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.
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.
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Hitting the Road? Here’s the Map.
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Bound for the Black Rock? Tag #BurnerByway so we can show major love for all your geyser-gazing, ravioli-scarfing, arty party snapshots along the way.
True Tales & Travel Tips
Featured Stories
Get our takes on must-experience attractions, excursions, restaurants, and lodging—as well as plenty of pro tips on visiting ghost towns, parks, historic sites, and far more—all curated by those who know this wild state by heart.