29 DREAMS
53707 HWY 25
VANDIVER, AL. 35176
205-672-0309
http://www.29dreams.com
A haven for motorcyclists, nestled in the foothills of the Southern
Appalachian Mountains, 29 Dreams is located just south of Birmingham,
Alabama on scenic Highway 25.
Blue Ridge Motorcycle Camping Resort
Cruso, NC 28716
704.235.8350
A bit southwest of Asheville, NC. Run by Henry and Dee Hartsfield. Good food on-site and great riding. This is a very well-run campground that also offers camping cabins for those that are ground-challenged.
High Country Cycle Camp offers many acres of grass camping, plenty of shade and is situated on a stream. It provides excellent showers and other facilities and is the site of several BMW-oriented rallies throughout the year.
High Country Cycle Camp
216 Mt. Zion Rd.,
Ferguson, NC 28624
910.973.7522
The well known Turkey Tom's place. Don't try to find it after dark.
Just off the Blue Ridge Parkway, southeast of Wilkesboro, NC.. Call or write for a flyer. Nice facilities, great riding. Tom holds two GS rallies a year, plus an Airhead Rendezvous.
Motorcycling Vacation Resort
300 Woodland Road
Sequatchie, Tennessee 37374
423-942-8688, www.trailstrainingcenter.com
Just west of Chattanooga, contact: Laura Bussing. An "All-inclusive resort for the motorcyclist only" offers both premium camping and full lodging packages. They also provide advice on the best riding and sightseeing for both on-road and dual-sport tourists. One interesting sidelight is an Observed Trials school, where you can rent a Gas Gas and make like Sammy Miller.
Rider's Roost Cycle Resort
Owner: Uncle Roy
100 Elk Creek Road Ferguson, NC 28624
336-973-8405, www.ridersroost.com
Located off NC Highway 268 between Wilkesboro and Lenoir, near Boone, NC
Features campsites and lodging facilities situated alongside a mountain stream where you can sleep to the sounds of white water rapids. The owners admit to holding a few noisy parties per year on holiday weekends, but if you're sensitive to noise, bring earplugs along whenever you visit, just in case the stream doesn't drown out the hogs! :^)
River Valley MC Campground
Owner: Lewis Anderson
(20 min S of) Fredericton, NB, CA
506-357-8218
NB 1st Edition BMW Riders hold their rally here.
Songdog Ranch
New Cuyama, CA
800-766-2461
www.songdog.com
4 miles south of intersection of CA166 and CA33 (just East of Santa Maria). Owners: Jim Revely (who makes RevPak Touring Accessories). Great roads in the High Desert ), not far from Santa Barbara or Los Angeles. Take the Frazier Park Exit 205 west from I-5 & then the Cerro Noroeste Road… or from Ventura, take the Ojai exit, CA33 North, from the 101. Spartan facilities, but be sure to call ahead and order the dinner for two. Cabin available. Good, but tough dual-sport riding available just up the canyon.
Two Wheels Only (TWO)
Suches, GA
706-747-5151
http://www.twowheelsonly.com
Located on GA60, 100 yards south of GA180 and some of the best motorcycle riding around. Owner: Britt & G.T. Turner. Great people that host a ton of events and favorites of here at Redline.
Two Wheel Only Campground at the Blueberry Farm
Avinger, Texas
East of Dallas
800-559-1013
Berries Fresh June and July. Owner: Herb Stark
A web site that lists MC-oriented campgrounds is at http://www.recreationusa.com/camping/mc-camp.html
A few of the campgrounds listed here on on this site, too... I followed one interesting link and found a campground on the Mohican Indian Reservation (probably the last one!). Check out
http://www.mohicanreservation.com
Willville Motorcycle Campground
1510 Jeb Stuart Highway (Route 58)
Meadows of Dan, Virginia
(540)952-CAMP
http://www.willvillebikecamp.com
willvill@swva.net
Exit Route 58 West off the Blue
Ridge Parkway (Mile Marker 177.7). Route 58 West 3/4 of a
mile on the left (1/2 Mile past the
RV Campground)
Good camping, state-by-state
Alaska
Brushkana Campground
On the Denali Highway, 31 miles east of Cantwell. 907-822-3217
Located on a must-ride highway in Alaska... with great views of the Alaska Range. Good river for fishing... great if you want to hike a bit. Be prepared for bears and other wildlife... this is the real deal.
Upper Skilak Campground
On the Sterling Highway, Kenai Peninsula, 907-262-7021. At milepost 8 on Skilak Road. Lakeside camping, not quite as remote as the Denali Highway.
Arkansas
Ozark Mountains
From Mark Reilly, the state of Arkansas has a great state park system -- campsites, cabins and lodges. The roads are the best for hundreds of miles. The fall foliage equals Vermont. Call 1-800-NATURAL and ask for a Travel Planner Kit.
California
These campsites come to you courtesy of Doug Hubbard, BMW Norcal camp guy:
-
Point Cabrillo Campground on Hwy. 1 just south of Ft. Bragg
-
Plaskett Greek Campground on Hwy. 1 just south of Lucia
-
Pinnacles Campground on Hwy. 25 near Pinnacles National Monument south of Hollister
-
Anchor Bay Campground on Hwy. 1 near Anchor Bay
-
San Simeon State Beach Campground on Hwy. 1 near Cambria
-
Quaking Aspen Campground on Hwy. 190 near Springville
-
Shelter Cove Campground on the coast at Shelter Cove
-
Dardanelle Resort on Hwy. 108 in Dardanelle near Sonora Pass
-
Hat Creek Hereford Ranch Campground on Hwy. 89 near Old Station
-
Hat Creek Campground on Hwy. 89 near Old Station
-
Song Dog Ranch on Hwy. 33. A motorcycle campground near New Cuyama
-
River Ranch Campground on Hwy. 108 near Tuolumne
-
Grover Hot Springs State Park on Hwy. 4 near Markleville
-
Trinity County Fairgrounds on Hwy. 3 in Hayfork
Secret Spots in California
From Bob Keener, Coarsegold, California who loves Yosemite but hates crowds. Of all the territory in these mountains, I love the camping on the east slope of the Sierra below Tioga pass. Follow the highway east out of the park through Tuolumne Meadows. Through the east gate and drop about nine thousand feet in six or so miles. At the bottom, and before intersecting with Highway 395, is a rustic campground whose sites line the river that cascades down through Tioga Pass. Fish, or sleep. ed: Bob didn't say the name but from everything I can tell by his description, the place is called Tioga Lake, run by the National Forest Service, 760-647-7000. 12 sites, all tents, no trailers (always a good sign...). There are 5-6 other NFS campsites in the area, as well.
Another from Keener is in an area not far from where the '49er Rally is held. Take Highway 89 north out of Truckee, it connects and turns into 70 at Blairsden. Through Quincy east on 70, (the current '49er location) and travel fifteen or so miles to the intersection where 89 breaks north. Indian "Creek" flows along this road. About four miles in on 89, you have the best sand beach, fire wood, free camp spot in the Western U.S. (but don't tell anyone). Wake up in the am, make coffee, sit by the creek. Load your bike and into Greenville for breakfast. Go back to Quincy or down the Feather to Chico or Oroville. But stay as long as you can.
Bob Lawes, of Washington state says his favorite campground is Indian Scotty, a Forest Service campground on the banks of the Scott River, 17 miles down the Scott River Road west of Fort Jones, California in the Klamath National Forest. 36 camping spots that have never been full on the 4th of July weekend. Swimming, trout fishing, on the edge of the Marble Mountain Wilderness area, quiet, peaceful camping, with nothing but skinny twisty roads in all directions. Explore old gold mines, visit many small country towns. One of the favorites of the Vidiots for hide away camping in the middle of super motorcycle roads.
Colorado
Grand Mesa Area
Southeast of Grand Junction in southwestern Colorado, multiple State Park sites.
Aspen and Independence Pass Area
You can get a nice campsite along a river, enjoy the Hot Springs of Glenwood Springs, and do some great fishing too. (Gary W. Longanecker)
Great Sand Dunes National Monument/Pinyon Flats Campground
South Central Colorado, 21 miles east of Alamosa on US 160, 719-378-2312 Lots of sand dunes to explore, good GS'ing (lower your tire pressure way down... they've got air pumps to reinflate afterwards)
Georgia
Tallulah River NFS campgrounds.
Trout fishing paradise, really nice & natural for the rest of us. Take Hwy. 76 about 12 miles west of Clayton and go right on Persimmon Valley Road (look for Firestation, if you cross the Tallulah River, you went too far). Go until you see the Brown National Forest sign on the left. Take this road to any one of three progressively more primitive campgrounds... the first is on paved road, and there are more than a few motorhomes, the second two require 3-5 miles of gravel road that is easily traversable by any bike. Stop along the river to fish or swim.
Black Rock Mountain State Park, Dillard Georgia. Just north of Clayton on 441, good sites with full services and lots of tents-only places. There is a great spot to take pictures of the sunset over the Appalachians.
Illinois
From Gabriel Leon:
Mississippi Palisades State Park
16327A Illinois Route 84
Savanna, IL, 61074
(815)273-2731.
Starved Rock/Shabbona Lake State Recreation Area
4201 Shabbona Grove Road, Shabbona, IL 60550
815-824-2106
Just miles west of Chicago, off U.S. 30, urban sprawl gives way to 1,550 acres of rolling prairie and features a 318.8 acre man-made fishing lake. Shabbona Lake State Recreation Area provides a convenient, natural haven from the hustle and bustle of daily life.
Mississppi
Bench Mark Works
A Vintage BMW Restoration Shop & erstwhile campground
3400 Earles Fork Rd
Sturgis, Mississippi 39759
http://members.aol.com/VechBMW/index.html
Missouri
Table Rock State Park
West of Branson on SR 76 & 165. 417-334-4704
Lots of space, nice private sites and a minimum of motorhomes. On the beautiful Lake of the Ozarks, just west of Branson.
Montana
From Dick Taylor (Classy Guy):
There's a couple of thousand private and public campgrounds here in Montana. Anyone who was truly "humble" would never be so bold as to recommend only two of them. I however don't suffer from that handicap, so here are two of my favorites:
Lolo Hot Springs
25 miles west of Lolo on famous US Hwy. 12
"Winding Road Next 77 Miles." 406-273-2290.
Elkhorn Guest Ranch
20 miles east of Missoula on I-90, Rock Creek exit #126, then south for 4 miles. Located on Rock Creek, world-famous blue ribbon trout stream. (That's pronounced "crick" if you're from around here originally.) 406-825-3220.
Nevada
Cathedral Gorge State Park
Southeastern Nevada south of Picohe and west of Panaca. 702-728-4467 Another middle of nowhere place. Very nice facilities, including showers that are barely used. Shady camping available in the middle of the desert.
New Hampshire
The entire area up around the White Mountains of NH. Beautiful area, lots of streams, campsites, and you can ride all the way up to the top of Mount Washington.
North Carolina
From Rob Libbert:
In my neck of the woods (literally), the national park service really provides the best camping facilities. Along the BRP [Blue Ridge Parkway -- ed] in North Carolina good camping can be found at
Doughton Park (near hwy 18 intersection), Stone Mountain State Park (down hwy 21 from parkway),
Price Park and Cone Park near Blowing Rock are nice as well. For an alternative there are also small motels (usually with a great view, usually booked) run by the national park service along the parkway. The only thing about state and federal parks to remember is that they forbid alcoholic beverages :^( However.... A ranger has NEVER asked to smell my drink (or anything else for that matter) so just be discrete. My field is also a pretty good place to camp (10 miles down hwy 21 from BRP) as well - free too (except for the beer.)
Cheoah Point
7 miles north of Robbinsville (yep... Robbinsville) on Highway 129. 828-479-6431 From David Fry, #75413: Near Deal's Gap and the Cherohala Skyway... on a lake. Check your politics at the border.
Rider's Roost Cycle Resort
100 Elk Creek Road Ferguson, NC 28624
336-973-8405, www.ridersroost.com
South Carolina
Caesars Head State Park
In the Mountain Bridge Wilderness and Recreation Area, Northwest of Greenville. 8155 Geer Highway, Cleveland, SC 29635 803-836-6115 Mountainous area in extreme northwest SC... surrounded by lots of good riding, hiking & fishing.
Jones Gap State Park
In the Mountain Bridge Wilderness and Recreation Area, Northwest of Greenville. 303 Jones Gap Road, Marietta, SC 29661 803-836-3647 Just 5 miles from Caesars Head SP, the two are connected by a scenic but strenuous hiking trail.
Hunting Island
On a barrier island near Beaufort, SC. 2555 Sea Island Parkway, Hunting Island, SC 29920 803-838-2011 Beach camping & ocean swimming, 200 tent sites, 15 cabins, hot showers and flush toilets.
Texas
Big Bend National Park is one of the best remote destinations in the US. It has plenty of views, river roads, desert and flowers.You can get
up-to-date info on park conditions and Stephen Scace of Austin, Texas offers this local knowledge:
Solis and Talley campgrounds, on either side of Mariscal Canyon, are prime spots for burgling vehicles. It's very remote, and folks leave stuff in their cars while they paddle the canyon. Not great camping anyway. Black Dike at the west end is unusual and kinda neat. Fresno, up near Mariscal Mine is higher up and away from the river, drier and breezier. Exposed. But close to the mine, which is a really cool place--don't breathe the cinnabar dust.
It's hot. Real hot. Terlingua hits 120 F in the summer. And the rainy season is July, August, September. Rain isn't so bad, but can wash out roads and leave you stranded..for days, which again might not be so bad if you've got food and water.
The Black Gap Road is--or was--very rough. It is often washed out, but I hear it's been bladed "recently". It's great. Very scenic. The Elephant Tusk trailhead campsite is pretty exposed, but the view is great. Glenn Spring, near the east end of the Black Gap Road, has a fascinating history. The spring is beautiful.
I like the Old Ore Road a lot--Ernst Tinaja (neat place, crappy campsite), McKinney Ranch, McKinney Springs, Telephone Canyon are all good.
All the dirt roads are remote and seldom patrolled. Take at least two gallons of water, always, besides the minimum gallon per day of planned travel. Dehydration really hurts. If you travel alone, you have to figure you are responsible for yourself, mostly 'cause there ain't no one else around. So be prepared.
And of course, speaking of cool and pavement, the run up to the Chisos Basin is mighty fine. Oh yeah, gas at Panther Junction and Study Butte, and supper's best at La Kiva, if Pam's still cookin' there on Wednesday nights.
Utah
Natural Bridges
Southern Utah, west of Blanding on 95 & 275. National Park Service, 801-259-5174. This place is in the middle of nowhere, and was nowhere near full the night I stayed. The Natural Bridges are rock formations and adjoin the campgrounds. No showers.
Logan Canyon Area
According to Brooks Tyler of Moab,. it is hard too beat the riding and camping in this area North of Ogden & Salt Lake City, especially at the end of September. "The reds and oranges from the trees turning is like fire on the mountain." There are a number of National Forest Service campgrounds along Highway 89.
Zion National Park
This area is only second to Yosemite National Park. Great winding roads, great camping grounds, and lots of little side trails to occupy your down time. Go in the spring or fall when it's not so hot.
Virginia
Loft Mountain Campground
In Shenandoah National Park on the Blue Ridge Parkway, at Milepost 79.5, 540-999-3500 85 tent-only sites, showers, toilets, not your typical National Park campground.
West (By God) Virginia
From Bill Hitt:
West (By God) Virginia is loaded with many camp sites commercial and state operated alike. My favorite is at Blackwater Falls State Park. I like going there not so much for the camping, but for the riding. BWF is in the heart of the Monogahela Nat'l forest. It is well located with respect to three national recreation areas. The roads range from relatively easy to down right challenging; all have spectacular scenery. W(BG)V is said to have more surface area than any of the contiguous states, it's just crumpled into a small wad. The region around BWF makes it easy to believe that.
Somewhat more local to me is a national recreation area off of Ohio Rt. 7 on the Ohio river. It is part of the Wayne Nat'l Forest. The Ohio river valley is scenic in an interesting way. There are stretches where the only thing that differentiates it from the Rhine valley is the lack of castles on top of the hills. There are many side roads on both the OH and W(BG)Vsides of the river that offer a variety of terrain riding challenge. The W(BG)V state flower (The Satellite Dish) can be found in abundace on both side of the river. The area is loaded with many historical sites. The campsite is about an hour an a half away from the densest cluster of covered bridges in the country ( just east of Wheeling in western PA.)
Wyoming
Green River area
Also from Brooks Tyler, Moab UT: For some wonderful riding and fishing, try the campgrounds up the Green River outside Pinedale. This area is just southeast from the Tetons and Yellowstone.
Nova Scotia
Meat Cove Lodge & Campground
Contact- Catherine MacLellan, 902-383-2672 Meat Cove, Inverness Co., NS, BOC 1EO
This is a family-owned private campground at the end of the road... literally. After a 3-4 mile dirt road ride (which, according to Ted Verrill can be very slippery when wet) you arrive at a small, grassy area on a cliff facing north-northeast. The facilities are strictly fair, but if you are lucky you'll be able to get the site that is set-off on it's own small promontory
Some reviews courtesy of the BMW Owners Web Site. |