Nevada's Hidden Desert Town With Vibrant Attractions Is A Gateway To The Annual Burning Man Festival

With heavy hitters like Reno and Las Vegas, Nevada's less flashy destinations often go overlooked. Situated 30 minutes outside Reno, in the heart of high desert country, lies Fernley. This welcoming small town is known for its affordable cost of living and wealth of quintessential American West attractions, including the Fernley 95A Speedway, free desert camping, and the Fernley Rodeo. 

With a population just under 25,000, Fernley remains well off the tourist trail most of the year, except for the days and weeks before Burning Man, an annual week-long "community and global cultural movement"  that sees revelers flock to the scorching deserts of Black Rock City, Nevada. Almost 100 miles outside this temporary city, Fernley is the last major stop (and place to get gas) before "Burners" enter the barren desert. 

Burning Man is held every year over Labor Day weekend, so if you visit Fernley anytime around the last week in August and the first week in September, expect crowds of artists, creatives, and makers, and fully booked hotels. It's also a great opportunity to spot art cars and portable installations on their way to and from "The Burn." For the chance to see a permanent installation of Burning Man art, visit Reno, the world's "Biggest Little City," with a walkable hub of food and outdoor fun. Stop by the Reno Playa Art Trail (find a map here) to see huge public installations by internationally renowned artists, including Kate Raudenbush and Mark Szulgi. 

Like any Nevada town worth its salt, Fernley has plenty of casinos, but there's so much more to do. Established in 1904, Fernley started as a farming and ranching community thanks to the Truckee Canal's life-giving water. Nowadays, the canal isn't a huge attraction, but visitors are in for a treat at the Fernley Rodeo. Nestled in Out of Town Park, Fernley Rodeo hosts a variety of events, including bull riding, steer wrestling, and calf roping. Check the event calendar before planning your trip, but the annual Junior Rodeo in July is a can't-miss weekend of cowboy fun.

Experience more adrenaline-pumping activities and one of the premier dirt tracks in northern Nevada at Fernley 95A Speedway. Set against a backdrop of clear desert skies and towering mountains, the speedway hosts off-road motorsports and recently built an impressive motocross track. For the complete experience, watch hobby stocks, sprint cars, and mods from the first rows, and leave with a coating of dust and mud. During the summer months, Saturday nights can't be missed — expect food trucks, inexpensive beers, and cheap tickets. 

The best time to visit Fernley is over the 4th of July weekend. For over 50 years, the town has come alive with nostalgic community-building activities, including a classic car show, pie-eating contests, a downtown parade, a greased pig contest, family-friendly fun at Out of Town Park, and fireworks. 

Thanks to the affordable, comfy hotels and collection of family-run restaurants, Fernley is a great jumping-off point for exploring high desert gems, including Pyramid Lake. You'll need a tribal permit to swim and fish in the blue waters of this lake, but it's worth the extra effort. Covering 125,000 acres of Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe land, these aquamarine waters boast some of the largest cutthroat trout in the world and striking pyramid-shaped rock formations.

Although Pyramid Lake RV Park offers full-hookup sites steps from the water, you can camp for free at the Fernley Wildlife Management Area, a Bureau of Land Management property. This area is popular among cost-conscious Burning Man attendees, but goes unexplored most of the year due to the complete lack of facilities and rugged, arid landscape.

Presiding over the junction of I-80, Highway 50, and Highway 95, Fernley is only a 45-minute drive from Virginia City, a bustling Nevada town that has a quirky western charm and various attractions. Once a thriving mining town, Virginia City leans heavily into its past. Victorian-era saloons, antique shops, and historic brick buildings line the downtown, while Comstock Mine tours and a wealth of museums invite visitors to dig a little deeper into the history.