Looking at some of the threads posted, I see many first timers going to Glencoe and/or the rally. I remember our first run to Sturgis and all the questions I had so I thought I would share a few things and offer a place for other “veteran” Glencoe campers to throw their two cents in.

First – where is Glencoe anyway?? You will find Glencoe East of Sturgis 2-3 miles just off hiway 34. Depending on which direction you are coming into Sturgis from, , , , , ,

Coming into Sturgis from the west (traveling eastbound)
Get off interstate 90 at exit 30. Turn left and head into town. The road is going to be marked 34 east/79north and Lazelle street. Drive all the way thru town (eastbound) on this road which is a couple miles. Be sure to stop completely and put BOTH feet down as the cops are watching you.

After you clear the main part of town (a sweeping S curve in the road) you will be kinda out in the open – continue driving a couple miles and you will see two landmarks that are important. One is going to be the Full Throttle Saloon on your right (yep, same one where they do the TV show). The second landmark, and most important, will be a Conoco gas station/convenience store on your left. This is just at the end of the Full Throttle property and there will be a stop light. TURN LEFT AT THIS LIGHT. Take it easy because the road is rough here and then turns into gravel!

Follow the gravel road 1/8 mile and go thru the gate on the left side of this road which will dead end a little farther. You are now entering Glencoe!! The check-in booth is on the right after you come thru the gate and the security will be checking wristbands every time you pass thru this point 24 hours a day.

Coming into Sturgis from the East (traveling westbound)
Get off I90 at exit number 32. Turn right and you will be on a street named Junction Ave. Follow Junction Ave all the way to Lazelle Street. This is a mile and a half or so. You can’t really miss because it is a stop light corner and Lazelle is a very busy street. There should be a sign saying Lazelle St. Turn right on Lazelle and drive out of town thru the S curves following the same directions as posted above for eastbound entry.

Once you get checked into Glencoe drive straight thru the security check point and follow the paved roadway. Go a very short distance and you will drive thru trees and a low place that could or could not have water running in it. Then you will make a sharp right turn and be looking straight down Titty Alley!! The alley starts right here and goes a half mile or more. It is paved all the way and will be your main roadway you will use to get anywhere.

As you travel along the alley you will see buildings on your left sitting off the alley a short distance. These are the restrooms, showers and the store. There will also be a few vendor tents here too. The RV area is on behind all these buildings and is a huge area. If you keep going on the alley you will eventually come to the east gate that gives access to hiway 79. The Sturgis Drag Strip is also shares this gate.

Go ahead and drive around. You can’t get lost inside Glencoe but you will find some cool stuff. The alley wraps around and loops back into itself near the store. There is camping all the way along so check it all out good before you set-up camp. Some roads are paved and others are gravel but smooth enough to ride a bike on. Please watch your dust when on the graveled sections of roadway.

The Pavilion can be found west of the RV area. It is a huge building all by itself and you can’t miss it. The restaurant, buffet, main bar and concert area is all inside this Pavilion. Yep, there is a WiFi in there too so bring your phone or laptop with you and you can send emails to your buds that didn’t ride to the rally with you and make them jealous!!

Speaking of cell phones – in the Black Hills of South Dakota you will be in and out of signal a lot. Tell anyone who may be trying to call you to leave messages. The phone does not always work. I do know that Verizon and AT&T work pretty good inside Glencoe campground and 4G data service was great in 2014. Text and messages work best as the signal is not always there and the motorcycles make talking impossible in most places.

I’ll be posting more later and invite others to add their input as we go along.

mowdoc

 

Titty Alley is not only the main access road inside Glencoe, it is the fun zone/Zoo every evening!!

The Alley has a fence along both sides. Yes, you can camp there and many do. People decorate the fence with lights, beer cans, whiskey bottles, beads, prizes, signs, mirrors, blow-up dolls, dildoes, flags, banners and damn near everything else you can imagine. They set-up gazebos, tents, shades, picnic tables, RVs and what ever they have to make a bead stop. Many have loud music playing too.

Each evening, just around dusk, the campers begin cruising Titty Alley on golf carts, quads, RZRs, motorized bar stools, bicycles, motorcycles, cars and trucks. Yes, I have even saw a sailing ship cruise the Alley!! Don’t forget that 57 Chevy stretch limo too. Some people walk the alley on foot.

The ladies tease the guys by flashing their goodies and the guys respond by giving beads, drinks and whatever they have to give. Many guys will flash a lady back if she asks so don’t be shy. Some ladies only dress wickedly and do not flash but we love them just the same. You never know until you ask – right guys?? The babes often pose for pics and will pose with you if you ask nicely. Some show it all and some don’t. Take what you can get and be happy. Everyone is drinking and the atmosphere is upbeat party time. This activity will last long into the night. You will see burn outs and other things happen on the alley. So long as no one gets hurt or property damage then let it rip and do as you like. Please, no high speed allowed, too many people around to get stupid.

The ladies cause a huge traffic jam at times and can stop the road traffic for several minutes as they do their thing. The noise can get very loud and last hours so remember this if you are thinking about setting up camp right on the alley.

Glencoe is also the ladies’ vacation guys and don’t forget this. We are doing what we want to and they get the same deal. Many let their hair down at Glencoe for the only time of the year. Show them the respect they deserve and don’t go home and post pics all over the net they were nice enough to pose for. They are not posting pics of you whizzing on that tree when you was drunk so show some respect – OK?

It is very possible to see a beautiful woman dancing naked on a pole and being a total **** at Glencoe and then a month later you stop to buy some gas and she is taking your money as you pay. Just smile, wink and go on. Yes, this happens.

If you do the alley correctly, you will go home with memories that last for life. Let’s all try to make those memories good ones!!


More coming
mowdoc

 

Mowdoc, thanks for posting this. I know this took some time and your post answered many questions. So thank you!

I have been riding most of my life but for whatever reason never made it to Sturgis. Myself and a friend decided to break our cherry this year. After reading many of the posts we decided to stay at Glencoe. Looking forward to meeting new friends, riding the area, and enjoy the parties.

If I meet you there I will have a cold brew for you or distilled if you prefer. Again thank you.

InvrtdHD

 

You are welcome Invrtdhd, glad I can help. I'll keep posting more as time allows, , , got some more right now on this post.

Other campers are certainly welcome to join in with anything they want to contribute.



You can find a lot of info about Glencoe on their web site – glencoecamp dot com. There is also a map of the property that prolly won’t make much sense to you until you are there. The pics on the site are accurate but old. The band schedule is listed too. Besides the bands listed, there will be house bands playing in the Pavilion during afternoon and evening hours.

Camping is pretty simple at Glencoe as they do not mark-off space. You can set-up camp anywhere on the property, and that is a lot of acres. There is a creek that runs thru Glencoe so I suppose it could flood during heavy storms but I have never saw it do this. I would still try to camp some distance from it for that reason. Many RVs will boondock under the trees or along the alley so you will be sharing space with them. Most RVs will be in the RV area though so they can connect to utilities. They pay an RV fee to do this so you can’t set-up camp in a RV space unless you pay that fee.

There are a couple areas reserved just for bikes. The gates are only maybe 40 – 48 inches wide so only bikes may pass thru. This gives space to people who do not want a huge RV for a neighbor. Those areas are away from the alley too so they will be much quieter. If you are interested in doing this just ask at the check-in where to go.

There are a few places to eat at Glencoe and a small store with the very basics – beer and ice. If you need to shop you have some choices. Right outside the gate is that Conoco convenience store. You will be fueling your bike there most of the time. They also have a nice selection of snacks and a few basic cooking items too. If you really want to grocery shop, there are two grocery stores in Sturgis – about 3 miles from Glencoe. If you need more than groceries, like a new memory card for your camera (took more pix on the alley than you though you would, huh) you can travel west on interstate 90 about 18 miles to Spearfish S.D. There is a HUGE Walmart super center there that will have everything you need. Want even more shopping?? Travel east on I90 25 miles to Rapid City. They have it all if you can find it in the city.

I suggest that after you get checked into Glencoe you ride around and look the place over a little before you set-up your camp. Glencoe is a big place and there are different areas to see. Some are flat and some sloped. Some in the shade and others in the sun. Some quiet and others not. You get it now so just drive around and see your options before you pitch a tent or park a trailer.

The main restrooms with running water are in the building near the store and showers (all separate buildings). Down past the store along the alley are outhouse type restrooms so you don’t have to come all the way back to the main building for that. There are also two other shower houses/restrooms located near the main gate and at the east gate by drag strip. There are plenty of trees to pee at guys, and yes, gals too!! You will see it all at Glencoe. Just be sure to smile – someone is prolly taking your pic!!

Also along the alley are water bibs and you can fill your container at these so you don’t have to carry water a long distance from the main store area. Just look around for these water spots.

Many campers return to Glencoe year after year. For some reason they think they own the same space they had last year?? It is possible you could set-up your camp and have someone ask you to move the next day. If this happens to you I recommend you try to be civil and work it out. The only argument I ever saw at Glencoe was over camping space. Maybe I don’t get it, but I always though first come first served on open camping like that.

 

The weather at Glencoe runs upper 80s as a norm and night time is around upper 50s. Of course, this can differ a lot but those are temps most days. Some years it seems to rain almost every day and other years none. Normal is prolly 3 days a week with some sort of rain with one heavy storm.

Now, those rain days do not ruin anything most of the time. They are afternoon or evening showers that dry up pretty fast. It would be unusual for rain to set in and go all day. Even the heavy thunder storms pass pretty fast. The problem with the storms is wind and hail. That can ruin your trip if you are not prepared for it.

If you find a storm is coming you should go to the Pavilion or other building to get inside. The restrooms have an overhang roof you can get under too. The wind and lighting can get very wicked and being outside is risky. Let’s not forget that terrible hail in 2009 that did millions in damage to everything!! Check your insurance coverage on the bike before you leave.

Speaking of insurance, I recommend you have your HOG membership up to date and carry your card to the rally. Should you break-down along the road this can make the difference between getting fixed or waiting days to get looked at in the dealership. HOG members that are “rider down” can get pushed up the list for towing and repairs if you say so when you call for help. Use the number on the back of your HOG card. I have seen this help a lot twice so use it.

If you have rain gear, carry it when you ride. Even if it is a beautiful day when you start out, it can turn to crap before you get back. Most riders will leave camp early in the mornings for their ride that day. They try to get back to camp in mid afternoon before the rain comes. This allows time to get serviced for tomorrow, clean up, eat and be ready for concert/alley fun at night!!

I want to stress, this is the time to drink. Once you are safely back for the day and finished riding is the time to start drinking. The law enforcement around Sturgis has many, many ways to stop you just so they can smell your breath. Don’t be a statistic, don’t drink and ride.

If you want to go downtown, another campground or to Deadwood drinking, use DaBus. This is low cost transportation the rally offers to move us around while we are drinking. You can google "da bus at Sturgis" and get schedules and routes. Ask at the gate for times the bus comes to Glencoe. BTW – it can be very entertaining on DaBus if the ladies have been drinking too!!! Take that and run guys.

If you have the energy, you can walk to the Full Throttle Saloon from Glencoe pretty quickly. It looks like right across the street but it is prolly a ž mile walk door to door. That is easy to get to but seems like miles coming back drunk!! I warned you.

OK, ready to see the rally in town?? This is what you came for guys. There is a certain feeling of pride when you see your bike parked with thousands of other bikes on Main Street and you rode it to the rally. Take pics and lots of them. Nothing better than seeing your hog on Main during the rally.

To get there, ride west on 34 back into Sturgis. Trust me, there will be thousands of others headed that way so just get in line and ride. You will find most of the rally stuff on Main and on Lazelle streets. Lazelle is also 34 so you are on that. Main is one block south of Lazelle and you will see thousands going there too so follow along.

You can find just about anything made for Harleys down town. Need a fishnet top for your lady – they got em. Need new tires on the hog? They will install while you wait and give better price than back home. Killer deals on those LED lights you been wanting too. Food is everywhere you look and bars on both sides of that!! HOG members be sure to stop by the Harley Davidson corner and get your free ride pin. These special pins can only be picked up in person at the rally. You must show current HOG card to get one.

If you stay on 34 all the way thru town and go under I90 you can ride 17 miles to Deadwood. This is a nice road to ride and see. Deadwood has much history and a cool place to visit. This is all in your HOG road atlas so be sure you bring it.

I should tell you that during rally time there will be thousands of bikes going the same places you do. This means you are never alone on the road and traffic can be extreme. You should be a good enough rider to attempt this as you will be riding 3 feet away from people you don’t even know. If you can’t handle running side by side with other bikes try to stay center of the lane so they don’t pull up along side. Your riding skills will be tested often at the rally. In town, your clutch hand will cramp and your engine will be very hot so know that going in. Yeah, it’s worth it!!!

more later
mowdoc

 

Three rules of Titty Alley for newbies...
1. NEVER touch without permission. The women are having fun, but that does not give you permission be a jerk.
2. As was stated, take all the pictures you want, but keep them private. Many/Most of these ladies have professional lives that don't need to be affected by our week of biker fun.
3. It should be obvious, but don't drink and try to ride. We dont want you hurt, and more importantly, I don't want you to hurt me or my wife!

And I know I said three rules, but fourth..just have fun. Life is too short and lets all enjoy it together!

 

Excellent points gambler109, thanks for adding info!!

All other veteran Glencoe campers are invited to add any info that will help the first timers too.

One place you should also plan to see while at the rally is Black Hills Harley Davidson dealership in Rapid City. Go East on I90 to exit 55 and follow all the bikes going there. You can ride to this place in about an hour from Glencoe including getting thru Sturgis traffic.

Black Hills HD is a very large operation and they have the best vendor village at the rally. They have best deals on new bikes too if you are considering trading. Lots and lots of good used machines too in the special tents they set up for the rally.

If you happen to break down while in the area of Sturgis, your bike will be towed to Black Hills HD. They have set up extra tents and bring in a lot of certified mechanics to keep us all running. It is a huge operation and certainly worth the trip to see.

Black Hills HD is right on the way to Mount Rushmore so you can plan the stop into that trip on same day. Yes, there is food at Black Hills HD, out in the vender area.

If you have never been in the Black Hills of South Dakota, let me just say they are God's gift to bikers!! The riding is as good as it gets and so many rides to take. During your evenings, enjoy a beverage with someone new and talk about where he went today or plans to go to tomorrow. This is how you learn were to go and what to see. Doing research now will help also so get on the computer and start learning all you can.

Ride south to Custer Park and ask the Rangers there where the Buffalo are at that day. Ride East to Badlands and see all that. Ride West to Devil's Tower in Wyoming. If you brought some line and a hook I hear the fishing is great up north in Montana.

Near Sturgis is the Spearfish canyon ride or a little farther to Iron Mountain. Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse monuments are an easy ride too. The entire area will blow your mind so get on and go!!

OK Glencoe campers - - here is your bonus.................the Sturgis drag strip borders Glencoe along the south fence line!! I believe it is on Tuesday and Wednesday of rally week you can go see Nitro powered Harleys racing for free!! Cars, trucks and even snowmobiles race down the strip and Glencoe campers can see it right across the fence free. No need to check the race schedule, you will know when they start racing!! Awesome power and noise.

Here is a tip if you are going north from Glencoe. Go to the east end of Titty Alley and out that gate turn left. This is hiway 79 north. Broken Spoke campground is out this way about 7-8 miles and Belle Fourche S.D. is 40 miles this way too.

 

Great information about Glencoe and the rally.

One other suggestion. Bag Lady Sue is an adult comedian that is hilarious. I have seen her perform several times. She will be performing Aug. 3, 4, and 5 at the Beaver Bar. For those of you that have been to Sturgis before Beaver Bar is the old Monkey Rock building. This is located this across the road from the Full Throttle Saloon. It is just west of the convenience store and gas station on the corner by Glencoe. If you want to check out bags you can go to her website at bagladysue.com. The schedule shows Aug. 3,4,5 in the evenings TBA. This is a great location for all Glencoe campers and she puts on a great show.

 

What a great thread, solid information right there.

I live in SoDak and go to Sturgis every year. If I may be allowed I would like to recommend "The Service Club" as a great place to relax, cool off and get reasonable priced drinks and food and they usually have some kind of live music. It is on the east end of Main and is a combination VFW/American Legion. DaBus picks up and drops off right at that corner.

 

The Pavilion at Glencoe is a very large barn type building. Inside it has the main stage for concerts, two or three bars, restaurant type seating for food service, and they set-up a small breakfast buffet in mornings that has most everything you like on it. The WiFi covers inside entirely but can be slow. If you are eating this is no problem. I normally write all my emails before going and then let them send while I am eating and drinking there.

You will see a body painting area which can make eating dangerous if they happen to be painting a chest while you eat (bite my tongue pretty hard a couple times). Another feature inside the Pavilion you may not have seen before is a uni-sex restroom!! Try to maintain your composure when a babe walks in while you are “checking the lizard”. Yep, girls fart too!! Don’t panic people, there are regular male/female restrooms in the Pavilion for the shy types.

During evening hours the Pavilion offers something pretty cool. You can select a steak of your choice and then take it outside the east door and cook it yourself just perfectly on huge BBQ grills they have going. Once your steak is done, you go back and get all the trimmings to make the meal complete and eat it at a table.

If you are not into cooking your own food you can sit down inside and order food just like a restaurant. I recommend the Pot Roast, Meatloaf and Lasagna dinners. Be sure to tip your hard working waitress.

Bartenders - - - - - OMG, where do I start?? One thing the Sturgis rally is famous for is Bartenders!! These wonderful females are recruited to work the rally from all over the country and they dress for tips so have plenty of dollar bills ready when you order your fav beverage. I don’t care which bar you drink in, Glencoe, Broken Spoke, Buffalo Chip, One Eyed Jack’s, Oasis, Knuckle Bar, Full Throttle, anywhere, everywhere , , the Bartenders are gonna blow you away!! Yep, they pose for pics so take the Kodak with you drinking. I can’t think of a better finish to a day of riding than to have such a beautiful lady bring me a cold one in her underwear!!

The best in the business Tattoo Artists are at the rally too. There will be one at Glencoe and most major campgrounds. Downtown has several tattoo places and they all do fantastic work so if you have been thinking of getting inked, here is your chance to get some real quality work done.

The rally has many custom bike shows/contests going every day so if you are into “special” bikes, you will find them all over. Hell, just walk down Main Street any afternoon and see the custom iron parked on the street. Every type of Harley is going to the rally so be ready. You will see million dollar bikes, celebrity bikes, custom bikes, one of a kind rides and even junk that makes you wonder how the guy got it to the rally bikes!! Be sure to keep an eye out for the Harley/John Deere cruising Main Street too.

Racing – yes, every type of racing a Harley can enter will happen during the rally. I already told the Glencoe campers about the drag strip right across the fence but you can also find circle track racing and hill climbing too. Get online to find schedules and tracks for all this. You can find “Wall of Death” shows at many places including The Full Throttle, Broken Spoke and Buffalo Chip. I have seen the Wall of Death at Broken Spoke a couple times and it is worth the five bucks to watch. There are many daredevil type shows around the area and some are free so watch for them.

One more thing about motorcycles and Sturgis - - check out the Sturgis Police department’s bikes!! They are around town and have custom paint work on the tanks that looks awesome. Those cops can ride too and if you are lucky, you will see a cop turn a figure eight on a full dress bagger in a fifteen foot space!! Very impressive riding guys!!! The only type of racing you should not see is street racing. If you try any of that you will find out just how good the Sturgis Police can ride – you won’t get away!! Law Enforcement is paramount at the rally and if you step out of line you will be busted. Remember that advice.

Back to the ladies - - inside Glencoe the rules don’t exist. Nudity for both sexes is allowed around the grounds. The Pavilion requires nipples covered just like off property but you are going to see plenty loose titty around camp. On the alley at night you will see complete nudity so be ready. If this offends you – you need to find another campground.

Sturgis law requires nipples to be covered and they enforce this to the letter. Ladies, cover your nips if you go off Glencoe property or you will be arrested with a misdemeanor and pay about a hundred bucks fine. Nope, see-thru does not work either. If they can see your nips, you get busted. Pasties are fine and you see those everywhere so go ahead and wear those. I see women riding in pasties every day at the rally. Open vest with Pasties under works just fine for Sturgis Police and this old geezer – just sayin. If you go to Sturgis dot com you can find a link to current Sturgis laws and learn what you can’t do.

The rally attracts all types of riders from once in a while weekend riders to 1% biker gangs. You are safe almost anywhere you go but you need to keep one eye out for colors that might walk into a place you are in. Should you see something bad about to happen get out fast. This doesn’t happen often but it can happen and you must watch for trouble.

Also, when out riding, be sure to remember we don’t all ride the same. I have been on two wheels for 45 years but many riders at the rally are not as experienced. Try to remember how it was when you started riding and have patience with the slower guys on the roads. We were all slow once and we all want to enjoy the rally fun so don’t be an *** to these guys, they are just wanting to see the same things you do. If you are one of the slow riders and see 3 or 4 hundred bikes breathing down your butt, pull over and let them pass. South Dakota law does not allow passing in same lane. Nothing worse than seeing a rider with a thousand bikes behind him and a mile of open road ahead!!

I hope all of you ride sober and safe. I hope the rally and Glencoe is everything you wish for.

Two fingers down and see ya on the Alley

mowdoc