105 miles north of Reno, Nevada, lies a vast lake bed named after a nearby rock outcrop. Under water for much of the year, the Black Rock Desert dries each autumn offering the most exceptional site known for pursuit of that most fundamental of goals - the World Land Speed Record.
When the Bonneville Salt Flats became unsuitable through years of potash extraction and the ever increasing speeds of the jet- and rocket-powered cars, Richard Noble and the Thrust 2 Team searched for an alternative site to run their car. What they found in 1982 was the Black Rock Desert. With a dry, virtually stone free area some 15 miles long by 5 across, the desert was ideal for running with the solid wheels dictated by the high speeds, and on the 4th October the Black Rock became a part of Land Speed Record history when Noble achieved his two-way average of 633.468mph.
Black Rock is used for a variety of widely-varying interests - ranging from amateur rockets and land-sailing to pagan festivals. For a site with only the two small desert towns of Empire and Gerlach nearby, it is a surprisingly well used natural resource, and it is along with all these other interests that the would-be record breaker must obtain permission to use the desert from the Department of the Interior's Bureau of Land Management.
We have put this guide together for the sake of those wishing to visit ThrustSSC's record attempt in September and October 1997. Here you can find out how to find the Black Rock, how you can witness the record attempt in progress, and where you can find accomodation.
For more details, please read:
The Black Rock is an area of exceptional natural and cultural interests - interests which can be easily damaged by careless use of the desert and its surrounding area. When visting the Black Rock, please read and adhere to the principles of the BLM's resource-preservation programs, Tread Lightly! and Leave No Trace.
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