Black Rock Desert

Northeast of Gerlach, reached via NV-447 · Gerlach, NV

Why you should go…

The Black Rock Desert is a region of lava beds and alkali flats in northwestern Nevada, centered on a silt playa left by Pleistocene Lake Lahontan. Within the BLM's 800,000-acre national conservation area you can drive and land-sail on the playa, launch amateur rockets, camp, and walk signed stretches of the Applegate and Nobles emigrant trails. The seasonal Black Rock Visitor Center is in Gerlach. The area is remote, with no cell signal and weather that can swing from hot to snowy.

#desert playa
#dispersed camping
#emigrant trails
#blm land
#off-roading

Good to know

General sport & outdoor guidance

Habits that pay off across this whole category, not rules for this one venue. Always check the official site for the specifics.

Weather calls the shots
Check the forecast the morning of and keep an indoor backup in your pocket for the day it turns.
Shoes, water, sun cover
The three things that decide whether you last the whole outing or cut it short after an hour.
Parking and launches fill early
On a nice weekend, lots and trailheads are often full by mid-morning.
Daylight shrinks in shoulder season
Spring and fall visits need an earlier start than the same trip in July.