Bikes, Viking ships and floating castles: Burning Man attendees arrive in style for official opening as bizarre rumors swirl Elon Musk is going to fund permanent festival commune 

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Revelers have arrived in style for the official opening of Burning Man - flocking in with bikes, Viking ships and even a floating castle.

Tens of thousands of brightly dressed attendees are filling out the five-mile stretch of the Nevada desert known as the 'playa' as the week-long arts festival gets underway. 

Their arrival comes amid bizarre rumors that SpaceX boss Elon Musk is among a number of high-profile attendees who have looked at a nearby property with the aim of creating a year-round Burning Man city.

New York Magazine reports that there is talk that Musk and fellow Silicon Valley tech star, Google's Sergey Brin, are potential investors in the Fly Ranch -  a '4,000 acre' plot that could include homesteads, art installations and a village community. 

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Arriving in style: Brightly dressed revelers are flocking to Burning Man in their hundreds - with many using alternative forms of transport

Life's a breeze: These attendees went one better and arrived at the remote Nevada campsite on a wooden boat (on top of a van)

Time for reflection: A Burning Man attendee cycles past an art installation during the festival's 'Carnival of Mirrors'

The 'Man' dominates the Playa during the Burning Man 2015 'Carnival of Mirrors' arts and music festival in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada

U.S. Forest Service rangers and Bureau of Land Management officials will be shouldering policing duties for the duration of the art festival, with some help from a couple dozen volunteers.

On Sunday, the first Burning Man law enforcement officials arrived at the main campsite.

Some of the officers were accompanied by their four-legged partners equipped with 'doggles' to protect their eyes from sand and dust. 

'Burners' welcomed the festival police force with open arms, happily posing for photos with the uniformed officers and their bespectacled pooches. 

In the weeks leading up to the 29th annual Burning Man alternative-living extravaganza, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management had made a request for luxury accommodations for law enforcement officials arriving to police the event from Washington DC, but the agency later rescinded the request.

The $1million 'Blue Pit Compound' for BLM agents would have included flushing toilets, laundry washers and dryers, hot water, air conditioning, vanity mirrors, refrigerators and couches, as well as 24-hour access to ice cream.

Having given up on the planned VIP lodgings, BLM officials who arrived in the desert Sunday will spend the next week staying in the nearby town of Gerlach, located aout 15 miles away, and use the same food caterer as the rest of the festival attendees.  

About 70,000 people from all over the world are gathering at the sold-out festival to spend a week in the remote desert to experience art, music and the unique community that develops

Alternative transport: Two men arrive in a bright blue vehicle (left) while others pitched up in a Viking boat with wheels

Sundance: Light is reflected from the Temple of Promise as revelers gather at sunset at the start of Burning Man

Burning Man festival has officially got under way in the Nevada desert, welcoming revelers for a week-long celebration of art, music and creativity in all its whimsical forms

Men and women from all walks of life, and from all across the country, began arriving in droves in Nevada's remote Black Rock City on Sunday, posing for photos in the dusty lunar landscape

On Saturday, BLM officials held a training session teaching 30 volunteers how to prevent damage to the 'playa'. The goal is to leave no trace of the raucous week-long bacchanal when it's all over September 7. 

Although cell phone reception was said to be unreliable at the site of the event, some revelers managed to beam out into the world early snapshots from the festivities. 

Instagram user Thais Martins shared photos of herself and a fellow participant dressed in skimpy outfits standing triumphantly on an airport tarmac upon their arrival in Nevada.  

Hundreds arrived on bicycles as the huge five-mile site filled up with revelers. The Man is pictured dominating the festival grounds

Outpost: People ride past the Black Rock Bijou, a movie theater far out on the Playa during the Burning Man 2015

Meet the Rangers: U.S. Forest Service Ranger Paul Zohovetz introduces his four-legged partner sporting 'doggles' to 'Burners' during a friendly meet-n-greet Sunday evening

Say, 'Cheese!': Revelers happily posed for pictures with rangers tasked with policing the week-long desert festival 

Art extravaganza: The Nautilus, the Monaco, and El Pulpo Mecanico structures pictured on the 'playa.' Burning Man icon El Pulpo Mecanico - a giant moving octopus - paid a special visit to Bureau of Land Management HQ Sunday. Accompanied by mutant vehicles the Monaco and the Nautilus, El Pulpo Mecanico impressed BLM rangers with fiery propane-powered beats

Rising from the dust: A view from Soldier Meadows Road west of the 'playa' showing this year's Burning Man 'temple' under construction

Desert mirage: A view of the Burning Man campsite as seen Monday morning from Soldier Meadows Road 

Shrouded: A dust storm on the 'playa' Saturday morning. The wind caused some damage to the tents, which had to be repaired 

Other photos taken by Ms Martins on the 'playa' feature the brunette 'Burner' posing seductively in a high-waisted pink-and-white bikini and matching socks, with a bevvy of beauties in similar getups milling about in the background.

Over the weekend, as early arrivals were busy erecting camps and getting their art projects ready for showtime, wind speeds reached 40mph and the air was filled with choking dust.

Several campsites were flattened by strong gusts of wind, which damaged some tents.

Last week, the official Burning Man blog also reported another problem: the campsite was overrun with swarms of bugs.

'They're everywhere,' the blog reported. 'They bite. They crawl all over you. They get up and in you.'

But it appears that the creepy unwelcome guests have since vanished, according to some festival goers.

Earth Guardians: 'Burners' learned how to partner with BLM and Black Rock City rangers to prevent resource damage to the 'playa' during this year's event

BLM environmental compliance staff and the Earth Guardians trained 30 new volunteers to help keep Burning Man the world's largest Leave No Trace event

Weathering the storm: Earth Guardians in training covered their faces with scarves and protected their eyes with goggles during a windstorm Saturday 

Moonbow: A rainbow is seen around the moon before the big dust storm that settled over Black Rock City Saturday 

So it begins: Burning Man festival got under way Monday, with many participants arriving the day before to set up camp and make preparations for the week-long celebration of creativity 

Pretty in pink: 'Burner' Thais Martins shared this image of herself in a pink-and-white bikini on the 'playa' in the Nevada desert, with a bevvy of other beauties in the background  

Not afraid of the storm: The threat of a massive sandstorm did nothing to keep tens of thousands of Burning Man revelers from the desert this year

Some festival goers came prepared with scarves to protect them from the dust and desert sand  

Fur the love of art: Reveler Ali Shanti shared a photo of this bearded 'Burner' in a heavy fur coat and steampunk-inspired goggles on his head

Speaking to USA Today, some participants said their arrival at the festival site was relatively quick and easy this year, especially compared to last year when Burning Man was forced to close the gates on the first day due to heavy rainfall that turned the 'playa' into a mud pit.

On the eve of the 2015 festival, the gates were temporarily closed Saturday due to high winds.

Sunday afternoon, the road leading to the main camp became choked with cars and trucks, and organizers had to remind motorists to stay in their vehicles and patiently wait for the traffic to ease up.

Many 'Burners' passed the time by playing music and exchanging hugs.

‘It was pretty fun,’ David Oliver, who waited in line for five hours, told the paper. ‘There were crazy people doing crazy things.’

Some Burning Man participants with extra money to spend opted to fly in, arriving by private jets and charter flights that landed in a temporary airfield in the desert, known as 88NV, which is operated by Burning Man for the duration of the festival.

A 'Burner' walks past some shade structures during a morning dust storm at Burning Man on the Black Rock Desert Saturday

Robynne Rowlinson, left, and James Bisset, both from South Africa, walk through a morning dust storm at Burning Man on Saturday

Many people arrived with bikes in tow to help them transport their luggage and camping equipment.

Some 'Burners', like Kamil Ozavar who flew in from Turkey for the annual celebration, chose to walk the final mile to the campsite rather than get stuck in traffic.

‘To be here, it's special. You don't realize it, but it changes you,’ he said. ‘This is a special place for inspiration.’

Ben Feintech, who arrived in Black Rock City from California a week ago to help with the preparations, marveled at the speed with which the camp has been taking shape.

‘It's been amazing. When I first got here, there was nothing,' the Burning Man volunteer told the paper.

George Krieger stands outside while securing his tent during a morning dust storm at Burning Man on the Black Rock Desert in Gerlach, Nevada on Saturday

Jamie Sparks relaxes after arriving on the playa at Burning Man on Friday, in the Black Rock Desert near Gerlach

Mima Hall pulls her son, Makai, around in a wagon while their camp is being set up at Burning Man Friday

Burning Man, currently in its 29th year, begins on the last Monday of August and ends on the first Monday of September, usually drawing around 65,000 people from around the country and beyond to gather on the remote 'playa' for a week of festivities centered around art and alternative living.

Since money is effectively outlawed at the site, guests are urged to barter for commodities and many fans have already taken to social media offering to swap items such as crystals for festival tickets.

The entire campsite is temporary, and participants are required to bring everything with them, from food to tents and even furniture.

Every year, several massive 'temples' are built according to a theme, and on the last day, they are burned down in a ritualistic ceremony.

This year's theme is ‘Carnival of Mirrors,’ and will likely involve mirrors and masks, according to the event's website.