Burning Man exodus traffic jam hits ‘7 hours and climbing’

As a convoy of cars, trucks and RVs attempt to leave Burning Man after a long, muddy delay, the wait just to get out of Black Rock City is “7 hours and climbing,” festival organizers said. About 64,000 people were at Black Rock City as of midday Monday.

The “exodus” from Burning Man normally starts on Sundays, but this year’s departure was delayed for over a day by rainy weather that turned the playa into a sloppy mess. Vehicles without four-wheel drive were trapped by the thick playa mud, and the main route in and out of Black Rock Desert was closed to vehicle traffic. At 2 p.m. Monday, organizers announced the road was finally reopened, starting a rush to get out of the desert and back to jobs, families and daily life.

As of 7 p.m., Burning Man organizers warned it was taking more than seven hours to pass through the gates and onto the one road that leads to Gerlach, Nev., the nearest town to the playa. They asked that people delay their departures until Tuesday morning, if possible, to “save yourself the long wait.”

“You might be much happier hanging out in camp with your friends than sitting in a static line of cars for many hours,” organizers wrote on social media. “Wake up refreshed on Tuesday and hit the road then.”

Once burners make it out of Burning Man, there’s still a long drive ahead. It’s another two-plus hours to get to Reno. For those trying to catch a flight, Reno-Tahoe International Airport is bracing for crowds; they anticipate 20,000 passengers will leave from the airport after Burning Man.

“Please note that the airport does not have the space or facilities for travelers needing a place to stay for long periods of time while plans are sorted out,” Burning Man organizers wrote on their “Wet Playa Survival Guide.” “Please contact your airline before arriving at the airport, and make sure you have a boarding pass.”

Those who did not want to wait for the gates to reopen, including a number of celebrities, walked through miles of mud to hitchhike out of Burning Man. Organizers are asking that burners do not walk “to County Road 34 at this time. If you need a ride out of BRC, please walk to the Greeters station past 6 o’clock and K street. You stand the best chance of catching a ride out of the city from that central location, though a ride is not guaranteed.”