Nevada State Route 447

State Route 447 marker

State Route 447
Gerlach Road

Major roads in northern Nevada with SR 447 in red
Route information
Maintained by NDOT
Length: 74.645 mi[1] (120.129 km)
Tourist
routes:		 Pyramid Lake Scenic Byway
Major junctions
South end: SR 427 in Wadsworth
  SR 446 near Nixon
North end: CR 447 in Gerlach
Highway system
  • Highways in Nevada
← SR 446SR 485 →

State Route 447 (SR 447) is a state highway in the U.S. state of Nevada. The highway is almost entirely within Washoe County but does for a brief time enter Pershing County, Nevada[2] The highway connects the town of Gerlach to the remainder of the state via Wadsworth. Though passing through extremely remote and desolate areas of Nevada, the highway has recently gained fame as the primary route to access the Black Rock Desert, the site of the annual Burning Man festival. The state maintained portion ends at Gerlach; however the highway continues as Washoe County Route 447 from Gerlach north to the California state line near Cedarville.

A 4.5-mile (7.2 km) portion of this highway, along with portions of SR 445 and SR 446, has been designated the Pyramid Lake Scenic Byway.[3]

Route description

View north from the south end of SR 447
SR 447 leaving Winnemucca Lake northbound toward Empire
SR 447 between Wadsworth and Pyramid Lake

The route begins at a junction with Old US 40 in Wadsworth. The highway proceeds north following the path of the Truckee River, and passes along the east side of the river's terminus at Pyramid Lake near Nixon. The highway continues north following the western edge of Winnemucca Lake, a dry lake that once also was the terminus of the Truckee river. During this portion the highway straddles the Washoe/Pershing County line.[2]

The highway enters the Black Rock Desert just before arriving at Empire, a city founded on processing gypsum extracted from the desert. The highway ends 0.375 miles (0.60 km) north of crossing the Union Pacific Railroad's Feather River Route in Gerlach.

Just past where the official designation ends is the turn off for former State Route 34, which is used to access the large playa of the Black Rock Desert and the site of the annual Burning Man Festival.

County Route 447

The State highway officially ends here, becoming CR 447 where the roadbed continues as a Washoe county road [4] [5] to the California State Line near the Lassen/Modoc county line. This road is frequently called the Gerlach-Cederville Road. Some maps erroneously list this road as part of State Route 447.[2]

History

Before 1978, the present-day highway was part of SR 34 from Gerlach to Wadsworth, and former SR 81 from Gerlach to the California state line (now CR 447)[1][6]

Ten solar energy arrays, totaling 451 kilowatts, have been installed along Nevada 447 with the help of Burning Man-related not-for-profit Black Rock Solar and Nevada's "Solar Generations" rebate program. Nevada Governor Jim Gibbons issued an August 18, 2010 proclamation declaring the road "to be America's Solar Highway" [7]

Major intersections

This major intersections table lists junctions for both State Route 447 and Washoe County Route 447. All junctions are located in Washoe County.

Locationmi
[2][8]		kmDestinationsNotes
Wadsworth0.000.00 SR 427 – Fernley
Nixon SR 446 – Sutcliffe, Pyramid Lake State Park
Gerlach74.64120.12SR 447 ends and CR 447 begins
75121 CR 34[4] – VyaFormer SR 34; to Black Rock Desert playa
​130210Surprise Valley Rd – Eagleville, CedervilleCalifornia state line
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

See also

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Nevada State Route 447.
  1. 1 2 "State Maintained Highways of Nevada: Descriptions and Maps". Nevada Department of Transportation. January 2015. Retrieved January 16, 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Nevada Road and Recreation Atlas (Map). 1:250000. Benchmark Maps. 2003. p. 38,46. ISBN 0-929591-81-X.
  3. ↑ "Nevada Scenic Byways". Nevada Department of Transportation. Retrieved 2008-01-11.
  4. 1 2 "Department of Public Works Budget Presentation FY 2008‐2009 - page 14" (PDF). Retrieved 2009-08-29.
  5. ↑ "Washoe county roads department -- area descriptions". Washoe County, Nevada. Retrieved 2008-02-03.
  6. ↑ Nevada Department of Highways, Official Highway Map of Nevada, 1978-79
  7. ↑ "A Proclamation by the Governor". Retrieved 2010-09-13.
  8. ↑ Nevada Department of Transportation (May 2008). "Maps of Milepost Location on Nevada's Federal and State Highway System by County" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on August 10, 2009. Retrieved 2009-09-10.
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