There are a couple of key things that must be taken into consideration when planning a motorcycle camping trip vs a motorcycle road trip spending your nights in hotels.
- On a motorcycle camping trip we strongly recommend to plan in advance the specific campground you will be stopping at each night and whenever possible make reservations in advance. Unlike when staying in a motel where you simply head for a town and pull in to the first motel, not all campgrounds are conducive to motorcycle camping and many will not even permit motorcycle camping (especially if your bike is any louder then a soft purr).
- Plan on stopping much earlier each night, preferably before dinner time. Most campgrounds start to fill up right around dinner time during camping season, and you really don't want to be trying to set-up camp after dark especially if the only light you have is your bike headlight and the smallest lantern you could find to save room. Plus when camping, you normally need to start a fire or setup your small camp stove before you can sit down to dinner. Unlike the motel where you throw your bags in the room and head to the restaurant next door.
Selecting a Campground
Of course the ideal campground is a motorcycle only campground or a campground that prides itself in being motorcycle friendly. Kind of scarce right now but as the sport of motorcycle touring becomes more and more popular, so do specialty businesses like motorcycle only campgrounds. We have begun a list of the motorcycle only and motorcycle friendly campgrounds, here. If you know of others please let us know.
Some of the best deals on the road are state run campgrounds. Normally they cost around $5 to $10 per night and most of then do allow motorcycles (as long as you follow the rules). Many state parks have camping facilities, bathrooms and showers.
Commercial places like Kampgrounds of America (KOA) are okay, too. They cost a bit more than a state campground, but they offer more amenities (like laundry facilities and pools) and they're clean. You're most likely to see them advertised on billboards when traveling on interstate highways. You can also contact KOA at http://www.koa.com and, for $4.00, get a copy of their directory of KOA "Kampgrounds" across the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Much of motorcycle camping involves prior planning, or the purposeful lack of it. If you know where you're heading and when you'll be there, you can reserve something in advance at one of the bigger state parks or a KOA. Or you can just head for a campground that you know will suit your needs. Be sure to arrive before dinnertime when most places start to fill up. The other alternative is to find a suitable site of any kind before the sun goes down.
