This guide is essential reading for every participant — first-timers and veterans alike. If you’re looking for specific information, browse the menus above to find it. Read this Survival Guide here or download a PDF (5 MB) to your device for offline browsing, so you can reference it (e.g. “where do I take my trash?”) when you’re on the road to and from Burning Man.

BLACK ROCK CITY is a temporary metropolis built in Nevada’s beautiful, remote, and inhospitable Black Rock Desert. You are responsible for your own survival, safety, comfort, and well-being, and for Leaving No Trace. This Survival Guide will help you thrive at Burning Man. Read it carefully and share it with everyone in your group. For more detail please see the Preparation section of the Burning Man website.

Black Rock City Belongs to All of Us

You did it! You’re going to Burning Man! As you hopefully know first-hand, participant engagement and investment in our community are crucial for our home in Black Rock City and world-wide Burning Man culture to continue to flourish.

Recently some challenges have been threatening the fabric of our community. Increased vandalism, conflicts between neighboring camps, and matter out of place (MOOP), and participants showing up not prepared to live in a harsh desert environment or expecting to simply consume what BRC has to offer.

We must work together to preserve and protect the ethos that defines Burning Man and sets it apart from music festivals and other mass-produced events. Whether it’s your first time in BRC, or you haven’t gotten the playa dust out of your fun fur coats from the past 20 years, we need your help.

Black Rock City will be better (and you’ll have more fun) if you 1. Find a way to contribute. 2. Come prepared! 3. Be kind to yourself and others. 4. And, most importantly, Leave No Trace. The future of the event depends on this, and on you. Do your part!