I'm heading out on a 10 day ride and am planning on camping a few of the nights. I've started checking on KOAs and they run $30+ a night. Are there any recommendations for cheaper camping alternatives? I don't want to throw down in a park and get arrested or mugged, but feel like $30 is outrages for a tent sight.

 

Gov. campgrounds are the best prices as a rule. Whether fed, state, county. Also google boondocking, dry camping, and free camping. There are some federal lands that offer free camping.

 

Most of the state parks are a great deal. Stayed at plenty of em and never had a bad experience. But after a few nites of staying in State Parks, a 30 buck nite at a nice KOA is a welcome change. Laundry facilities, pool & a hot tub at lots of em.



Clayton Lake State Park in Clayton N.M.

 

Also some private campgrounds (not KOA's) tent camping with bike is cheaper BUT by far your best bet is government lands. State, federal ect

 

$30 seems kinda high. Camping is free in our national forests (no facilities), and typically $12-16 in state and national campgrounds (limited facilities). HOWEVER, I've seen $22+ fees in NY (and probably other NE states)

 

Appreciate the replies and information. I'm doing some searching on State and Fed parks and will add them to my trip info. Thanks again.

 

I took a month off this summer, and traveled over 7,500 miles. You did not mention which states you were gonna hit, but one thing worth mentioning is ****in Bears!

Losta places out west they can be a big problem. There are Bear Barrels at campsites for you to put any food in. (Inclucing toothpaste, cough drops etc.) Them things have the nose of a bloodhound and if they get a whiff of food they really mess up your nites sleep! Tear apart a saddlebag, tip a bike over....or worse. Personally I opted for a cheap hotel when I was in Bear Country!

 

Good info on the bears. I'll be heading east from Utah so Cheyenne Wyo would be the furthest west I'd be camping. States I'll be in for sure are Utah, Wyo, Nebraska, Missouri, Tennessee, North Carolina, Virgina, then we'll probably take a more northerly route back.

 

KOAs are gross! Too crowded, and an all-night serenade from all those RVs' generators...and they're expensive.

USFS and BLM are generally the cheapest, followed by NPS and state parks--all usually below $10. (some USFS campgrounds around here are $15, because they are in HIGH demand, like the one *right* on the Madison River)

But, just making your way cross-country, you can find some, always.

Try this website as a guide to all federal land camping http://www.recreation.gov/.

This is a good site for all states' state parks: http://www.stateparks.com/usa.html

Here's another that has links to all state park systems, too. (You can also make reservations through it.) http://www.reserveamerica.com/us/cam...ndDirectory.do

A guy mentioned bears....sure, they're everywhere, as are coyotes. If you have a bear box at your campground, put your food in there. If not, put your food, cooking equipment, and the clothes you cooked in all in a bag. Hang it from a tree downwind of your tent site. Pretty simple to avoid bear trouble, really.

All ranger stations will provide recent stats on bear sightings, too.

EDIT: added another site

 

back country camping is usually free in national forrests. in the south-east, all we have is black bears. they sleep all night like we do. use common sense.