Black Rock Desert is great place for camping year round
by Brian Vance,Outpost contributor
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On the Web BLM's
tips for driving in the Black Rock region |
Sure, you've heard of the Black Rock Desert -- the place that attracts colorful characters each year to worship the Burning Man or speed demons to set land speed records. But can you find it on a map? Or name one other thing you could do there?
Most Nevadans can't. But the Black Rock Desert has many great experiences to offer those who venture there when the festival revelers are elsewhere.
Because of the crowds, visiting the Black Rock during the annual Burning Man Festival may not be a good idea. Also, any time an attempt is being made to set a new land speed record most of the lakebed is closed for safety reasons.
The Black Rock has several excellent campsites. While there are no designated camp spots, campers will find plenty of interesting places to pitch a tent where they won't be upsetting anyone.
Photo by Brian Vance |
Until recently, the Fly Ranch was the best place to camp. The ranch has three geysers that flow into man-made pools. The water from these pools then flows into bigger reservoirs that surround the area. The small pools have a temperature of about 105 degrees while the bigger reservoir hovers around 90 degrees.
The previous owner charged a mere $5 per person to camp at the Fly Ranch, but he would actually take whatever you could scrounge up and make you sign his guest book. But the owner died, and the ranch is closed for the public pending a sale.
For now, the best place to camp is at a hot springs on the opposite side of the lakebed from the Fly Ranch. This hot spring, Frog Pond, can be accessed from the lakebed, but the best way to get there is a dirt road that branches off the highway between Empire and Gerlach. Once you turn east onto the dirt road, the pond is 15 miles down the road.
The big cottonwoods surrounding the pond make it easy to spot. Frog Pond is only half the size of a backyard swimming pool, but it is always warm &endash; great for wading.
Photo by Brian Vance |
Just four miles east of Frog Pond is another hot spring at Traigo Siding. This hot spring is hard to find because it has no trees, but it is just 25 yards south of the train tracks.
Double Hot Springs and Black Rock Point Hot Springs are northeast of Gerlach and are easily accessed by driving northeast across the lakebed toward Black Rock Point. These springs are too hot to swim in, except during the cold winter months, but they are still a good place to set up camp.
A four-wheel drive vehicle is recommended for the Black Rock because the lakebed can get muddy in some spots and some of the dirt roads are a bit rough. But if you don't have a four-wheel drive, it is still worthwhile to make the trip.
The best time of year to visit the Black Rock is during late spring or early fall. During the summer, the temperatures on the lakebed can become unbearable, and it is too hot to swim in the hot springs.
Winters can be cold in the Black Rock. If you have a recreational vehicle, you can take it onto the lakebed without problems, drive to Double Hot Springs and camp there during the winter. But tent campers probably should avoid the extremes of the peak winter and summer months.
The Black Rock is a two-hour drive north of Reno and still in the long, narrow Washoe County. To reach the desert, take Interstate 80 east about 30 miles to exit 43. Get off at exit 43 and go left underneath the freeway overpass. Drive north past the gas station and mini-mart for five miles to Wadsworth. Take a left on State Route 447 (the first paved left turn), then head straight toward the town of Gerlach and the Black Rock (about 75 miles).
The state highway passes through the Pyramid Lake Indian Reservation from Interstate 80 past Nixon. Tribal police patrol the roads and are authorized to issue speeding tickets, so watch your speedometer.
The cattle crossing the road, both day and night, are another reason to keep speeds in check, although the long, straight road to Black Rock might tempt you. To avoid a head-on crash with a cow, keep a watchful eye on the sides of the road.
Empire is the first town you'll pass through on the way to Gerlach. Empire has the only grocery store, so if you've forgotten something, this is the place to purchase it. Five miles past Empire is the Gerlach. The combined population of both towns is about 500. While cruising through Gerlach you will notice that a man named Bruno seems to own the majority of the businesses in town because his name is on the gas station, the hotel and the casino.
Continue through Gerlach until you reach a fork in the road. Keep right and you will head toward the first entrance to the lakebed and the Black Rock. The most popular attractions of the Black Rock are the hot springs surrounding the desert and the dry lakebed itself. The lakebed is smooth and stretches for 60 miles.
There are two entrances to the lakebed. The first one is just two miles out of Gerlach and the other is 10 miles out of town. If you are in a four-wheel drive, you can enter the lakebed at either entrance. If you are in a car, it is recommended that you use the second entrance. Before driving off the highway, get out of your car and walk around the dry lakebed to make sure the entrances are free of mud.
at the Black Rock. Photo by Brian Vance |
After you've driven a while, park your vehicle in the middle of the lakebed, get out and take in the surrounding environment. It is breathtaking. You can camp right there if you like, but it can get quite windy at times. A better alternative is to drive to one of the hot springs and camp there.
A detailed map of the entire Black Rock area can be purchased at the Empire grocery store, and the locals can answer most questions you might have
Make sure to bring plenty of drinking water with you, but Empire is always just a short ride from any part of the Black Rock in case you run out of supplies.
If it has been rainy, you might want to postpone your trip until the weather turns to dry and sunny for a few straight days. Numerous rainy days can turn the dry lakebed into a mud hole, making access difficult.
Posted Nov. 9, 1998
Copyright 1998 Nevada Outpost
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