Nevada's Hidden Waterholes

One of the most famous festivals in the world happens in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert every September (Burning Man), but what you may not know is that in spring the “playa” is a completely different world, especially this year! Aside from no crowds, epic winter rains have led to a rare occurrence, where the dry desert has become a literal oasis.

Instead of hard-packed dirt, a whole lot of water is covering Black Rock—and that means you can canoe, kayak, and SUP the playa! Even the fairy shrimp are loving it; this species of shrimp comes to life only when the playa has water. Yep, it’s a water-full experience! In fact, all the rivers in Nevada are raging and the lakes are at the highest they’ve been in 100 years—that includes northern Nevada’s Lake Tahoe and Truckee River, and the Colorado River in southern Nevada.