Arrive and Depart Safely
For real-time alerts, visit the BRC Dashboard or tune in to the Gate Advisory Radio Station GARS 95.1 FM Radio, or BMIR 94.5 FM Radio.
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Getting to BRC
Driving Directions
Participants arrive to Black Rock City from all points on the compass in a variety of vehicles. Some GPS apps may direct you to take unpaved roads and highways in rural Nevada. Stick to paved highways or risk some major tire blow-outs and getting stranded. If local conditions require rerouting off major routes, there will be signage to direct you. Every year we get a few dozen people coming from Winnemucca westbound on Jungo Road, which locals know will puncture all of your tires. Jungo Road is not recommended for passenger vehicles or RVs.
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From the West & Southwest
Route 1: From Reno take I-80 east 28 miles. Take the Wadsworth/Pyramid Lake Exit #43 to Hwy 447. Turn left — you can get gas here. Go north 1 mile to Wadsworth and turn left on Hwy 447. It’s 75 miles to Gerlach. Then BRC is 8 miles ahead.
Route 2: From Reno take I-80 east 4 miles. Take Exit #18 to Pyramid Way/ Hwy 445. Turn left and travel north 31 miles. At Pyramid Lake, turn right on Hwy 446, and go east 12 miles to Nixon — you can get gas here. Turn left on Hwy 447, traveling north. It’s 59 miles to Gerlach. Then BRC is 8 miles ahead.
From the Southeast
From Fallon, take Hwy 50 west 31 miles to Fernley. Drive through Fernley to Hwy 427. Stay on 427 for 5 miles to Wadsworth. Turn right onto Hwy 447. It’s 75 miles to Gerlach. Then BRC is 8 miles ahead.
From the North
From US 395, go 25 miles east on Hwy 299 to downtown Cedarville. This is the last opportunity to fill up on gas, supplies, and services until Gerlach. From downtown go south onto County Rd 1/Hwy 447 for 84 miles to Gerlach. Before entering Gerlach, turn left on Hwy 34 and it’s 8 miles to the Burning Man entrance.
From the East
From Winnemucca, take I-80 for 130 miles to Fernley. Take Exit #46. You can get gas and supplies here. Turn right onto Hwy 427. Travel 5 miles to Wadsworth. Turn right onto Hwy 447. It’s 75 miles to Gerlach. The other route from Winnemucca — Jungo Road — is a very treacherous dirt road, with easy-to-miss turns, and it is likely to cause a flat tire or worse. Please don’t try this route.
From Gerlach to Black Rock City
From Gerlach, go west on Hwy 447 to the fork. Take the right-hand fork, County Road 34, and continue eight miles to the 8-Mile Burning Man entrance. The 3-Mile playa entrance (first turn-off) is NOT an entrance to Burning Man. The 12-mile playa entrance, just beyond 8-Mile, will also not take you to Burning Man. The 3-Mile and 12-Mile entrances are patrolled by BLM Law Enforcement Officers.
Getting Into BRC
GYST
GET YOUR STUFF TOGETHER
TO ENTER BLACK ROCK CITY YOU WILL NEED:
□ A valid physical ticket or credential for each person in the vehicle
□ A Vehicle Pass placed on the inside of the drivers side, lower left corner of the windshield
□ A Setup Access Pass (SAP) for each person in the vehicle if arriving prior to the event opening; screenshot, download or print all SAPs
□ DMV paperwork for any mutant vehicles
□ A valid photo ID for all adults in the vehicle
□ No prohibited items in the vehicle
We use some common words in unique ways when we talk about entering and exiting Black Rock City. Open this panel to get familiar with some helpful vocabulary terms.
8-mile Playa Entrance – a gravel road that winds down from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) entrance off County Road 34 and meets the playa. There are three commonly used entrances to the playa, 3-mile, 8-mile and 12-mile. Participants are only permitted to use 8-mile. 12-mile is used by staff, emergency services, and service providers.
Gate Road – When the gravel ends, gate road begins. This is the pathway that all participant vehicles must follow and stay on between 8-mile playa entrance and the Black Rock City limits. A digital messaging board marks the beginning of Gate Road, reminding you to NOTE THE TIME as you begin your Gate Road journey.
Gate Road Travel Time is reported by the citizens of Burning Man as they arrive on playa and as they leave playa. There are two versions, ingress travel time and egress travel time.
Ingress – the act of entering Black Rock City and the path you take to do so. Ingress travel time is measured from the end of the Gravel Road at the 8 Mile entrance to the Apex Station.
Egress – the act of exiting Black Rock City and the path you take to do so. Egress Travel Time is measured from the Greeters station at the beginning of Gate Road to the F Lots/Pulsing station on Gate Road.
Apex Station – At this location, Gate, Perimeter, Exodus (GPE) volunteers direct participants to Will Call parking at the Box Office if any passengers do not have a ticket or Gate if all passengers do.
Box Office – A physical building where participants can pick up Will Call tickets.
Gate – Gate is both a physical place and colloquially the name of the team who volunteers to usher thousands of participants into Black Rock City. Gate is where you show your SAPs, tickets, credentials or other paperwork, and your vehicles is searched for prohibited items. If there are problems with your paperwork, you may be sent to D-Lot.
D-Lot – A large parking area adjacent to the Box Office. Participants who have paperwork processing issues are directed to park in D-Lot.
Greeters Station – the area with brightly colored kiosks and welcoming volunteers just prior to entering the city. During Exodus, that infrastructure is gone, and replaced with a digital messaging board that reminds you to NOTE THE TIME as you begin your Exodus journey on Gate Road.
Exodus – The departure of thousands of participants. The mass exodus lasts for around 48 hours after the Temple burns on Sunday night.
Pulsing Station – During exodus, vehicles are stopped at certain points, to meter the traffic flowing to County Road 34. The pulsing station is active during peak Exodus times to manage the flow of thousands of vehicles.
F-Lots – The last stop before pavement. This is a place to stop, check your load or take care of anything you need to before starting the long drive out of the Black Rock Desert.
Pavement – The asphalt of County Road 34 is lovingly called “pavement” and many celebrate the moment they pass onto it. As you exit the gravel, wave at the volunteers who are standing at the exit.
How to Estimate Travel Time
Each participant has a different journey beginning (from all over the world) and journey ending (to any of hundreds of camps). We can only measure from the points that everyone has in common and rely on participants like you to report your travel time to inform the estimates that are announced on BMIR, GARS, and the BRC Dashboard.
During ingress GPE staff at Apex ask drivers how much time it took them to travel from Gravel to Apex. We gather several participants’ times, average, and report to the Traffic Operations Center.
During egress GPE staff at F Lots and Pulsing Station ask drivers how much time it took them to travel from Greeters to F Lots/Pulsing. We gather several participants’ times, average, and report to the Traffic Operations Center.
Each and every participant can help reduce travel time for themselves and others.
Still have questions about getting into BRC? Visit our Gate FAQs.
Getting Out of BRC
GYST
GET YOUR STUFF TOGETHER
TO MAKE EXODUS YOUR BEST-O-DUS:
□ Check your gas tank or EV charge
□ Secure everything on the outside of your vehicle
□ Note the time as you pass Greeters to report travel time to Pulsers
□ Use ALL lanes. Speed limit is 10 MPH on Gate Road
□ Pack enough water and snacks in case of a weather or emergency delay
□ Tune your vehicle radio to GARS 95.1 FM for Gate Road Traffic info
□ Need to stop at F Lot? Use outermost lanes, 3.5 miles from Greeters
Still have questions about getting out of BRC? Visit our Exodus FAQs.
Vehicle Lockout Services and Towing
When vehicles break down on public roads in BRC it is essential to clear the blockage and allow traffic to keep moving. You may see different tow vehicles on Gate Road during ingress and egress. One is Captain Hook, a service of the Black Rock Rangers to the community, and the others are for-hire Outside Service (OSS) Provider tow trucks.
All tows off playa, regardless of point of initiation, exit to CR 34 via the 12 Mile BLM entrance. Abandoned or unauthorized vehicles may be towed to D-Lot.
Black Rock Rangers (Captain Hook)
- Not for hire, provided as a community service from the Black Rock Rangers
- Limited capacity, with priority to unblocking traffic and Black Rock City infrastructure
- Can only be contacted by Black Rock Rangers
Hours of operation:
24/7
Thursday, August 27, 8am through Tuesday, September 8, 8pm
Mobile Mechanic Services & Towing
- For hire, approved OSS vendors
- Fees to be paid by participant
- Light duty $315/hr, Medium duty $420/hr, Heavy duty $525/hr
- Trailers 50%
- 20% fuel surcharge
- Lockout services available
- Can tow ingress vehicles into Black Rock City
Hours of operation:
24/7
Wednesday, August 26, 6pm through Wednesday September 2, 6pm
and 24/7 from
Saturday, September 5, 6pm through Tuesday, September 8, 6pm
On Gate Road
If your vehicle becomes immobilized, flag down a staff vehicle and ask for them to radio for a tow or lockout service, depending on your need. You may also flag down other participants and ask them to notify staff at the next checkpoint so help can be sent to you. Turn on your vehicle emergency flashers and stay in your vehicle as much as possible to avoid being hit by traffic.
In Black Rock City
Go to Playa Info at Esplanade & 5:45 under the big blue “i”. Every situation is different, so fully fill out the relevant form to be matched with the right service provider.
- For all non-emergency locksmith/lockout support, fill out a form at the 24-hour hot pink KEY-osk in front of Playa Info. Locksmith service is available 9am – 5pm at no charge. Replacement keys can be made for some vehicles, for a fee.
- Emergency after-hours locksmith/lockout service is available for a fee. Contact Rangers or Emergency Services Department.
- For tow service by OSS vendors, fill out the form on the digital terminals at Playa Info.
Playa Info cannot provide an ETA for requested services.