We are driving up from the Memphis area. 11 hour drive. We will leave Wednesday afternoon (28th) and spend the night at the Wisconsin boarder at a hotel. Drive in early Thursday morning and grab a camp site (just purchased camping tickets on-line just now). But All this talk in another thread about needing to get there the week before has got me worried. Was all that talk just about RV camping, or camping in general? If I bought camping tickets, will I be guaranteed a spot? Any other advice?
You’ll be more than fine. Especially with the international crowd likely not in attendance this year,there will be plenty of campsites. You have to show up early if you want a primo spot, but that’s about it
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You'll be fine arriving Wednesday. The prime spots will get taken real early by the diehard attendees who will stay all week, but Scholler is a huge place and you will always find a place to camp. The campground is in constant flux as people arrive and leave throughout the week, with many who start leaving Wednesday or Thursday. 2019 was an oddball year because the area got several inches of rain dumped on it the weekend before the show and they had to shut down access to the campground for a few days. The EAA did an amazing job of redirecting traffic and finding places for the backed up RV's and campers to stay. We camped in tents and were able to get in that Saturday night when they started turning RVs away.
Honestly, the only time I am around camp other than sleeping at night is in the morning for breakfast and during the evening for a short while until we all head out to dinner. So even if I'm in back-40 of Scholler it doesn't bother me too much. There are busses that will shuttle you to shower houses and the front gate.
Some other advice... bring GOOD walking shoes or hiking boots, sunscreen, a good hat, and I'd recommend bug spray as the mosquitoes and chiggers can go after you walking around the campground (they always attack my ankles). We bring a 10x10 canopy tent with screened in sides. Also bring a jacket and long pants. There have been a few times when a cold front moved in and it got chilly in the evenings.
You'll have an amazingly fun time. I started off only attending for 3 days and now I go for the entire week.... and I still never have time to see everything!
^^^^ I just want to quote this entire post, because everything is exactly my experience (right down to going for 3 days the first time, now it's the whole week).
I usually arrive Friday right before midnight (driving up from St. Louis). That usually puts me out around Cottonwood and the private field to the east of Camp Scholler. Not a terrible spot. Trying to get in earlier this year to get a better spot, but I just don't get my hope up any more.
You'll get in. There is PLENTY of room. You might not be where you WANT to be, but you'll get in.
For anyone that knows... how early do you need to get in to get a spot anywhere along Lindbergh east of 25th (north of the private field)... or really anywhere north of Elm? Just curious what it takes to nab a spot in there. (I assume you need to practically live there to get a place in Paul's woods...)
East of 25th you pretty much need to get there the day the campground opens, 7/2 this year. West of that, is mostly water and electric spots you reserve online and pay $$$ to have. West of 14th north of Elm and West of 17 north of Lindbergh are probably pretty open until the week before the show.Quote:
Originally Posted by SteveCostello
My first year camping we arrived on Wednesday. We parked pretty far out. Then, the next day we noticed numerous sites much closer in, that had been vacated by people departing early. So we just moved our RV to one of the closer spots, being careful to not claim a spot where the occupant had left to run an errand. Generally those are well-marked.