by Will Roger Peterson, President

In 1994 I was invited to an art festival held in the Black Rock Desert called Burning Man. Reluctantly I went along with my partner but I had many questions about the Great Basin Desert. I also knew that my extensive camping experience would probably get me through most challenges. The ride there was pretty normal until we got past Nixon, a small town on the Pyramid Lake Paiute Indian Reservation. Pyramid Lake was particularly beautiful, pristine and desolate. As we drove on, the land appeared more and more sparse. No settlements and seemingly few signs of animal life for miles and miles. After an hour or so we zoomed past the solitary store in Empire (a company town) with our sights set on the town of Gerlach five miles ahead.

Gerlach was really more of an outpost; a place where several brave families huddled together to ward off the lonely truth of the vacant, harsh, extreme high desert. There was a mile-long main street with trees, an historic Steam Engine Water Tower with park, a gas station, a motel, three restaurants, five bars, (no churches), several historic railroad buildings and about 350 full-time citizens. Most of the homes were older manufactured housing (mobile homes) and dotted through town were century old buildings made of stacked railroad ties. It reminded me of a movie set. In fact 'Far From Home', with a young Drew Barrymore, was shot on Main Street there, in 1989.

Much has and hasn't changed since then. The buildings are basically the same. Bruno's motel, gas station, restaurant and bar continue to be the main enterprise. Jalisco's Bar and Restaurant are now closed and vacant. The Black Rock Saloon and Restaurant is now the private social club for Burning Man's seasonal employees. Joe's Gerlach Club and Bev's Miners Club continue on in the old tradition. The Friends of the Black Rock/ High Rock have their office in one of the old historic railroad buildings. Many people have since left town as jobs are scarce. The year-round population has dwindled to 210. The high school graduating class is usually less then 10. In 2000 Congress passed the legislation that created the nearby and largest National Conservation Area in the country. More recently a Reno reporter stated that Gerlach is a good place to drop off your old couch.

Yet this dying town that has such unique character and history, in my opinion, remains full of potential. When the Burning Man employees are around there is a noticeable buzz. Other times of the year the nearby Black Rock Desert- High Rock Canyon- Emigrant Trails National Conservation Area attracts large numbers of visitors.

Surprisingly, Gerlach can be pleasantly full of new faces. Many visitors come to experience the nearby historic Emigrant Trails. The hunting on the public lands around the town are legendary, attracting hundreds, perhaps thousands of hunters in the fall and winter. Other groups of recreators are the rocketeers, land-sailors, 4th of July revelers, hot spring soakers and a variety of other outdoor enthusiasts. Many of these visitors don't stop in Gerlach long because, other than a meal at Bruno's or perhaps a stop for a drink or fuel, the town just doesn't have enough to offer. Not much support for the outdoorsman or casual visitor who just drove many miles to be seemingly ignored by the local habitat.

Gerlach is approaching a tipping point. I predict It will slowly die like many other rural Nevada towns or it will embrace it's potential to reinvent itself as a tourist destination. It's easy to envision this transformation. Gerlach, the gateway to the National Conservation Area, home of the Burning Man Event, former western railroad town, hub for outdoor recreation is where the pavement ends and the adventure begins! Think of a western town like Virginia City, only with the facade of turn of the century western railroad, mixed with the creative self expression and public interactive art promoted by Burning Man, with the emphasis on outdoor recreation. All the pieces are there, we just need to develop a plan.

There are several important ventures in the works right now. The Bureau of Land Management is planning to build an campground there. The BLM Winnemucca District Office is in the final stages of preparing the Resource Management Plan for all the public lands in the area, which should include large tracks of land designated for Off Road Vehicle use and other designated recreation opportunities.

If we support the potential possibilities, dream and plan together, we could ensure the future of Gerlach. I dream of a town with a general store and specialty shops, several restaurants, museums (Emigrant Trails, the Railroad- Western History, Burning Man, Black Rock Desert), an art gallery and sculpture park, a commercial campground that is adjacent to the Black Rock Desert, a BLM Interpretive Center, a public hot springs and spa, a Main Street loop with a board walk and an overall face lift that emphasizes the Railroad/Western character of this very special place. If we work together to envision the possibilities we could establish the framework for a revival of Gerlach as the Gateway to the Black Rock Desert Area! This is my dream, my trip to Gerlach.