Black Rock Desert
Desert
Country	United States
State	Nevada
Part of	Great Basin
Location	lakebed/playa
- elevation	3,848 ft (1,173 m)
- coordinates	40°54′37″N 119°03′18″W / 40.91028, -119.055
Basin	11,600 sq mi (30,044 km²)
Area	1,000 sq mi (2,590 km²)
For public	Federal lands (including the playa) are open to the public with regulatory restrictions. A geographic coordinate system enables every location on the Earth to be specified in three coordinates using mainly a spherical coordinate system. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Nevada ( is a state located in the western region of the United States of America. The Great Basin is a large arid region of the western United States. A foot (plural feet or foot; symbol or abbreviation ft or sometimes &prime – the prime symbol) is a non-SI unit The metre or meter is a unit of Length. It is the basic unit of Length in the Metric system and in the International The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. Square Kilometre ( US spelling square kilometer) symbol km2, is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. Square Kilometre ( US spelling square kilometer) symbol km2, is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of Some private lands are in the region and are closed to the public.
Easiest access	State Route 447
Timezone	Pacific (UTC-8)
- summer (DST)	PDT (UTC-7)
location of Black Rock Desert in Nevada

The Black Rock Desert is a dry lake bed in northwestern Nevada in the United States. State Route 447 (SR 447 is a state highway in the US state of Nevada. The Pacific Time Zone observes Standard time by subtracting eight hours from Coordinated Universal Time ( UTC-8) UTC−8 is a band of Timezones separated from the Universal Coordinated Time by 8 hours The Pacific Time Zone observes Standard time by subtracting eight hours from Coordinated Universal Time ( UTC-8) UTC−7 can be observed in Mountain Standard Time Zone Pacific Daylight Time Zone Canada Nevada ( is a state located in the western region of the United States of America. Nevada ( is a state located in the western region of the United States of America. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The desert is part of the extended playa of the lake bed of prehistoric Lake Lahontan, which existed between 18,000 and 7,000 BC during the last ice age. Stone Age Paleolithic See also Paleolithic, Recent African Origin, Early Homo sapiens, Early human migrations "Paleolithic" Ancient Lake Lahontan was a large Endorheic Lake that existed during the Ice age, covering much of northwestern Nevada, extending into northeastern "Last glacial" redirects here For the period of maximum glacier extent during this time see Last Glacial Maximum The last glacial period During the lake's peak around 12,700 years ago, the desert floor was under approximately 500 feet (150m) of water.

Geography

The desert extends for approximately 100 miles (160km) northeast from the towns of Gerlach and Empire, between the Jackson Mountains to the east and the Calico Mountains to the west. Gerlach-Empire is a Census-designated place (CDP in Washoe County, Nevada, United States. One hundred seventy five million years ago continental plates collided causing the rise of the Jackson Mountain Range. The Calico Mountains are a mountain range in northwestern Nevada The Black Rock Desert is separated into two arms by the Black Rock Range. The Black Rock Range is a mountain range in northwestern Nevada. It lies at an elevation of 3848 feet (1172 metres)^[1] and has an area of about 1,000 square miles (2,600 km²). ^[2]

There are several possible definitions of the extent of the Black Rock Desert. Often people refer just to the playa surface. Sometimes terrain which can be seen from the playa is included. The widest definition of the Black Rock Desert region is the watershed of the basin that drains into the playa. The intermittent Quinn River is the largest river in the region, starting in the Santa Rosa Range and ending in the Quinn River Sink on the playa south of the Black Rock Range. The Quinn River, once known as the Queen River is an Intermittent river, approximately 110 mi (177 km long in the desert of northwestern Nevada in the United see Santa Rosa Mountains for other usages The Santa Rosa Range is a line of mountains in northern Nevada in the western The watershed covers 11,600 square miles^[3] including the Upper and Lower Quinn River, Smoke Creek Desert, Massacre Lake, and Thousand Creek^[4]/Virgin Valley^[5] watersheds of northwestern Nevada as well as small parts across the borders of California and Oregon. The Quinn River, once known as the Queen River is an Intermittent river, approximately 110 mi (177 km long in the desert of northwestern Nevada in the United The Smoke Creek Desert is found in northwestern Nevada in the United States.

Humboldt, Pershing and Washoe Counties of Nevada intersect at the Black Rock Desert. Humboldt County is a County located in the US state of Nevada. Pershing County is a County located in the US state of Nevada. Washoe County is a County located in the US state of Nevada. The population was 339486 at the 2000 census; 2006 Census Bureau

History

In the mid-1800s, particularly during the California Gold Rush, the Applegate-Lassen Cut-Off of the California Trail left the main route of that Trail near present-day Rye Patch Reservoir, and crossed the Black Rock Desert, on the way to Goose Lake in northeast California, and the California gold fields. The California Gold Rush (1848&ndash1855 began on January 24 1848 when Gold was discovered by James Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California The California Trail was a major overland Emigrant route across the Western United States from Missouri to California in the middle 19th Rye Patch State Recreation Area is a State recreation area in Nevada. The explorers who mapped the routes through the area and the emigrants who followed them named the Black Rock Desert for a prominent point near a spring along the route now known as Black Rock Point. It is still often called simply "the Black Rock".

Use

The Sulphur mining district on the east side of the desert has been mined since the late 1800s. Sulfur, mercury, alunite, silver and gold have been mined there. Sulfur or sulphur (ˈsʌlfɚ see spelling below) is the Chemical element that has the Atomic number 16 Mercury (ˈmɜrkjʊri also called quicksilver or hydrargyrum, is a Chemical element with the symbol Hg ( Latinized hydrargyrum Alunite, or alumstone is a Mineral that was first observed in the 15th century in Monti della Tolfa, north to Rome, where it was mined Silver (ˈsɪlvɚ is a Chemical element with the symbol " Ag " (argentum from the Ancient Greek: ἀργήντος - argēntos gen Gold (ˈɡoʊld is a Chemical element with the symbol Au (from its Latin name aurum) and Atomic number 79 ^[6] An opal mine is in the base of the Calico Mountains on the west side of the desert. OPAL ( Open Pool Australian Lightwater reactor) is a 20 megawatt pool-type nuclear research reactor that was officially opened in April 2007 ^[7]

The flatness of the surface has led to its use as a proving ground for experimental land vehicles. It was the site of the most recent successful attempts on the World Land Speed Record. The land speed record is the fastest speed achieved by any wheeled vehicle on land as opposed to one on water or in the air or on rails. In 1983, Richard Noble drove the jet-powered Thrust2 car to a new record of 633 miles per hour. Year 1983 ( MCMLXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1983 Gregorian calendar) Richard Noble OBE (born March 6, 1946 in Edinburgh, Scotland) was educated at Winchester College. Thrust2 is a British designed and built jet propelled car, which held the world Land speed record from 4 October 1983 to 15 October 1997 Noble also headed up the team that beat the Thrust 2 record. In 1997, ThrustSSC became the world's first and only supersonic car, reaching 763+ mph. Thrust SSC ( '''S'''uper'''S'''onic C ar is a British designed and built jet -propelled car developed by Richard Noble, Glynne ^[8]

The area is also used by several prefectures (regional chapters) of the Tripoli Rocketry Association. The Tripoli Rocketry Association is one of the two major organizing bodies for high power rocketry in the USA (See also National Association of Rocketry The Association of Experimental Rocketry of the Pacific (AeroPAC) hosts "MudRock" in June, "Aeronaut" in late July/early August, and "eXtreme Performance Rocket Ships (XPRS)" in September. ^[9] The Arizona High Power Rocketry Association (AHPRA) hosts "BALLS" in September. It is a significant launch site for high power and amateur rocket hobbyists. High-power rocketry is a hobby similar to model rocketry, with the major difference being that higher impulse range motors are used Amateur rocketry, sometimes known as amateur experimental rocketry or experimental rocketry is a hobby in which participants experiment with fuels and make their own When any of these organizations refer to maximum altitudes for their "waivers", they are talking about approval to use the airspace which they have obtained from the FAA. The Federal Aviation Administration ( FAA) is an agency of the United States Department of Transportation with authority to regulate and oversee all aspects of The allowed ceiling in these FAA waivers is commonly up to 100,000 feet, and can be expected to grow higher following the capabilities of hobby rocketry technology. A flight ceiling is the upper altitudinal limit at which any aircraft may fly given its mechanical abilities

The following are highlights of the high-power and amateur rocketry records^[10] set at Black Rock:

• On November 23, 1996, the Reaction Research Society launched a rocket to 50 miles in altitude, a significant leap in amateur rocket altitude records at the time. Events 800 - Charlemagne arrives at Rome to investigate the alleged crimes of Year 1996 ( MCMXCVI) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar) The Reaction Research Society is the oldest continuously operating amateur experimental rocket group in the United States
• On May 17, 2004 the Civilian Space eXploration Team launched a rocket to 72 miles in altitude, which was the first amateur rocket to exceed the 62-mile Karman Line required to claim a space flight. Events 1521 - Edward Stafford 3rd Duke of Buckingham, is executed for Treason. "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " The Civilian Space eXploration Team, known as CSXT is a team of about 30 civilians interested in private Spaceflight.

Land sailing also occurs in the area^[11]. Land sailing, also known as sand yachting or land yachting, is the act of moving across land in a wheeled Vehicle powered by Wind

Another recurring recreational activity is rockhounding. Rockhounding is the recreational collecting of rocks and/or Mineral specimens from their natural environment BLM places regulatory limits on quantities of rocks which may be removed per person per day from public lands that it manages.

Black Rock has become famous as the site of the annual Burning Man festival. Burning Man is an annual event held in It is the largest event that occurs there.

Hazards

The Black Rock Desert region has vast areas of land where travelers who experience a breakdown might not be found by others. The ease with which a visitor can drive onto the playa allows newcomers to take risks that they may not realize. Some web sites about the area have suggestions about preparation and survival. ^[12][13] These and other sites have in common the usual desert travel advice to carry enough water, let people know where you plan to go and bring enough supplies to wait for a potential rescue if needed. In general, they advise taking the dangers seriously and giving some thought to survival skills. Survival skills are techniques a person may utilize for an indefinite duration in order to survive a dangerous situation (also see Bushcraft)

Federal lands

The Bureau of Land Management manages the Black Rock Desert-High Rock Canyon Emigrant Trails National Conservation Area and the following 10 wilderness areas in the Black Rock Desert region. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior which administers America's Public lands totaling approximately The Black Rock Desert-High Rock Canyon Emigrant Trails National Conservation Area is federal land in Nevada under the Bureau of Land Management. ^[14]

• Black Rock Desert Wilderness
• Calico Mountains Wilderness
• East Fork High Rock Canyon Wilderness
• High Rock Canyon Wilderness
• High Rock Lake Wilderness
• Little High Rock Canyon Wilderness
• North Black Rock Range Wilderness
• North Jackson Mountains Wilderness
• Pahute Peak Wilderness
• South Jackson Mountains Wilderness

Hot springs

Among many recreational activities at Black Rock, some people like to visit hot springs. The Black Rock Desert Wilderness is a U S Wilderness Area in Nevada under the Bureau of Land Management. Calico Mountains Wilderness is a U S Wilderness Area in Nevada under the Bureau of Land Management. The East Fork High Rock Canyon Wilderness is a U S Wilderness Area in Nevada under the Bureau of Land Management. The High Rock Canyon Wilderness is a U S Wilderness Area in Nevada under the Bureau of Land Management. The High Rock Lake Wilderness is a wilderness area in Nevada containing the northern portion of the Calico Mountains. The Little High Rock Canyon Wilderness is a U S Wilderness Area in Nevada under the Bureau of Land Management. The North Black Rock Range Wilderness is a U S Wilderness Area in Nevada under the Bureau of Land Management. The North Jackson Mountains Wilderness is a U S Wilderness Area in Nevada under the Bureau of Land Management. The Pahute Peak Wilderness is a U S Wilderness Area in Nevada under the Bureau of Land Management. The South Jackson Mountains Wilderness is a U S Wilderness Area in Nevada under the Bureau of Land Management. A hot spring is a spring that is produced by the emergence of geothermally heated Groundwater from the earth's crust. BLM distributes pamphlets and even has billboards on Interstate 80 saying "Hot springs on public lands - stay out and stay alive!" They describe reasons in their press release, "Hot springs on public lands: unique habitats for native species but hazardous for people". In the US state of Nevada, Interstate 80, often abbreviated I-80 traverses the northern portion of the state An obvious question is what makes them different because they're on public lands. BLM's "stay out and stay alive" campaign was the result of a lawsuit filed against it by the family of a woman who died in 2000 at Double Hot Springs. She fell in the 200 degree Fahrenheit water trying to save her dog that had jumped in. ^[15]

These are the best known hot springs in the region.

• Black Rock 40.972° N 119.007° W
• Trego / Butte 40.770° N 119.113° W
• Double Hot 41.051° N 119.028° W

Fly Geyser

At Fly Ranch, the Fly Geyser is one of two geysers at the ranch - the other being dormant, possibly because of the upheaval of the second geyser. The Fly Geyser continuously sprays hot water onto what was once desert land. This hot spring fountain is probably a leaking geothermal test well. ^[16] Fly Ranch is private property which does not currently allow visitors.

Photo gallery

Thrust SSC team after successful world land speed record, November 1997. Thrust SSC ( '''S'''uper'''S'''onic C ar is a British designed and built jet -propelled car developed by Richard Noble, Glynne Photo by Andrew Graves	Black Rock Desert playa.	BLM sign at Eight-mile playa entrance on April 10, 2004. Events 879 - Louis III becomes King of the Western Franks. 1407 - the lama "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " Photo by Ryan Finnie.	CSXT space launch, May 17, 2004. The Civilian Space eXploration Team, known as CSXT is a team of about 30 civilians interested in private Spaceflight. Events 1521 - Edward Stafford 3rd Duke of Buckingham, is executed for Treason. "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " Photo by Ian Kluft
Black Rock Point with inferior mirage in foreground on June 19, 2004. A mirage is a naturally-occurring Optical phenomenon, in which light rays are bent to produce a displaced image of distant objects or the sky Events 1179 - The Norwegian Battle of Kalvskinnet outside Nidaros. "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " Photo by Ian Kluft	Two high-power rockets lift off at Black Rock carrying university research projects from Japan on Sep 24, 2004 Photo by Ian Kluft	"Welcome to Nowhere" sign in Empire, Nevada on September 26, 2006. Gerlach-Empire is a Census-designated place (CDP in Washoe County, Nevada, United States. Events 46 BC - Julius Caesar dedicates a Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Photo by Steve Jurvetson	Black Rock Point partially obscured in a dust and sand storm on August 19, 2007. Events 43 BC - Octavian, later known as Augustus compels the Roman Senate to elect him Consul. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Photo by Ian Kluft

See also

• Bonneville Speedway
• High Power Rocketry
• Black Rock Press - University of Nevada, Reno

References

External links

• Regulatory
  • Bureau of Land Management: Black Rock Desert-High Rock Canyon Emigrant Trails National Conservation Area
• Regional info
  • Friends of Black Rock High Rock - Information about Black Rock Desert region conservation projects, current conditions, events, maps, and more.
  • Ian Kluft's Black Rock page - overview, safety info, photos and links oriented toward rocketry at Black Rock
  • Amateur Radio Band Plan for Black Rock Desert - coordination of radio frequency usage among licensed amateur radio operators
• Rocketry
  • AeroPAC - Association of Experimental Rocketry of the Pacfic, host of the "MudRock", "Aeronaut" and "XPRS" annual high-power rocketry events at Black Rock
  • AHPRA - Arizona High Power Rocketry Association, host of the "BALLS" annual high-power rocketry event at Black Rock
• Fly Geyser
  • Story about the Fly Geyser
  • Rodney Lough photograph of Fly Geyser