Bureau of Land Management
Near Gerlach, Nevada: Free, no posted rig-length limit. Open Year-round (avoid summer + wet playa). First-come, first-served · 14-day BLM limit.
Bureau of Land Management
Managing authority
Near Gerlach, Nevada
How much does camping at Black Rock Desert BLM Dispersed (Burning Man playa) cost, and when is it open?
Black Rock Desert BLM Dispersed (Burning Man playa) near Gerlach, Nevada (Bureau of Land Management) — camping fee Free, season Year-round (avoid summer + wet playa), RV size limit Big rigs welcome. Reservations: First-come, first-served · 14-day BLM limit — book direct through the official channel.
The numbers
Fee range
Free
Season open
Year-round (avoid summer + wet playa)
RV size limit
Big rigs welcome
Reservation window
First-come, first-served · 14-day BLM limit
The insider read
Free BLM dispersed on the iconic playa. Burning Man week (Aug-Sept) closes the playa with permits. NEVER drive on wet playa — vehicles disappear into mud. Stargazing exceptional.
Original analysis from PickRV — synthesised from public sources you can verify, pulling the operational details competitor guides typically skip.
Verify at blm.govOn site
Book it right
PickRV doesn't handle campground bookings — reserve direct through the official channel so policies and cancellations flow through one record.
Opens blm.gov
Every fact above is sourced from the managing agency's canonical page. Cross-check fee, season, and size limit before you depend on them.
Match the campground's size limit and hookup level to a vehicle category, then plan the rest of the trip.
Keep exploring
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NPSInsider tip · 10,000-ft elevation NP camp — bristlecone pine grove + glacier trailhead. Drops to 30°F nights even in July. Hardest to reach Great Basin camp; switchback road has hard 22-ft RV limit.
Near Silver Springs
StateInsider tip · Sandy beaches + warm water — feels Mediterranean. Closest state-park camp to Reno (45 min). Quiet midweek; busy weekends with Reno crowd.
Near Las Vegas
PrivateInsider tip · Only RV park on the Strip — walk to Circus Circus + casino tram to Adventuredome. Books out fight weekends + Vegas-events week-ahead. Premium for the location.
Near Baker
NPSInsider tip · Bristlecone pines + Lehman Caves + dark sky. One of the least-visited NP units in the lower 48 — solitude even in August. Cave tour tickets via Recreation.gov 30 days out.
Nearby & related
Sourced costs, campground directories, and the places worth a detour — the next layer of Nevada trip planning.
Before you go
Nevada rules
Verified 2026-05-10