Create Your Camp
Camps are the heart of community in Black Rock City (BRC). Everyone’s contributing in some way and everyone needs a place to live. Camping in BRC can be as simple as finding a spot in open camping for yourself or small group, registering a camp with the Placement team in the spring, or joining an existing registered “placed” camp.
Wherever you land, remember to practice the Principles of Radical Inclusion, Gifting, and Communal Effort because we all love seeing those shine in camps. Your home is what you make of it — whether it’s a tent, a yurt, a customized van, an RV, or a trailer you drive in, there’s space for everyone in BRC!
Explore all the camps invited to Black Rock City in 2026.
If you’re just looking to set up your camp…
Whether you’re on your own, with a couple friends, or a group, you can find a spot in open camping.
Open Camping exists generally between G-K streets. You just need to enter BRC and find a spot that isn’t reserved for placed camps. Avoid the blue survey flags that mark placed camps, and talk with the folks who’ve already set up to make sure you can comfortably camp by each other. If a spot’s too crowded or claimed, there’s likely a spot nearby that can work just as well.
Walk-In Camping also exists between 2:00-5:00 and requires parking along the flag line along K street and walking your stuff in (you may not park in open camping).
For tips about planning a camp…
We’ve got some great resources!
- Visit the Camping Tips page to cover many topics, including how to manage water, kitchens, power, etc.
- The Camp Resource Guide provides great tips and tricks for building and running a camp.
- Read through the Survival section of Burning Man’s Survival Guide for a list of essential and recommended items to pack.
- Camp Support Team has advisors and can help you by emailing campsupport@burningman.org.
- You can also join or start a thread through ePlaya or Burning Man Hive. Many tips are shared by experienced Burners through spaces like Reddit and Facebook groups.
- Campfire Talks is a series of live conversations with camp organizers covering many topics related to camp life.
If you’d prefer to have a reserved/registered camping…
The Placement process is here for you!
Placement is not required, but some benefits that come with being a “placed camp” include ability to access BRC earlier than the public opening date, a defined spot for you to build your camp, access to tickets, and generally a location closer to the Esplanade and along BRC’s main streets.
There are specific criteria and timeline to be selected for placement, and you can learn about them through Placement Criteria and Placement Process. Receiving placement requires earlier planning including completing the Placed Camp Questionnaire by March/April of each year.
Email any questions you have to placement@burningman.org.
Looking for a camp to join?
You don’t need to join a camp like is rumored, but it can be helpful way to learn the ropes.
Every year, camps submit their information for our annual Placed Camp Listings. Check out camps invited to Black Rock City in 2026 and the archive of previous listings. There is a tent emoji ⛺ signifying if a camp is open for new campers and many camps include a website or email address where you can reach out.
Have a skill to contribute? A talent to share? Check out Spark, Burning Man’s tool for online collaboration where camps and individuals post.
