Headin for the Black Hills of S.D.

[Yama Mama]

We have decided to ride the RSV to Sturgis from our home in Cincinnati. We will be riding west on I-74,to I-80, to I-380, to I-35 to I 90. We will be camping and I was wondering if anyone along those routes could advise on campgrounds. We also need to know if anyone knows of a good campground in eastern Wyoming.

I would appreciate any help on this. No we do not have a trailer, we are going to rough it.

YamaMama:thumbsup2:

 

[mini-muffin]

YAHOO!!! I don't think Sturgis is ever gonna be the same after you get there Peg. You guys have a great time and be safe out there. Remember pics please some of us aren't getting to many places for some time.

 

Margaret

[Holly]

Too bad, I will be going the other way, thru indianapolis then either cinci, or louisville on the way to augusta that weekend, 8/1. Other wise you could camp out here for a night. Sorry

 

 

Daryl

 

[Mariner Fan]

Man, how fun! Hope you two take pictures along the way.

[Yama Mama]

Too bad, I will be going the other way, thru indianapolis then either cinci, or louisville on the way to augusta that weekend, 8/1. Other wise you could camp out here for a night. Sorry

 

 

Daryl

 

 

Thank you Daryl, that would have been wonderful. We appreciate the thought.

Yama Mama

[IH Truck Guy]

We have decided to ride the RSV to Sturgis from our home in Cincinnati. We will be riding west on I-74,to I-80, to I-380, to I-35 to I 90. We will be camping and I was wondering if anyone along those routes could advise on campgrounds. We also need to know if anyone knows of a good campground in eastern Wyoming.

I would appreciate any help on this. No we do not have a trailer, we are going to rough it.

YamaMama:thumbsup2:

 

 

 

Holy crap..Yama Mama on the loose in Sturgis...

Good for you and Ron..

btw..There will be a whole lot of people spilling beer on tents,so you will fit right in.... :crackup:

[Yama Mama]

Holy crap..Yama Mama on the loose in Sturgis...

Good for you and Ron..

btw..There will be a whole lot of people spilling beer on tents,so you will fit right in.... :crackup:

 

Dan I figure that if they spill their beer on our tent, it will be probably a $10 one. They might sip up the spill.

I just hope we find a place to put the tent up.

YamaMama

[OB-1]

You mightg try the Devil's Tower KOA. Here's alink to their website: http://www.devilstowerkoa.com/

 

There is also a Mom & Pop campground just south of the tower with a great views. Good luck finding something as most campgrounds get fully booked around rally time. You might find a spot at Key Hole State Park and there's an RV park in Pine Haven, WY that might have a couple of tent spaces. You can also camp in the Black Hills National Forrest, but this means gravel roads and not much in the way of services.

 

We live in this area but we'll be heading to Oregon during rally time. Too many stupid people doing stupid things with too much noise for us.

 

Good Luck, be careful, and have fun!

[Cinderella]

wow momma hog........thats awesome......but

 

 

ifn your taking a trip like that why cant ya come down to Arkansas for the rally??? we would love to have you guys there

 

we see where your priority's are.......youd rather be around a bunch of wild drunkin naked harley riders than your family at the rally:whistling:

 

if i was you i would check around on the net for campgrounds before you leave and make reservations.....seriously most of the campgrounds book up way ahead of time around sturgis....know this from experience when dale went.

[Yama Mama]

Thank you Cindy. We are checking on some campgrounds in Wyoming. We did consider stopping by to see you in Arkansas too.

As far as the drunk, naked people., Ron says we are going to look at the bikes. And I think it is to see what the ride will be like.

YamaMama:big-grin-emoticon:

[Cinderella]

Thank you Cindy. We are checking on some campgrounds in Wyoming. We did consider stopping by to see you in Arkansas too.

As far as the drunk, naked people., Ron says we are going to look at the bikes. And I think it is to see what the ride will be like.

YamaMama:big-grin-emoticon:

hahaha im sure he will look at more than the bikes.........:rotf:

 

so keep considering and head south if even for a day or two.....

[Yama Mama]

We will consider that Cindy. It depends on the weather and how far we get each day. We figure between 400 to 500 miles a day. That way it will be more enjoyable.

Yama Mama:7_2_104[1]:

[cimmer]

I just came back from Indy to Minnesota and be prepared for lots of road construction in Ill. I-74 had lots of one lane roads and work area speeds of 45mph even when they arent working in the area. Iowa was fairly open other then a short section of bridge work between the Quad Cities and Iowa City and with some construction around Iowa City. Not sure what way you are planning to go from Waterloo, Ia but that is where I-380 ends. You have a choice of US 20, all 4 lane to I-35 or US 218 to US 18 to I-35, again all 4 lane. I usually go the US 218/18 route and did have a section of 1 lane road for about 10 miles or so, but traffic was moving freely on it.

Cant tell you much about I-90 in Minn or SD as I havent been on those routes in a while.

Cant tell you much about camp ground as I dont pay much attention to them. But I did stay at the Devils Tower KOA back in 1981 and it was very nice at that time. It is located right outside the park at the main entrance and had red cliffs as the background to it.

Enjoy your time and be safe..

Rick F.

[Pegasus1300]

Call Lanna at Chris Camp in Spearfish.She is very accomadating and may find a spot for you.Go to CHRIS' CAMPGROUND

701 Christensen Drive

Spearfish, South Dakota 57783

1-800-350-2239

1-605-642-2239

Speak to Lanna.

[eagleeye]

Call Lanna at Chris Camp in Spearfish.She is very accomadating and may find a spot for you.Go to CHRIS' CAMPGROUND

701 Christensen Drive

Spearfish, South Dakota 57783

1-800-350-2239

1-605-642-2239

Speak to Lanna.

 

Yes to this,

Steve

[cecdoo]

Sounds like a great trip, cant wait to see the pics, dont think Sturgis will ever be the same:rasberry: Craig

[Yammer Dan]

Ron is just going to look at Bikes!!!:rotfl::rotfl:

 

 

I'll never forget the trip I took to Daytona. The thing I remember most is the girls down kept losing their clothes. Must have been the heat!!

[Yama Mama]

Thanks everybody for all the suggestions. We will call Lanna tomorrow. That would make the trip a bit more enjoyable knowing we have a place to camp.

 

YamaMama

[bj66]

I sent you an e-mail yesterday on 2 more places. One is Spearfish City Campground, the other is Iron Horse Campground. Both should have room for tents. Especially later in the week. Hope this helps. More detailed info in the message I sent. Have fun, If ya need anymore info and I can help give me a holler.

 

Later,

Bernie

[Yama Mama]

Ron spoke to Lanna in Spearfish and I think we will be able to get a tent campsite there. So that is a big burden off of our minds.

So Now we will be leaving on Saturday morning. Now I am getting excited, a little afraid of what we are getting into, but also excited because I have always wanted to see this event.

Yama Mama

http://sturgiszone.com/picsphotos/biker/pictures/st20070925.jpg

[SteveB]

You all be careful and have a good time.

[Yama Mama]

Thank you SteveB, we plan to be very careful. But if you want you could still send a prayer our way.

Thank you,

YamaMama:hurts:

[Aussie Annie]

Stay safe, and have fun I have a couple of friends from Oz going to Sturgis too.

Jan and Russell are riding on their Harley (shipped over) so if you see an Australian, or Ulysses Club T-shirt--go say hello:smile5:

[Yama Mama]

Wow Annie would that not be a cool thing if I did see them! I will be sure to say hello if I do.

That is really exciting that they are coming all the way to South Dakota.

Yama Mama:thumbsup2:

[Guest tx2sturgis]

Hey Yama.. I heard an ad for Chris's Campground on that pirate radio station we were listening to...they said they have laundry, food...beer garden...all the normal stuff...

 

As far as some members stating the campgrounds fill up...it depends on your definition of 'filling up'...There are so many campgrounds in the area that I have NEVER seen any campground thats crowded to the point of being FULL.

 

There is ALWAYS room for one more tent (actually hundreds), in every campground. Some of them DO reach capacity as far as RV slots. But a dome tent will fit no matter HOW many tents are already there. You could end up without shade or without a table, but when someone leaves midweek, you just move your tent!

 

Camping is not a problem. Motels? Yeah, they are expensive IF you can find one.

 

These are my personal favorites as far as camping:

 

Glencoe Campground ( ALL the facilities in one place, you can LIVE here for a week!)

Elkview Campground ( quiet and friendly, but no laundry facilities when we stayed there)

Days End Campground ( close to everything with all the facilities but little shade)

 

Others I have heard good things about:

 

Buffalo Chip ( of course!)

Lamphere Campground

Hog Heaven

 

Here is a link to some of them and more:

 

http://www.sturgiscampgrounds.com/

 

Here is one that has me interested for next year...maybe:

 

http://www.shadevalley.com

 

Your gonna have a blast...so dont worry about camping...most of the time we just ride up and get a place at the last minute...its THAT easy! They will ALWAYS find a spot for another tent!

 

A few more bits of advise on camping:

 

Several campgrounds DO have catered camping. ( you are renting the camping supplies) You pay the bucks, usually around $400-$600 for the week, and they set you up a nice tent, 2 sleeping bags, an air mattress, 2 pillows, a cooler, and a lantern, and then take it down for you after you leave. Kinda pricey, but you dont have to carry the stuff on your bike that way. If you call a campground, ask them if they offer catered camping, if you might want to go that route.

 

There are NO open campfires allowed during the rally ANYWHERE in Meade County. Just be ready for THAT news.

 

Here is a little advice if you DO buy your own camping supplies for the rally.

When you leave your house, pack the tent you like, and whatever little camping sundries you like, but DONT pack sleeping bags, tarps, chairs, coolers, shower shoes, or airmatresses. This stuff takes up a LOT of space on a bike. And none of it is worth packing and repacking on the bike for 3 days each way.

 

When you get within 100 miles or so of Sturgis, stop at a WalMart or other box store and buy some CHEAPO $10 sleeping bags, $7 folding chairs, $2 flip flops and $4 towels for the showers, $6 tarp, ( tent footprint) and a cheap $15 air mattress or water raft, and strap em on the bike. Use those at your campsite, for the week, then TOSS them in the trash when you leave. You dont need them anymore. Or you can simply leave the stuff set up when you depart, and the campgrounds donate this stuff thats left behind to the local boy and girl scout troops, or other charity, to sell.

 

You can buy a cheapo styrofoam cooler and ice at the campground or a nearby c-store. Then toss it when you leave.

 

When you discover that you have bought a lot of souvenirs and shirts, you can pack those on the bike and then go to the post office in Sturgis, Spearfish, or wherever, buy a large shipping box and tape, pack up your dirty laundry, and your tent, and mail that stuff back home to yourself. It will cost around $30 to do this, give or take, and it will take about 7 to 10 days. ( so dont pack the sturgis shirts and souvenirs in there!) . If the tent and laundry are worth more than $50 or so, its worth it...

 

 

Try to camp at least 50 feet from any nearby porta potty. When the 'honey wagon' shows up in the mornings, you'll thank me!

 

Mornings are the busiest as far as people in line for showers. If you can be there in the afternoon or late evenings, the shower lines are short or non-existent.

 

All campgrounds offer free coffee in the morning, so dont bother with bringing any kind of coffee pot and supplies. Aint worth it.

 

You wont need mosquito spray. People outnumber mosquitos during the rally!

 

Dont bring an expensive camcorder...Just take a digital camera and if you want video, they sell them all over. The pros do a better job of it, and you dont have to worry about tape, memory or keeping it charged, or worry about where to keep it safe on the bike.

 

Speaking of keeping things charged, most campgrounds have outlets either in the office or the food court where you can plug in your cell phone to keep it charged every day or 2. And about cell phones: There is a HUGE number of people using just a few towers. Call Failures are NORMAL. Texting usually gets thru.

 

If you smoke and love a particular type of cigarette or cigar, other than the normal Marlboro or Camel brands, then bring a supply. You wont find much of a variety there, EXCEPT at the Deadwood Tobacco Store in Deadwood.

 

There is beer available everywhere, but liquor is only available in a few places, and one of those is the city-owned Sturgis Liquor on Lazelle St. It IS open on Sundays!

 

For those heading to the Black Hills, and especially, those who ARENT, here is a link to the Sturgis Rally Radio Station:

 

http://www.theknuckle.com/

 

Click on KNKL

Click on LISTEN

Click on the link provided ( stream URL)

 

This station is on the air in Downtown Sturgis on 1610 AM. Its physically located inside the Knuckle Saloon.

 

 

 

I'll leave off here...I'm getting long winded again!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 28, 2009 by tx2sturgis