Black Rock Desert Playa

The playa is like being on a large lake, except you are on a firm deep layer of silt.  It is a remnant of the prehistoric Lake Lahontan.  This may be the largest playa in the United States.  It covers an area about 35 miles long by 12 miles wide.  It is where the world land speed record of 763 miles per hour was set in 1997.  When the surface is dry, visitors can drive around the playa without regard for following a road.  Drivers on the playa must look out for transient dunes, ruts, campers and other vehicles. 

With precipitation, some areas of the playa become wet and muddy.  Do not drive on wet areas of the playa. You will get stuck.  Ask about conditions on the playa in Gerlach before venturing out.

The playa is open to all-terrain vehicle use except at the dunes, vegetated areas and in the southeast part of the playa, which is the site of Gary Cooper’s first film, The Winning of Barbara Worth, which was filmed in 1926.

Camping on the playa is unlike any other camping experience. The stars come out at night and the meteorites, too. Campsites on the playa need to have reflectors or beacons to help protect against being struck by motor vehicles at night.

More than 250 species of neo-tropical birds and many other water birds stop in Black Rock-High Rock Country for varying lengths of time. When wet, especially in spring, the playa is a favorite place for these winged visitors to rest and feed. If the playa is wet for a month or so, the shallow waters team with fairy shrimp born of eggs that lay dormant in the silt crust for long periods of time – sometimes for many years. The edges of the playa and the Quinn River Sink stay wet longer than the rest of the playa, which concentrates the fairy shrimp and migratory birds in those areas.

In summer, several commercial activities, competitive events and large organized events are scheduled on the playa.