go to the Burner Express Air and Burner Express Bus pages to fly or bus directly to and from Black Rock City and Reno or San Francisco.
Rideshare
Ridesharing is most utilized by air-travelling Burners, i.e. catching a ride with fellow burners to the playa. In case you absolutely cannot arrange for transportation to the playa beforehand, there are a few different locations in the region (below) to negotiate a ride. And if you do, a few tips: be sure you are comfortable with the vehicle’s occupants before hopping aboard; offering to help chip in for gas will help; and leave no trace wherever you are. Here are the two best Rideshare locations:
– Reno Airport – map
Check in at Air Playa Info in Baggage Claim, the very best spot in the region to negotiate a ride to the playa, as most all Burners flying in have rental vehicles arranged.
– Save Mart Supermarket
525 Keystone Avenue – 775-786-2150 – map
Located in west Reno next to I-80, this store has long served as a major pit-stop for many Burners travelling to/from Burning Man, and has long served as a rideshare location.
Road Construction
– Ongoing road construction on I-80 west of Nevada/California state line.
– Ongoing road construction along portions of Highway 580/395, near and north and south of I-80 interchange, with reduced lanes and speed limits.
– For more info on road construction throughout the region, dial 511 or go here.
Leave No Trace
Waste disposal threatens the very future of Burning Man. A relatively small number of people, in particular, every year lose their trash on the road or otherwise leave it where it doesn’t belong. It really pisses off our neighbors (and rightfully so), negatively impacts the environment, and it is illegal. To avoid being cited by law enforcement, paying a big fine, and putting Burning Man’s future in serious jeopardy, please be sure to:
– Make sure your loads are truly secure at all times.
– Deposit your waste ONLY at these authorized locations or at your home. DON’T leave it on the playa or the side of the road, in the wilderness, at a rest area, the Airport, or in some business or resident’s dumpster.
– Human waste is hazardous and, unless specifically permitted by an authorized disposal location, it should not be disposed along with regular trash!
– Double-bag anything that might break or leak.
– Separate trash from recyclables, and separate kinds of recyclables. And make sure all your wastes are secured to your vehicle!
– Read the Survival Guide’s Leave No Trace for more tips.