What you need to know before visiting Fly Ranch
Fly Ranch is a 3,800-acre ranch located 24 miles north of Gerlach NV. If you drive from Reno, you'll exit I-80 at exit 43. Follow the signs to stay on 447N. From Gerlach travel north through town on Highway 34 as if you were en route to our beloved Black Rock City. Note your odometer as you leave town and check this map beforehand. At approximately mile 18 you will see a gate on the right at the road that leads into an area with a few trees and equipment a few hundred yards onto the property. Please pull down the road and we will be there to greet you. To go directly to Fly Geyser, drive another mile and a half and exit at the gate on the right. If you are arriving for an event or campout on the Hualapai Playa,
In 1986, Larry Harvey and Jerry James went to Baker Beach in San Francisco and burned a wooden man. They decided to make it an annual event. In 1990 Burning Man merged with a zone trip the Cacophony Society had planned to the Black Rock Desert. The annual event continued to occur in the desert. In 1997 Burning Man was not able to get a permit to host the event where they had previously hosted it in the Black Rock Desert. That year the event was held at Fly Ranch. For twenty years people dreamed about a home for Burning Man at Fly Ranch. In 2016 Burning Man Project began to steward the ranch. To learn more, visit our About page.
numu history
Burning Man Gerlach HQ & Office, once post office water and power HQ. Purchased 2000.
The Black Rock Saloon was built in the 1940s, and is frequented by NVO & the BRC DPW.
Behind the office is Helen’s House, a small building that held the town’s generator.
Next to the office is the old town jail that is a DPW base of operations before the event.
Gerlach Estates houses DPW & NVO staff in refurbished homes overseen by Housing Team.
The 90-year-old Gerlach Hotel was the town's radio station HQ and allegedly a brothel.
The Showers property has a bathhouse and was made to be a park with a public pool.
The 360 acres is a facility for theme camp container storage and mutant vehicles.
Black Rock Station houses staff and a metal, wood, and auto shop. It is the backbone for BRC.
Radical Self-reliance is one of Burning Man’s Ten Principles. It is your responsibility to ensure your own care. Daytime temperatures can be high and humidity is low. The temperature at night is cold and often below freezing in winter. Seek shade in the hottest part of the day. Wear sunscreen. Begin to drink water before you leave home. Continue to drink water after you arrive. Pack warm clothes if you’ll be at Fly after dark. Wear long pants to protect your legs. Alcohol, caffeine, and other substances increase the risk of dehydration. There are dangers to be encountered: rattlesnakes, ticks, mosquitoes, and plenty of rough terrain. Be prepared. You can learn more about survival and how to thrive in the Black Rock Desert with this ebook from the Bureau of Land Management.
Pack what you need to survive and thrive. If you don’t pack it, you won’t have it. Be prepared for a wide range of weather and lots of walking. Pack gloves if you have ‘em. Pack snacks for yourself. Gifting is encouraged. Always bring common sense, an open mind, and a sense of humor.
Day Visit
Nature Walks & Tours
🚰 Drinking water & bottle
🕶️ Sunscreen & sunglasses
☂️ Parasol or sun umbrella
👄 Lip Balm & lotion
🧥 Warm & cold weather clothing
🥾 Stable, closed-toed shoes
🥪 Food & beverage (and share!)
🤠 Wide-brim hat
💊 Medications or medical needs
♻️ MOOP bag or bucket
️🔥 Any items needed in a remote wilderness area with no services
Overnight
Events & Campouts
🔦 Flashlight or headlamp
🛖 Shelter (tent, trailer, etc.)
😴 Sleeping bag or bedding
⛺️ Tarp or ground cover
🚲 Bike (optional)
🥙 Food & beverage gear
⛑️ First aid kit
♻️ Waste & recycling containers
💡 Bike and camp lighting
👙 Towel & bathing suit (optional)
🪁 Toys, Games, and gifts - the experience is a co-creation!
Do NOT Bring the Following:
🐶 Dogs or other pets
🔫 Guns
🧨 Fireworks or firepits
🔊 Amplified sound systems
🏍️ ATV or Dirtbikes
🔌 Generators are highly discouraged. If you need one to survive, let us know so you can be placed in an area that will be least impactful to others.
Where to Stay
If you do not stay at Fly Ranch itself, overnight arrangements can be made at Bruno's Motel in Gerlach, at Iveson Ranch or at Planet X Pottery. Planet X can be reached at planetxrents@gmail.com. They have a no-smoking, no pets, two-night minimum policy. You can also stay in Fernley (1.5hrs) or Reno (2hrs). Thousands of acres are open to camping near Fly Ranch on public land that is managed by the BLM (MAP). We recommend the Black Rock City site or off of Soldier Meadow Road. RV rentals can also be arranged here. Please note that the Playa can be impassable when wet or moist. Check with the Gas Station or Visitor Center in Gerlach for conditions. Some areas of the Playa remain wet well into summer. Be aware of color changes while driving. Darker= wetter. If you get stuck, the walk back to Gerlach can take a full day and your vehicle could remain for weeks. Better safe than sorry.
Trespassing
Trespassing is strongly enforced at Fly Ranch. If you encounter a trespasser, politely explain that Fly Ranch is private property and is not open to drop-in visits. Give them background on the project, and suggest they visit flyranch.org to sign up for announcements about Nature Walks and other open activities. Let them know it’s a delicate ecosystem. Apologize and empathize if they saw a website or picture that said it was open. We have guidance that’s easily found online, but people miss it and may feel upset after a long drive to be here. To learn more about interactions with visitors, radio use, and property security, see our Guardians Manual.
On Immediacy
We increasingly spend time in front of screens and on our phones. Some communities are putting down their phones, and we’ve found that it increases our connection to land and one another. We invite you to explore the property without distractions, connect with the land, and participate in the moment with one another. For Nature Walks and campouts, we ask that you consider putting your phone away.
Leave No Trace
Black Rock City is a leave-no-trace event and activities at Fly Ranch are the same. There is no garbage service or trash cans at Fly Ranch. You will need to pack out everything that you bring. Leave plants, rocks, live animals or their remains (bones), and historical artifacts as you find them. If you find an object that appears to be an authentic artifact, contact a member of the Fly Ranch Team.
Wildlife
Fly Ranch is covered with wildlife. Thousands of people have gone on nature walks at Fly Ranch, and we recommend this as an ideal way to connect with the land. To learn more about our walks, see our walk guide. On the property, you may encounter nesting birds, deer, antelope, rattlesnakes, bull snakes, coyotes, badgers, rabbits, and wild horses. Do not approach any animals and be mindful of nesting birds while on the property. Horses in particular should not be approached. They are wild and not afraid of humans and are found to be moody. We follow the rule of thumb for wildlife: if you can’t cover a coyote, killdeer, or any critter with your thumb then you should move back and away. There are also mosquitos, noseeums, dog ticks, chiggers, and scorpions. Consider wearing long-sleeved shirts/pants and mesh hats as an alternative to chemical insect repellants. Do not leave food out, keep your living space closed, use the onsite toilets, walk quietly, and observe nature.
Lighting
There is minimal lighting. Please pack headlamps and/or flashlights. Illuminated outfits, unicorn horns, or related luminescence and other forms of radical self-expression are welcome.
Wifi & Devices
There is NEITHER cell coverage nor wifi at Fly Ranch. If you need to connect while at Fly you will need to drive to Gerlach for a cell signal. We ask people to consider being device free during their time here. In Gerlach, there is limited open WiFi.
If someone needs to reach you, they should call the Burning Man Project’s Gerlach office at (775) 557 2200. Onsite we have two-way radios and can always contact outside emergency personnel as needed.
Gearing Up
If you come from an international location or need to fly in, we have some local resources available to help you get together what you need. Spring water is available in bulk from the Spring Water Depot in Midtown in Reno, open 24hrs a day. There are also several options to rent camping gear in Reno that will prevent unnecessary waste and the need to purchase equipment. If you’re in need of a van or RV rental, those can be found locally as well. We thank you for your self-reliance.
Art
Fly Ranch is home to a number of art pieces. You can climb in and explore Baba Yaga. You can walk out onto Matthew Schultz’s The Pier. You can marvel at Dana Albany’s The Bone Tree. You can climb on an early Burning Man mutant vehicle, Pepe Ozan’s The Narwhal. You can walk in the Fly Labyrinth, a project by Crimson Rose & Will Roger. If you intend to enter the Labyrinth, please do so at the entrance and walk the entire walkway end to end to respect the space and preserve the energy.
Hosting
Small groups may be authorized to visit Fly Ranch for work projects. If so, there are four main components we request of you that involve fires, driving, waivers, and gates. Much of Fly Ranch is covered by grass, which is dry and extremely flammable most of the year. The threat of wildfire is a major concern and part of our civic responsibility is to be safe with fire. DO NOT START UNAUTHORIZED CAMPFIRES. There are several designated areas on the property where we can enjoy a fire if conditions permit. In this case, volunteers will be briefed on proper management techniques and expected to maintain a constant watch until the fire is fully extinguished.
