

Burner Byway
Find Freedom in the Black Rock
Route Distance
110 to 250 miles
Suggested Time
2 to 4 days
Come trace the art-lined route Burners take on their annual pilgrimage “home” to Burning Man, the wildest arts event on Earth in the mystical Black Rock Desert. For a week-ish each fall, the pop-up metropolis of Black Rock City Nevada springs to life and—just as quickly—disappears. However, around northwestern Nevada, the Burning Man spirit never does. Road trip the Burner Byway any time of year and you’ll discover how Nevada’s do-it-yourself verve, splendorous wide-open spaces, spunky “why not” attitude, and unmatched freedom energize people to come create something magical, from Reno to Gerlach and far beyond.
Highlights
- Explore the Black Rock Desert playa—one of Earth’s largest, flattest surfaces
- Gaze upon magnificent, kaleidoscopic Fly Geyser on a guided nature tour
- Cast for salmon-sized trout and discover Paiute culture at Pyramid Lake
Black Rock Bound on the Burner Byway
An Art-Tastic Odyssey to the Black Rock and Beyond
Each August the otherwise empty Black Rock Desert playa becomes Nevada’s sixth-largest city—the 70,000-person pop-up metropolis of Black Rock City Nevada—thanks to Burning Man, the world-famous celebration of art, technology, community, and radical self-reliance… for about a week. However, many Burners have infused the event’s spirit into northern Nevada’s soul, through public art, museums, shops, galleries, makers’ spaces, and more, keeping its rich vibes alive year-round. Feel it for yourself as you road trip from bohemian Reno—a hip town riding an art-fueled renaissance—to gorgeous, tribal-owned Pyramid Lake, the funky town of Gerlach, and off into the magnificent Black Rock Desert Wilderness.

COMMUNITIES ON THIS TRIP
Glovebox Essentials
Prepare for Your Adventure
Get ready to come chase some horizons with this handy tool kit. Here, you’ll find all the Burner Byway road trip essentials, including downloadable directions, maps, and podcasts, and tunes to complement your upcoming adventure.
Download Route
Featured Story
Burner Byway Playlist
Landscapes Sure To Inspire On Nevada’s Burner Byway | Part 1
Landscapes Sure To Inspire On Nevada’s Burner Byway | Part 2
Awaken Your Spirit on Nevada’s Burner Byway
Refuel Your Soul on Nevada’s Burner Byway
Discover Sacred Secrets on Nevada’s Burner Byway
Kick Up Some Dust
Find Yourself on the Burner Byway
Follow the pilgrimage route Burners take each August on their journey “home” to Black Rock City Nevada. Start in Reno—where burners have helped fuel an artistic renaissance—then visit the quiet, sunset-splashing shores of Pyramid Lake, and venture onward to delightfully eccentric Gerlach, the fabled Black Rock Desert playa, and the wilderness beyond.
Leg 1
Reno: Hippest Little City in the World
As the urban gateway to Black Rock City, Reno’s Burner vibes reveal themselves in “post-playa” sculptures, 120+ murals, a vibrant artist/maker scene, and eclectic food.
Leg 2
Pyramid Lake: Pristine Views & Paiute Culture
Tahoe-sized vistas… minus Tahoe-sized crowds. Stop by the Museum & Visitor Center to learn about the local Paiute guardians and snag a permit to fish for salmon-sized trout.
Leg 3
Gerlach: “Center of the Known Universe”
That’s the perfect slogan for this funky little Black Rock Desert basecamp, home to multiple saloons, a coffee bar, a pottery shop, and the launchpad for Fly Geyser tours.
Leg 4
To the Black Rock Desert & Beyond
The 200 square-mile Black Rock Desert playa hogs the spotlight, but this 1.2 million-acre wonderland harbors hot springs, emigrant trails, unbeatable stargazing, opal mines, and more.

Leg 1
Reno: Find Your Vibe
Local Miles
- Tour 120+ vibrant murals in Midtown and Downtown Reno with Art Spot Reno
- Browse sensational exhibits at the AAM-accredited Nevada Museum of Art
- Scope out sculptures, debuted at Burning Man, along the Downtown Reno Riverwalk
You certainly don’t need fluffy pink boots, sparkly glasses, or other outlandish garb to enjoy the Burner Byway. But if you want ’em, Reno’s definitely got ’em—in a district defined by locally owned vintage shops, costume boutiques, and funky antique stores. Reno also sets the right artistic mood with “post-playa” Burning Man sculptures planted around town, Art Spot Reno’s guided or downloadable tours to more than 120 vibrant murals, and the fabulous Nevada Museum of Art, accredited right up there with the Met and SFMOMA.
The part lodging / part gallery Morris Burner Hostel, a burner go-to, is open year-round. For vintage-meets-modern vibes, check into Kramer’s Midtown or 1907-built The Jesse Hotel & Bar; or live it up at a casino-resort.

Peppermill Reno Resort Spa Casino
Reno

Grand Sierra Resort and Casino
Reno

THE ROW Reno
Reno

The Jesse Hotel & Bar
Reno

Whitney Peak Hotel
Reno

Nugget Casino Resort
Sparks

Atlantis Casino Resort & Spa
Reno

Renaissance Reno Downtown Hotel
Reno

Kramer’s Midtown
Reno
Get your trip off to a colorful start with a mural tour, a trip to the Nevada Museum of Art, or a stroll along the sculpture-lined Downtown Reno Riverwalk; then score vintage duds at funk-tastic local shops and boutiques.

Reno Playa Art Trail
Reno

Midtown Reno
Reno

Nevada Museum of Art
Reno

Downtown Reno Riverwalk
Reno

The Generator Maker Space
Sparks

Weird Reno Walking Tour
Reno

The Melting Pot World Emporium
Reno

Reno Neon Line District
Reno

Junkee Clothing Exchange
Reno

Sundance Books and Music
Reno
Reno’s cuisine scene is haute, fresh, and tasty. Gourmet grub is everywhere, from fresh vegan fare to gourmet mac ‘n’ cheese. Be sure to wash it down at dozens of swanky cocktail lounges, wine bars, tap houses, and more.

The Eddy Reno
Reno

Reno Brewery District
Reno

Louis’ Basque Corner
Reno

Hub Coffee Roasters
Reno

Beefy’s
Reno

Great Basin Brewing Co. – Reno & Sparks
Sparks

Noble Pie Parlor
Reno

The Depot Craft Brewery Distillery
Reno

Black Rabbit Mead Co.
Reno

Basin & Range Cellars
Reno
Reno loves art and wants you to know it. Especially in July, when Artown holds about 500 music, theater, dance, and visual art events. And in October when OffBeat Music Festival takes over Midtown with 100+ live bands.

Leg 2
Reno to Pyramid Lake
50 miles
- Explore exhibits on the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe’s history and culture
- Fish for huge salmon-sized Lahontan cutthroat trout on a guided tour
- Camp on the sandy shores of sapphire-hewed Pyramid Lake
You’ll need more than your camera to take in the crowd-free, underrated scenic jewel that is Pyramid Lake. Tahoe-sized views, surreal colors, and remarkable silence… that’s the stuff northern Nevada memories are made of. Swing into the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe Museum & Visitor Center to learn about the culture of the people who have lived in this sacred place for generations, as well as to purchase permits for camping or fishing for massive (and rare) Lahontan cutthroat trout—Nevada’s state fish—solo or with a local guide.
Pyramid Lake is entirely on tribal land. Get a permit to camp on the west shore; or, if you’d rather not rough it, Crosby’s Lodge offers rustic cabins and travel trailers with classic fishing resort ambiance.

Crosby’s Lodge
Sutcliffe
Although the record Lahontan cutthroat trout weighed 41 lbs, anglers seem content with the average being about half that. Not feelin’ fishy? Swing by the museum to learn about the Paiute Tribe who protect this place today.

Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe Museum & Visitors Center
Nixon

Reno Fly Shop

Pyramid Lake
Nixon

Anaho Island National Wildlife Refuge
Fallon
Although it’s nearly Tahoe-sized, what you won’t find at Pyramid Lake are shorelines swathed in resorts. What you will find is Crosby’s Lodge, the best (and only!) joint around, serving up tasty burgers, fries, and cold beers.

Crosby’s Lodge
Sutcliffe

Leg 3
Pyramid Lake to Gerlach
60 to 80 miles
- Tour Burning Man-owned Fly Geyser with Friends of Black Rock-High Rock
- Ponder hand-painted words of wisdom and offbeat folk art on Guru Road
- Peruse out-of-this-world, landscape-inspired art at Planet X Pottery
Welcome to Gerlach, the last slice of civilization before 1.2 million acres of Black Rock Country. With advance reservations, take a Friends of Black Rock-High Rock nature tour of Fly Geyser, Nevada’s psychedelic riff on Old Faithful. Cruise to Planet X Pottery, a solar-powered studio and gallery filled with paintings and pottery inspired by the landscape, then reflect on whimsical art on Guru Rd. on the way back to town, where loquacious locals linger at Bruno’s Country Club and the Miners Club, often until the wee hours.
Travel Nevada Pro Tip
Bed down at Bruno’s, a meatball’s throw from the bar/café/mini-casino of the same name or go west (literally) to Iveson Ranch and Wildlife Preserve.

Bruno’s Country Club, Motel & RV Park
Gerlach
There’s a reason Fly Geyser made the cover of NatGeo’s “Rarely Seen” photo book; snap it yourself on a tour. Then shop for desert-inspired ceramics at Planet X and wander among witty art made by a revered local on Guru Road.

Guru Road
Gerlach

Planet X Pottery
Gerlach

Black Rock Mud Company
Gerlach

Fly Geyser
Gerlach

Friends of Black Rock – High Rock Shop
Gerlach

Black Rock Desert
Gerlach
Bruno Selmi is no longer with us, but Bruno’s Country Club—which he started with gypsum mine cash in 1952—carries on his fire with baseball-size ravioli in his secret tomato sauce, mean Picon Punches, and warm hospitality.

Bruno’s Country Club, Motel & RV Park
Gerlach

Empire Store
Empire

Miners Club
Gerlach

Leg 4
Into the Black Rock Desert and Beyond
20 to 200+ miles
- Stargaze in solitude in one of only seven “Dark Sky Sanctuaries” on Earth at Massacre Rim
- Rockhound for black fire opals—Nevada’s state gemstone—outside Denio
- Spot pronghorn antelope at 500,000-acre Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge
For Burners, the Black Rock Desert playa is the destination. For Burner Byway-ers, it’s just the beginning. And it’s true: one glimpse of the playa’s other-wordly majesty confirms why people love coming here for a week each year. But between you and us…it’s even better without 69,999 other people on it. And it’s only the threshold to some of the most remote country in the USA—a wilderness rife with natural hot springs, wildlife, starlit skies, and more—all spread across 1.2 million acres of pure, unwritten adventure territory.
Travel Nevada Pro Tip
“Hotels,” eh? Well, you won’t find any out here. Luckily, it’s public land, so as long as you’re up on your Leave No Trace ethics, you can camp nearly anywhere. If roofs are more your thing, lock these spots into your GPS.

Old Yella Dog Ranch and Cattle Company
Vya

Iveson Ranch
Gerlach

Rockin’ TD Ranch
Vya
Craving freedom? Burning Man certainly offers a certain kind. But the rest of the year—as long as you have the skills—an endless world of recreation, exploration, and fascination await you in the wider Black Rock Desert.

Black Rock Desert
Gerlach

Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge
Denio

High Rock Canyon
Gerlach

Royal Peacock Opal Mine
Denio

Soldier Meadows Hot Springs & Campground
Gerlach

Virgin Valley Campground & Warm Spring
Denio

Double Hot Springs
Gerlach

Friends of Black Rock – High Rock Shop
Gerlach

Rainbow Ridge Opal Mine
Denio

Massacre Rim
Gerlach
If you’re starting your day in Gerlach, fuel up for your Black Rock Desert odyssey with hearty omelettes at Bruno’s; then grab a smoothie, latte, or bar of locally made soap to go at the Miners Club.

Bruno’s Country Club, Motel & RV Park
Gerlach

Denio Junction
Denio

Diamond Inn Bar
Denio

Empire Store
Empire

Miners Club
Gerlach
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