Black Rock Desert Closures During Burning Man

The Burning Man organization pays big bucks in fees for use of the Black Rock Desert playa during the yearly festival. The fees cover costs associated with administering the use of this piece of public land by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the necessary participation by other agencies, primarily law enforcement in the form of the Nevada Highway Patrol, Pershing and Washoe County Sheriff's Departments, and the Pyramid Lake Tribal Police.

In the interest of public safety and resource protection, the BLM routinely issues certain closures surrounding the site of Black Rock City, which is within the Black Rock Desert-High Rock Canyon Emigrant Trails National Conservation Area (NCA). Between August 3 and September 18, the 8-Mile entrance to the Black Rock Desert playa is reserved solely for Burning Man ticket holders. All other playa access points and 93 percent of the playa, more than 97,000 acres, will remain open to public use. According to BLM Black Rock Field Office Manager Dave Hays, "Similar closures for the Burning Man event in past years have been implemented with minimal disruption to other public uses."

The closure order is posted on the BLM Winnemucca District Office website. For more information, contact Dave Hays at dave_hays@blm.gov, or call (775) 623-1500.

If you've never been to Burning Man, or even if you have, take a look at what goes on by checking out my Burning Man pictures.

Source: Bureau of Land Management (BLM) press release.

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