Having never been to Sturgis I am looking to those of you that have been for a little bit of guidance... Where do you stay? I am looking for action and I have no problem staying up til 2-3 am and getting up by 8 am to go on a ride... Lemme know whazzup!

 

If you're looking for action at the place you are going to stay then the Chip is probably your best bet. I stayed at Elkview in 2006. It's really mellow. If you're looking for a place to party outside the campgrounds the Full Throttle Saloon was my favorite. That place changed my life (for the better). I loved it and will be going back next year. Probably stay at Elkview again. When I'm done partying for the night, I like to be able to get some sleep. That's just me.

 

The full throttle changed your life eh? Care to elaborate or is it a case of what happens in Sturgis stays in Sturgis? LOL

 

The Chip is a good party camp ground, but not a really good camp ground. It gets hot up around Sturgis around rally time (high 90s and into the 100s), not much of any shade available at the Chip....but if you are looking for a party, good bands and lots of bare ***** that's the place to go. Full Throttle gets really crazy too and is only a couple miles from the Chip. I used to stay at the Bare Butte campground across the highway from the chip. More shade and not as wild. With either Bare Butte or the Chip you have to have a tolerance for pretty ugly show and bathroom facilities, and the later in the week it gets the uglier it gets.....but if you can handle stinky out-houses you'll do ok.

 

We actually stay in Rapid City. There is still a lot going on there at night. Its just nice to escape the madness.

 

I stayed at a campground in Rapid City because my group wanted to be able to escape from the maddness as well. The Chip is probably the place to go if you want the full "Sturgis" experience. I enjoyed going to Sturgis and the Full Throttle saloon etc but the best part for me was riding the great roads in the black hills and surrounding area. Our campground had a lot of fun but was very mellow. I am more of a hang out around the campfire with good friends and cocktales type of person. Then it's nice to get some sleep and get ready for another full day of riding. It's all what you want to do. If you want to party all day and night the places closest to Sturgis are probably a good bet. .02

 

To me the best place to stay is the Holiday Inn Express in Deadwood. Really cool town with some nice bars. And it's away from the madness of Sturgis. But sounds like you want the madness.

 

The Bulldog is off Exit 37, SE of Sturgis, and is pretty much a pasture turned into a campground one week a year, but there's lot's of room and good people running it. Just over the hill, on the same exit, is RushNoMore, which is really nice. Both have limited food services, RNM has really nice bathroom facilities, and is buffered from the I90 noise.

Check out Glencoe, if you want to party, and you can walk home from the Full Throttle, as it's just down the road, and they have daily entertainment as does the Chip.

Go here to find out all the places you stay,and sign up for the email newsletter, and you'll have something new to read each month.

http://www.sturgis-rally.com/

 

Friends report that the No Name Campground is a place where you can actually get some rest at night. That seems to be a big plus during Sturgis.

 

WE STAY IN RAPID CITY MOST YEARS (GOING SINCE 1993) STAYED IN SPEARFISH ONCE.. NICE HOTEL.. LIKE OTHERS SAID TO ESCAPE.. (THERES ONLY SO MUCH U CAN TAKE). TRAVELS SHOULD TAKE U TODEADWOOD, STURGIS - MAIN ST OF COURSE, THE BLACK HILLS, AND ITS MANY ROADS.. IRON MTN HGWY 385 RT 16 ETC MT RUSHMORE, DEVILS TOWER, THE BADLANDS, HEWLITT WY, AND RAPID CITY AS THERE ARE LOTS OF EVENTS THERE TOO. GO TO HILL CITY AND CUSTER DONT MISS KEYSTONE..THE WILDLIFE LOOP IN CUSTER ST PARK... ETC . THERE'S LOTS TO SEE IN THAT AREA.. IM SURE, LIKE ME, ULL GO BACK AGAIN + AGAIN. NO BETTER BIKER DESTINATION IN THE WORLD THAN STURGIS IN AUGUST ! OR ANY OTHER TIME!!! AS MALCOM FORBES SAID OF STURGIS.. FOR A MOTORCYCLIST, IT'S MECCA !