Rain strands thousands at Burning Man; told to conserve water, food

Heavy rain stranded tens of thousands attending the Burning Man festival in northwest Nevada’s Black Rock Desert on Saturday.

The crowd was advised to conserve food and water, as more rain was expected Saturday night and on Sunday at the site, known to festival-goers as Black Rock City.

Federal officials closed access to the site, as mud has mired the unpaved roads leading to the area. Only emergency vehicles are allowed to move, the event’s organizers wrote on X.

“Do not travel to Black Rock City! Access to the city is closed for the remainder of the event, and you will be turned around,” the organizers said.

Burning Man attendees found themselves struggling through ankle-deep mud brought about by rain that began Friday, CNN reported.

Some people turned to wrapping Ziploc bags and trash bags around their shoes, while others are choosing to go barefoot, attendee Hannah Burhorn told the outlet.

Others are walking from tent to tent, ensuring that people have enough food and water, she said.

Burhorn said the sand has turned to mud and clay.

“It’s unavoidable at this point,” she said. “It’s in the bed of the truck, inside the truck. People who have tried to bike through it and have gotten stuck because it’s about ankle deep.”

The exact number of people stranded is not known, but the annual festival was reported earlier to be hosting over 70,000 people.

People currently heading to Burning Man are being advised to turn around and head home by the federal Bureau of Land Management, which oversees the government-owned land.