| State Route 447 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Major roads in northern Nevada with SR 447 in red |
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| Route information | ||||
| Maintained by NDOT | ||||
| Length: | 74.645 mi[1] (120.129 km) | |||
| Major junctions | ||||
| South end: | SR 427 in Wadsworth | |||
| SR 446 near Nixon | ||||
| North end: | CR 447 in Gerlach | |||
| Highway system | ||||
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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 begins at a junction with SR 427, a historical routing of US 40, in Wadsworth, Nevada. The highway ends in Gerlach, Nevada. 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. 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]
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" [4]
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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.
The State highway officially ends here, becoming CR 447 where the roadbed continues as a Washoe county road [5] [6] 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]
The present day highway before 1978 was formed from part of SR 34 from Gerlach to Wadsworth, and former SR 81 from Gerlach to the State line which today is present CR 447[1][7]
This major intersections table lists junctions for both State Route 447 and Washoe County Route 447. All junctions are located in Washoe County.
| Location | Mile [2][8] |
Junction | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wadsworth | 0.00 | SR 427 – Fernley | |
| Nixon | SR 446 – Sutcliffe, Pyramid Lake State Park | ||
| Gerlach | 74.64 | SR 447 ends and CR 447 begins | |
| 75 | CR 34[5] – Vya | Former SR 34 | |
| 130 | Surprise Valley Rd – Eagleville, Cederville | California state line | |