This forum is great, you guys ROCK!!! I like the idea of staying at the chip for a couple of days and then heading to quieter territory afterward.. All of the tips about law enforcement, cash, parking etc. are all great too.. As far as sleep goes, I know I can sleep about anywhere, especially if I bring along some Ambien I gotta hold a meeting with my buddies over the holidays and hammer this stuff out over a few drinks and we should have our reservations made just after New Years...

Thanks a lot guys and if you have any more tips on where to find good parties, get good drinks, check out chicks, whatever, lemme know, I am saving all of this stuff!!!

 

This will be my first time going to Sturgis. I am looking forward to it. I am heading up with my brother in law. He has been a few times. He has a toy hauler, and wants to stay at a camp ground away from all the hoopla. I want to be in the thick of it... so I am not sure what I am going to do. My best friend's wife is from Spearfish, and her family has land and their house there, so they offered for me to stay on there property. That is another option. I have a couple more month's to decide, but the one thing I do know is I want to hit the concerts at the Chip. That is why the $200 seems like the way to go. Then if I get tired of not sleeping, I can head on over to the families place in Spearfish. How long of a distance is it from the chip to spearfish?

 

Have to put my vote in for Glencoe.

Besides the party / fun, I like the location. You can walk or stagger back from the Full Throttle if you can't ride or can't find your bike (which suggests that you shouldn't ride anyway). It's not that far from the Chip so if you want to catch one of the shows there, it's convenient. Stop by the High School for breakfast on your way into town or off for the days ride. Those pancakes soak up a lot of what you put in the night before.

I could go on, but I'm getting all teary eyed thinking about it. Sturgis is .... well, it's Sturgis.

 

Spearfish is only about 25 miles from Sturgis via I90 interstate....now getting to the interstate from the Chip is a whole nother story. Depending on time of day (or night) the bike traffic can be so heavy that it can take 1-2 hours to get from the area around the Full Throttle into Sturgis, then onto the interstate. Its an amazing sight....sometimes just coming into Sturgis the bike traffic is backed up onto the interstate. Sturgis is such a small town and there really aren't any good "short cuts" to take you around the traffic of the downtown area. You need to have lots of patience and just "go with the flow". I know my wife likes to have the camera in her hand while I waddle my way through traffic. The only part that really bothered me is that on some of the hotter days the bikes really get hot and start spitting and snorting....you know its time to shut them down, but there is nowhere to stop and let it cool.

One final note. When you are in town walking around checking out all the sights. If you grab a beer at one of the many tents or bars, don't go walking out into the street with it....another instant ticket.

With all the people and the camp ground with tents butted up against each other I have never had, or heard of anyone else having anything stolen. I had leather bags on my Dyna that can't be locked....would have them stuffed full of leathers and other stuff and in more than 10 years going there, nothing ever got lifted. I have heard, however of entire bikes disappearing from some of the more remote streets (sometime you have to park several blocks from the main streets just to find a legal spot to park) and at night night these more distant bikes are targets for the professional thieves. Many of the home owners in Sturgis will charge $5.00 or so to park in thier yard and will keep an eye on bikes so they don't "walk away". Luckily now, my wife has a friend that lives just a block off main street and she lets us and and members of our group park at her house....since the rest of our group isn't going next year the wife and I might go up alone and spend a night or 2 with this friend and take in some of the night life.

I really like going there with new friends who have never gone. No matter how much I would tell them about it their jaws still drop when they ride into town the first time just like mine did. By the way....the first time up there you are a "Sturgin Virgin"....enjoy your "first time".

 

Been there 6 times and BC is a 24/7 party. Can't go wrong. Just watch your step!

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Papa Travis, here's a picture I took of the traffic backed up at Mt Rushmore in the middle of the day. The end of the line is several miles from Mt. Rushmore !Now, considering that's more than an hour's drive from Sturgis, and there isn't any beer or parties there, you can imagine the traffic at Sturgis at night. If you want the night life, stay at either theBuffalo Chip or Glencoe, so you don't have to abuse your bike trying to get home in that crowd of bikes. The safety factor is an issue as well. Both campgrounds offer concerts, and both are close to the Full Throttle.

Also realize, at either place, that if bad weather hits, you may be out in the open with no place to go. It is a common sight to see tents rolling around like tumbleweeds.


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I stayed with some buddies at the Full Throttle in one of their cabins last year.Plus:Lots to see and do,fun place to be.Secured parking for your bikes and place to lock up your gear.Minus:Bathrooms got to be a pit at night.Showers were crowded at times.Often out of toilet paper.Constant noise. I wont stay there again as I want to spend more time cruzin and having to go thru town to get anywhere sucked.Kind of pricy

 

I'd recommendGlenco.

They haveshade if you get there early. EVERYTHING you need is close by. Party late then head out around 10-11 to avoid the worst traffic......you will actually get bored with bare *******. They have some decent bands, not quite at par with BC, but they're free to camper who stay at Glenco.

Some of last Years bands.

God Smack
Ned Nuggent
38 Special
Fuel
And some Country

 

AW, pancakes at the high school! Is that the one sponsored by the Marines?

All over Sturgis, charitable groups serve all-you-can-eat breakfasts. We always stop at a big church that's on the street off the firstexit into Sturgis coming from the SE, and the Lions run the parking lot, where they will keep an eye on your bike for, if I remember right, $5 for all day.

I love giving my eating dollars to charities. They really appreciate the bikers. And that bottomless cup of coffee looks pretty dang good after a night of partying!

 

This is all great info guys.. I am gonna spend a good part of the Winter planning, scheming and plotting for this trip Maybe we can have some kind of HD-Forum get-together when we are there...

Anybody ever ride up early to do some of the rides around Sturgis before the big party starts?