Black Rock Desert
The Black Rock Desert volcanic field consists of a group of closely spaced small Pleistocene-to-Holocene volcanic fields in the Black Rock and Sevier deserts of south-central Utah, at the eastern margin of the Great Basin. The Black Rock Desert field contains both Utah's youngest known rhyolite dome (400,000 years old) and its youngest eruptive vent, which produced the roughly 660-year-old Ice Springs lava flows. The broader volcanic field includes the smaller Deseret, Pavant, Kanosh, Tabernacle, Ice Spring, and northern Black Rock Desert fields. The Pavant Butte and Tabernacle Hill tuff cones were erupted about 16,000 and 14,000 years ago through the waters of glacial Lake Bonneville. Lava flows from the Ice Springs crater complex traveled about 4 km west and north, overlapping late-Pleistocene flows from Pavant Butte.
black rock desert
Reno-based professional photographer Justin Majeczky captured images in June 2019 of an unusually large body of water stretched across Nevada's Black Rock Desert. Quinn Lake forms every year after heavy rains, but in 2019 after a wet winter, it spilled its banks and spread across the desert Playa.
Quinn Lake forms every year in Nevada's Black Rock Desert and usually measures about a mile long but can be even smaller in droughts. This year, it spilled its banks and spread across the desert playa, running directly through the area where 70,000 festival-goers annually set up camp and display their artwork.
Professional photographer Justin Majeczky of Reno made the trip with his wife and three dogs last week to capture a photo of the desert lake at night with the Milky Way overhead reflected in the water.
Peace and quiet are a rare gift these days, but the playa is so peaceful when the festivities of Burning Man have come to an end. The Black Rock desert may be visible from space, but if you pause and take a breath you can hear your surroundings and even your own heart beat.
Several pre-historic mammoths have been discovered in the Black Rock desert, some with human bones. It has since been revealed that the human bones were on top of the mammoth bones, meaning they did not co-exist in this region. There is also evidence that even the mammoth bones do not lie in their original place, so it it believed that they were brought here by humans. However, you can see the casts of mammoth bones on display at the Nevada State Museum in Carson City, Nevada.
All throughout the Black Rock Desert you can see amazing petrophyphs (rock carvings, especially pre-historic). From glyphs of mammoths to humans and everyday life, keep an eye out for petroglyphs as they are a different and interesting vision into the past.
Hunting is permitted in the Black Rock Desert Wilderness. Deer, antelope, and chukar are popular with hunters that come to the area. While hunting, cutting any vegetation is prohibited in the wilderness area to prevent destruction to desert resources. Blinds are permitted but must be temporary and taken down. Hunting rules and regulations are enforced by the Nevada Department of Wildlife.
Despite the dry desert conditions, many different types of wildlife have adapted and are known to Black Rock Desert Wilderness. Mule deer, antelope, coyotes, and mountain lions roam in the area. Wild horses have also been observed by desert visitors.
With spectacular views of the Harquahala Mountains and Harcuvar mountain ranges and easy access to thousands of acres of peaceful Arizona desert, Black Rock RV Village is the perfect campground for an Arizona Outback camping trip or a home away from home.
We were greeted by guests in half states of costume and dress and brought immediately into the fold with hugs and intros. The sky was a charcoal blueish-black, storms brewed in the distance yet the sun shone right down on us. The earth below our feet was a clean white cracked clay.. stunning! An art car poured the buzz of a beat into our ears bumping music and setting the vibe at camp as a few people blazed off into the abyss on motorcycles. I felt like we were in a scene from Mad Max. Wild man! I thought. This place has a real sense of wild that I had never experienced in all my life.
The best way to get to the essence of what is to come is to look at the 10 Principles that underpin everything. These emphasise radical inclusion and community sharing; it is about barter and giving, money is not accepted; the focus is on self-expression and immediate experience, as opposed to consumption; be self-reliant and leave your part of the desert as it was before it all began.
The wild weather in Black Rock City is largely thanks to convective currents that rise along the sides of the playa basin. These currents form when hot air rises, cools then sinks back down to the ground. When there is moisture in the air, these currents can manifest towering thunderstorms that carry rain and winds down to the desert floor.
Hikers in the region have the opportunity to explore the Black Rock Desert, High Rock Canyon, historic trails, and various hot springs. The Black Rock Desert features lava beds, alkali flats, and playa. The main playa portion of the desert marks the now-dry bed of Lake Lahontan. This portion of the NCA spans roughly 44 miles (71 km) in length and 7 miles (11 km) in width.
The Great Basin region also marks the largest region of contiguous watersheds that have no outlet in all of North America. Outer layers of the mountains in the area are composed of sedimentary rock. Both metamorphic and igneous rocks make up the core of peaks in the region.
The Black Rock Desert portion of the NCA contains numerous volcanic and geothermal features. Geothermal activity can still be seen throughout the desert region that once marked the ancient Lake Lahontan.
The flat desert landscape has been used for land speed records and rocketry records throughout the late twentieth century and early twenty first century. Since 1986 the Black Rock Desert has been home to the annual Burning Man event. The Black Rock-High Rock NCA and the ten wilderness areas were established in 2000.
This short trail is located at the southern edge of the NCA within the Black Rock Desert. The flat trail winds through the desert landscape from the parking lot with various shrubs and grasses on either side. Hikers may also spot wild horses in the surrounding region. The out and back trail is 0.8 miles (1.3 km) long and features 9 feet (3 m) of total elevation gain.
This out and back trail is situated in the southwestern stretches of the NCA. Hualapai Playa is located just west of the hiking route. The trail climbs steadily through the desert landscape before reaching the summit of Steamboat Mountain. From the summit of the peak, hikers have sweeping views of the desert landscape. The out and back trail is 0.4 miles (0.6 km) long and features 170 feet (52 m) of elevation gain.
During the summer months, visitors in the region can enjoy rock climbing, hiking, and mountain biking. Lake Tahoe lies a short distance west of Reno, providing further opportunities for outdoor recreation. During the winter months, visitors can enjoy the multiple ski resorts along with terrain for both cross country skiing and snowmobiling.
\nHikers in the region have the opportunity to explore the Black Rock Desert, High Rock Canyon, historic trails, and various hot springs. The Black Rock Desert features lava beds, alkali flats, and playa. The main playa portion of the desert marks the now-dry bed of Lake Lahontan. This portion of the NCA spans roughly 44 miles (71 km) in length and 7 miles (11 km) in width.\n
\nThe Great Basin region also marks the largest region of contiguous watersheds that have no outlet in all of North America. Outer layers of the mountains in the area are composed of sedimentary rock. Both metamorphic and igneous rocks make up the core of peaks in the region.\n
\nThe Black Rock Desert portion of the NCA contains numerous volcanic and geothermal features. Geothermal activity can still be seen throughout the desert region that once marked the ancient Lake Lahontan. \n
\nThe flat desert landscape has been used for land speed records and rocketry records throughout the late twentieth century and early twenty first century. Since 1986 the Black Rock Desert has been home to the annual Burning Man event. The Black Rock-High Rock NCA and the ten wilderness areas were established in 2000.\n 041b061a72