While overflying the vast Black Rock Desert playa it occurred to me that
1) here is an area rich in natural hot springs, and
2) even I can land a plane on this vast, flat, hardpan desert!

There have to be a few hotsprings on the Blackrock Desert which are airplane friendly...anyone want to tell me about them?

While I really DO NOT want to start a banter on the virtues or debets of wilderness, are you violating the statutes of a wilderness area if you land on an established and open road going through said wilderness?

There's a time to ask for permission and a time to beg for forgiveness...I use to work for the BLM and I can guarantee that the end result will be the same, but if you choose to beg for forgiveness at least they have to catch you first.

ravi wrote:There's a time to ask for permission and a time to beg for forgiveness...I use to work for the BLM and I can guarantee that the end result will be the same, but if you choose to beg for forgiveness at least they have to catch you first.

Son... You're learning. You'll make a real off-road pilot yet.

Gump

You know it really wasn't running right, I though I'd land and check it out while I could, and of course you can't touch a hot engine

a64pilot wrote:You know it really wasn't running right, I though I'd land and check it out while I could, and of course you can't touch a hot engine

Yeah, and since it's so damn hot I had to have a couple beers to cool down. Better set up my tent to avoid heatstroke!!!! I can feel a plan coming together.

Gump

jmtgt wrote:Most of the black rock dry lake north of Gerlach is wilderness. You better do some home work before you go land out there. The burning man part of the dry lake is not in the wilderness. just FYI.

I'm not so sure this is true. All sorts of cars are running around on the Black Rock. Big groups show up to launch rockets and all sorts of stuff. There are signs around that say "Wilderness Study Area", but Congress hasn't declared the area as a wilderness area that I have heard about. Meanwhile, lots of folks are recreating in all sorts of ways on the playa.

Most of the hot springs are within a short walk from the lakebed. It can be really really muddy if there has been a rain, and in some places it is wet all year from springs. Generally, if it is white it is dry. Overfly first. If it is dry there is usually cracks in the mud.

For a place that is open for sure, go to Soldier Meadows. There is a grass runway and a bed and breakfast. These folks will loan you a bicycle to ride to the hotsprings.
tom

jmtgt wrote:It is true. The newest maps will show you. It was the last thing our former Jack Ass Senator Richard Bryant did before he retired.
John

Bastards!

tom

I did a little searching and found this URL that has pointers to a series of maps that show the wilderness areas and the roads that are open. It isn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be. Most of the more frequently used roads are still available, and most of the wilderness is up in the various mountains. A big portion of the playa is not wilderness.

Pretty much the whole works is a conservation area. I suppose this invokes a bunch of rules that are more restrictive than BLM land in general, but since there are lots of roads, most folks probably won't have much impact on their recreating.

As far as landing a plane is concerned, Double Hot is shown as surrounded by private land, so you can probably land there without hassle. As mentioned by others, Soldier Meadows is private and has a good airstrip. Trego is on the east edge of the playa, and so you would have to land on the playa. I don't know if this would be okay or not, but I definitely subscribe to the do it now and beg forgiveness later philosophy.

tom