Regional FJR Camping meet in the Appalacians

[Patriot]

Shenandoah National Park in VA

(below info from the other forum)

look at page 2 for map

d167 is a group site - reserve that for the fire and let everyone reserve their own tent spot or

be a wuss and stay next door

reservations are done online

wow, Shenandoah looks pretty good and some advantage for me

1000 mi I-59/I-81 with Knoxville about 2/3 of the way or 700 mi

I'm friends with a great married couple who live in Knoxville and I've crashed at their place on trips before :clap:

yep, this could work if I find a riding buddy to go along (or I do a SS1000 there!!!)

and yes, I'm a motel or cabin guy...less stuff to have to bring, anyway...

 

[fljab]

[SIZE=8pt][/SIZE]

Federal parks on the BRP don't have showers for campers; you would need to stay at the lodges available at some of the Fed campgrounds. No alcohol allowed there iirc, so the old coke bottle trick is what I used. I forget the milemarker where I stayed, but ended up taking a cold sink bath the next morning.

[SIZE=12pt]I'd better stop waving to the park police with a beer in my hand! I didn't know that. Why do they sell the alcohol in the camp stores there?[/SIZE]

I've camped at quite a few campgrounds on sld/brp and they all had hot showers, for a price. Have to load quarters in for 5min.

From the campground info for Mt. Pisgah (MM 407.8); same as other BRP Fed campgrounds:

Campground - The concessions-operated campground (milepost 408.7) has sites for 70 tents and 67 trailers. Facilities include water, comfort stations with flush toilets and sinks but no showers or hook-ups.

You may be right about alcohol being OK; I had the memory/impression that it wasn't, but don't recall if it was sold in the campstores. I did get ice there but didn't notice what else they had although I did buy some bottled soft drinks so remember rummaging through what was available and again do not remember beer being there. I cannot find a policy doing a quick search that says anything about it other than they enforce DUI. Even if they don't allow beer/alcohol, it's probably one of those things they don't enforce unless it's a problem...

Remember there are numerous private campgrounds just off the BRP that offer anything you want for the most part; are you sure that isn't where you stayed? On the BRP itself, there are only ~5 federal campgrounds the whole length I believe.

I still think we ought to look at one of the motorcycle campgrounds; many have cabins and camping + showers + restaurant/campstore; just need to figure out the good ones.

 

[MEM]

You just have to keep in mind that most state park prohibit alcohol, so I generally carry liquor and mix it into coke bottles.

That's okay. Most of us don't drink anyway

Not unless we're awake :blink:

or................only if you are alone, or with someone

or................ on days that end in the letter 'y'

 

[Geezer]

yep, this could work if I find a riding buddy to go along (or I do a SS1000 there!!!)

Do the SS1K

and yes, I'm a motel or cabin guy...less stuff to have to bring, anyway...

wuss

 

[wheatonFJR]

Thanks everybody for your comments, notes of interest, and recommendations. :clapping:

It looks like I have plenty of places to investigate. Look for announcement by late winter, early spring. B)

 

[lonerider]

Shenandoah National Park in VA(below info from the other forum)

look at page 2 for map

d167 is a group site - reserve that for the fire and let everyone reserve their own tent spot or

be a wuss and stay next door

reservations are done online

wow, Shenandoah looks pretty good and some advantage for me

1000 mi I-59/I-81 with Knoxville about 2/3 of the way or 700 mi

I'm friends with a great married couple who live in Knoxville and I've crashed at their place on trips before :clap:

yep, this could work if I find a riding buddy to go along (or I do a SS1000 there!!!)

and yes, I'm a motel or cabin guy...less stuff to have to bring, anyway...

Shenandoah has a number of nice campgrounds; years ago, when I was into camping, I camped at Loft Mtn. Best views of any campground in the park, IIRC, showers and even laundry facilities at the camp store. Lewis Mtn. has some cabins for non campers, showers at the camp store. As you observed, Big Meadows has a campground adjacent to the lodge; there's a decent restaurant in the lodge, rooms in the lodge or adjacent buildings. I've stayed in the lodge a number of times, most recently this past October, and always enjoyed it. Two things about Shenandoah (aka Skyline Drive)- the speed limit is 35 mph for the whole 110 mile length (they do enforce it) and the park is lousy with deer. Around late June/early July, the fawns will be up and around (no knowledge or fear of motor vehicles). Also, for the last 3 years, Shenandoah has been on a vigorous chip sealing kick. They were supposed to do some on the northern 1/3 this past summer and didn't get it done, so I'd expect to see some this coming summer. They don't just put a little down either, it will be several inches of gravel, let it sit for a week, then sweep it off. I've been trying to get them to put this kind of stuff on their site https://www.nps.gov/shen/planyourvisit/drive_status.htm

Big Meadows, Lewis Mtn., and Loft Mtn. are all 3000-4000' elevation, so should be cool anytime in the summer.

 

[FredandJeannesRacer]

Great idea Wheatie.

Here's a nice place to stay. Stonewall Jackson Lake Resort

Jeanne and I stayed here twice.

No need to pack sleeping bags and tents, or sleep on the ground.

Cool bar too!

Pencil us in.

 

[Pepperell]

My wife and I camped Loft Mtn back in July or Aug of 1981 on our '79 XS750. Brought a tent, air mattress and sleeping bags, no food; that's what restaurants are for!! Back then there were coin op showers, a necessity for us. Bears sniffing at the tent at nite freaked out the wife big time, tho', even though we had no food in the tent or on the bike. temps were low 80's, daytime, 70's at nite, but fairly high humidity. 10 miles away in the flatlands it was mid 90's.

Tame deer along the road; they nibble on the grass right next to the pavement. They don't even blink or budge when you go by, not really a hazard.

 

[capttwb]

Sounds great. I'll bet a lot of us camped during our early touring days.

 

[road runner]

Just an idea about dates. Depending on location, elevation, night temps, etc., We could do the first week in June for the warmer southern most cites , or the third week in June for the cooler northern most cites. This would not conflict with CFO or CFR, as long as there is 2 day between meets for travel.

Also I think a motorcycle friendly campground with cabins, showers, store, restaurant or some kind of place to get a meal, would be awesome. I suppose riding to get meals is OK, but morning coffee at the camp would be nice.

Coffee or whisky and beans around the camp fire. :huh: Wasn't that or isn't that Blazzing Sadles ?

 

[MEM]

Oh man. A tent and Makers Mark. No experience with the tent but lots with Makers Mark tonight. I'm going to dream about this ride all winter.

Don't mind me. I'm PWI (on Old Fashioneds and red wine)

 

[fjrrider]

Great idea, Mark. I'm keeping a sharp eye on this.

The SFO is May 13,14,15 and 16th.

We hope to put on a TBA AAD ride, at the SFO event, but its not in stone yet.

I'll be looking for your time and place to be posted as soon as you get them figured out. I wish I could offer up some advise on the area, but I know nothing.

later

scott

 

[wheatonFJR]

Thanks for reminding me of the SFO dates...that helps.

 

[luvtoride]

Heidi,Can't June be pretty hot (sometime betwen CFO and CFR -circa June 14 to June 20) be pretty hot? Or does the elevation help in WV at Wataga?

I was really interested in Breaks Interstate based on your RR until I found out they don't take reservations.

June wouldn't be bad at all for camping... especially if you're camping at a decent altitude.

Heck, I went camping this year in June & it was downright cold at night. I expect that was mostly due to the fact that my tent is a large part mesh under the rainfly... but I was quite cold.

I've been to Breaks twice. Both times it wasn't busy at all & you didn't need reservations. I was staying in the lodge but it looks like they had decent tent camp space, too. Keep in mind, there are probably other campgrounds in the area that are within decent distance of eating/drinking/convenience stores... because Breaks isn't within a stones throw of any of these. Also, alcohol isn't supposed to be in VA state parks, either.

The roads are awesome!

 

[luvtoride]

I'm in.Love that motorcycle camping.
I second Seneca Shadows campground,good campground and some good riding in the area.

Willville Campground outside of Floyd Virgina is a good friendly motorcycle only campground worth considering.Right on the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Willville last June...

The thing that sucks about Willville is they do not allow fire pits at your camp. One group fire pit only. Don't know about anyone else but I have a minor issue with this.

 

[wheatonFJR]

Yeah me too. I think everybody ought to be able to have a campfire at there site. :clapping:

In addition, I'm planning for and presuming that we'll have a huge bonfire each night. :yahoo: I will eventually need someone who to head that up.

So none of the state park system allows alcohol on site? If so, then we will be looking at a private campground that allows that.

 

[FredandJeannesRacer]

A man. A tent and Makers Mark. No experience necessary!

Fixed it for ya.

 

[MEM]

A man. A tent and Makers Mark. No experience necessary!

Fixed it for ya.

:lol: I guess you DID fix it for me! I didn't recognize it - had to go back to original post (that was the night I was PWI )

I'll go along with everything except the "no experience required" part

 

[mfletch69]

keeping an eye on this. Tent and sleeping bag already packed...

 

[luvtoride]

So none of the state park system allows alcohol on site? If so, then we will be looking at a private campground that allows that.

Not sure about that, Mark. For sure, VA State Parks don't allow drinking. You'd think that I'd know about WV... but I'm not sure.