Sturgis during the rally: Campgrounds and thoughts of returning. Part 4

If you've been to the Sturgis Bike Week rally you know there is one major component I haven't touched on yet, the campgrounds. Unlike the rest of the rally that I can write about from personal experience, I'm going to have to draw on other sources to discuss this scene.

The OFMC went to Sturgis for the rally in 2006. After leaving we talked about our experience and at that time even the most hard-core of our Harley riders said they were glad they went but had no interest in going again. As we were wrapping up our 2008 ride a couple weeks ago we were kicking around ideas for next year and one surprising destination was offered by several of the guys: Sturgis. What?

Apparently what these guys have been hearing from other bikers they know is that by staying in a hotel in Rapid City we missed out on some of the biggest attractions of the entire rally. It's not surprising, given the size of the town and the size of the rally, that some entrepreneurs have set up their own campgrounds for bikers to tent, park their RVs and trailers, or otherwise make themselves at home for the duration. Over time these campgrounds have offered more and more to draw in the crowds until, at least for many, they have become the major focus of the rally.

At this point there are numerous campgrounds: the Broken Spoke, Bulldog Creek, Iron Horse, Glencoe Nation, and the Buffalo Chip, to name just a few. While some just offer basic amenities, others, like the Buffalo Chip, are a world unto themselves. They feature stages with top-name bands performing, food and drink, vendors selling everything you could want, and pretty much anything you can get in town.

Let's look at the Buffalo Chip. Bands this year include ZZ Top, Sugarland, Foghat, Guess Who, Blind Melon, Alice Cooper, Kid Rock, and Lynyrd Skynyrd, just to name the better known. Heck, even John McCain was planning a stop there on August 4 to participate in their annual Tribute to American Veterans and Active Duty Servicemen.

Here's a list of the daily events going on at the Buffalo Chip, which does not include the special events:

7:00 am to 11:00 am   Sons of Light Ministry Free Pancake Breakfast (2nd – 9th)
Noon to 10:00 pm   Machine Gun Shooting
1:00 pm to 3:00 pm   A.B.A.T.E. Rodeo (2nd - 9th)
3:00 pm to 2:00 am   Colonel Tom’s Crazy Bike
3:30 pm to 5:00 pm   Karaoke (4th – 9th)
4:30 pm to 5:00 pm   Hank Rotten Contest #1
5:30 pm to 6:00 pm   Autograph Signing (2nd – 8th)
5:30, 8:15, 10:15 and Midnight Miss Buffalo Chip Beauty Pageant – Featuring Hawaiian Tropic Models (1st - 9th)
6:00 pm to 1:30 am   Baker Drivetrain’s Burn-outs in the Sky (2nd – 9th)
6:00 pm to 6:15 pm   Hank Rotten Contest #2
6:30 pm to 8:30 pm   Extreme Motorcycle Stunts (2nd through 9th)
7:00 pm to 7:30 pm   Cowboy Red – Horseback quick draw shooting exhibition (1st -3rd, 6th, 8th – 9th)
Sunset    Skydiving Demonstration into the Chip’s Amphitheater (weather permitting) (1st – 9th)
9:00 pm to 1:30 am   Illumination Fire Troupe (2nd – 9th)
12:30 am to 12:45 am  Hank Rotten Contest #2
1:45 am    Captain Jack’s Burnout Bridge Party
Various Times   Ringin’ Wet & Wild (Women Oil Wrestling) (4th – 9th)
Daily     World’s Largest American Flag on display by the Buffalo Sculpture (1st - 9th)
Daily     Never Forgotten, Inc. - POW*MIA 1955 Chevy displayed by the Field of Remembrance

Are you starting to get the picture? And the Buffalo Chip is only one of several campgrounds with this kind of stuff going on. Single day admissions will get you into any campground to see a show, or you can get a rally pass for the whole thing.

And of course there's the private entertainment carried on by the guests themselves with old friends and new acquaintances.

One thing we've heard, which is no surprise, is that in the big campgrounds the roar of motorcycles is constant, day and night. Here's a note from the Buffalo Chip's website:

This is still a biker rally, even in the RV camps. We do not post guards at the RVs and we do not attempt to make people go to bed, sleep, etc. Someone may want to party and make noise in the middle of the night. It's generally very quiet in the RV parks, but it may be the guy next to you who isn't. We've found it's best to let people play on their vacation. Please bring along ear plugs if you anticipate a problem and, if you are in need of additional quiet, be sure to park on the perimeter and as far away from the stage as possible.

So, is the OFMC heading back to Sturgis? Not next year. Next year we've decided it's time to hit the Beartooth again. In 2010 however . . .

Topics: motorcycle rides and rallies