BLM · Nevada

Black Rock Desert Wilderness

The Black Rock Desert Wilderness, which contains the eastern arm of the Black Rock Desert, is the largest Wilderness managed by the Bureau of Land Management. The Black Rock Desert is the dry lakebed of...

Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net), where the full text continues.

Official page at Wilderness Connect ↗
Black Rock Desert Wilderness
Photo from Wilderness Connect, wilderness.net
DesignationWilderness
Managed byBureau of Land Management
StateNevada
Size314,835 acres (Wilderness Connect)
Designated2000, by Congress
Center point41.2151, -118.7545
Night skyVery dark ground, a faint glow at most (Black Marble reading 39)

Boundary map

1 outline

Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees

The outline is the agency boundary simplified for display, so small parcels and inholdings may not show. The agency page has the authoritative map.

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Black Rock Desert Wilderness30°40°50°60°70°80°January: 1.33 inches of precipitationFebruary: 0.91 inches of precipitationMarch: 1.00 inches of precipitationApril: 0.82 inches of precipitationMay: 0.96 inches of precipitationJune: 0.60 inches of precipitationJuly: 0.29 inches of precipitationAugust: 0.15 inches of precipitationSeptember: 0.30 inches of precipitationOctober: 0.67 inches of precipitationNovember: 0.67 inches of precipitationDecember: 1.34 inches of precipitationJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 31.5°F averageFebruary: 36.1°F averageMarch: 43.1°F averageApril: 48.6°F averageMay: 57.5°F averageJune: 65.4°F averageJuly: 74.2°F averageAugust: 72.1°F averageSeptember: 64.0°F averageOctober: 51.2°F averageNovember: 39.3°F averageDecember: 30.8°F average0 in0.5 in1 in1.5 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Leonard Creek Rch - Denio 33S, 21 miles from the center point at 4,239 feet, station USC00264527 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 9 inches a year.

Large units span more than one climate. The station stands in for the center point, and the outer parts of the boundary can be warmer or colder.

Where to camp

Campsite Atlas →

No federal campground is within ten miles of the boundary in the Campsite Atlas index. Camping inside a wilderness is usually allowed away from trails and water, with no facilities; the managing agency page has the permit and group-size rules.

Reference

Questions people ask

How big is Black Rock Desert Wilderness?

314,835 acres.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Who manages Black Rock Desert Wilderness?

The Bureau of Land Management.

Source: Wilderness Connect

What state is Black Rock Desert Wilderness in?

Nevada.

Source: Wilderness Connect

When was Black Rock Desert Wilderness designated?

Congress designated it in 2000.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Can I camp at Black Rock Desert Wilderness?

No federal campground is within ten miles of the boundary in the Campsite Atlas index. Camping inside a wilderness is usually allowed away from roads, with no facilities; the managing agency page has the permit rules.

Source: Wilderness Connect

How do I get to Black Rock Desert Wilderness?

A point inside the boundary is at 41.215, -118.754. The official page carries directions and the office address.

Source: Wilderness Connect

How dark is the night sky at Black Rock Desert Wilderness?

NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 39 on a 0 to 255 scale at the center point, very dark ground, a faint glow at most.

Source: NASA Black Marble

Sources

  • Boundary, name, acreage, designation year, states and description: Wilderness Connect.
  • Campgrounds: the Campsite Atlas index of federal campgrounds, matched to this boundary at build time.
  • Trailheads and sites: the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer, points inside the boundary.
  • Night sky: NASA Black Marble (VIIRS, 2016 composite) sampled at zoom 6 around the center point.
  • Weather, alerts, air quality, river flow and earthquakes load live in your browser from NWS, AirNow, USGS and iNaturalist when you open the page.