Playa Flashback: Black Rock Lighthouse Service, 2016
A panoramic photo shared on r/burningman by user BRCnative pulls the playa into focus: three towering, weathered wooden lighthouses leaning into the desert, linked by rope bridges and packed with burners. The post resurfaced a wave of nostalgia — it earned 516 upvotes and sparked a lively thread of memories from the 2016 burn.
The installation reads like a miniature seaside town dropped in the middle of Black Rock City: climbing decks, suspension walkways, people perched at the top taking in the horizon. Bikes ring the scene, the towers cast long, dramatic shadows across the flat playa, and the distant mountains frame the shot — a perfect example of Burning Man scale and spectacle.
- Year: 2016
- Event: Burning Man — Black Rock City
- Source: r/burningman (posted by user BRCnative)
- Reddit score: 516 upvotes
- Comments: 64
Why it matters: structures like the Black Rock Lighthouse Service aren’t just photo ops — they’re social infrastructure. They invite climbing, conversation, and informal gatherings that turn ephemeral art into community anchors. Shots like this remind the scene why we keep building big, interactive pieces on the playa.
Festival Wire will keep surfacing standout playa moments. If this one hits you with a flashback, you’re not alone — the playa remembers.
Source: https://www.reddit.com/r/BurningMan/comments/1nw3z4x/black_rock_lighthouse_service_2016/