Has anyone gone to Bonneville Speed weeks in early August in a 40' Rv? I am looking for help in where I can park for a few days,not on salt or where I could get stuck if the weather gets rainy. The KOA said it is full. I heard there was an Airplane Museum where parking maybe permitted.Any help would be appreciated.
I know "Real Car Guys Sleep in the Dirt at the Bend in the Road" but... You can't stay on the Salt ..Period. The Bend in the Road is the area that can get muddy, but it was packed with RVs last year. With that many people around I doubt you would get stranded...stuck maybe, but not stranded!! There is RV parking up the hill from the Bend in the Road. I think they call it Scorpion Flats. There are also some spots across the street from the Truck Stop at the Speedway Exit. There are some spots near the old air base and a RV park operated by one of the casinos right in town. There may be other parking areas.. I got on the cancelation list at the KOA and was "lucky" enough to get in during last years Speedweek. Lot of money for not a lot of KOA, but WTF...they have a pool!!!
The hill south of the bend is one of the best spots to stay in. Stayed there the past two years for both S.C.T.A and U.S.F.R.A events. If it rains thats the place to be. If it does rain don't try to move your rig just wait. Moving it the next day will be way better.
How far from the salt is this place? Is it first come first served or a reservation place? Have a 40' Toter home that we need to park somewhere.
It is first come first served. There are no services or marked spaces. Its less than a mile from the enterance to the salt. Instead of turning right to go to the salt go straight. The road turns to gravel then just find a spot.
There is also the spot where the museum will eventually be located. Flat and hard ground. First come first served. I'm not sure but I think the BLM is not going to allow camping at the bend. Could be very wrong on that.
We are coming from Australia and have hired 3 motorhomes. We're told that the bend in the road was the place to be. Any chance it would be full, or is there plenty of space. Posted from the TJJ App for iPhone & iPad
Scotty, here is the official word. Mac Jr. Member Offline Age: 43 Location: Torrance, CA Posts: 68 <table width="100%" border="0"><tbody><tr> <td valign="middle"></td> <td valign="middle"> Re: BLM Stipulations « Reply #45 on: March 28, 2013, 07:38:12 PM » </td> <td style="font-size: smaller;" height="20" valign="bottom" align="right"> Quote </td> </tr></tbody></table> <hr class="hrcolor" size="1" width="100%"> Guys, If you have questions about this, please ask me. If necessary I can get clarification from the BLM before we go to SpeedWeek. We put the stipulations out early, to give us all time to get our heads wrapped around it. You can still have a can of beer on the salt flats (I'm guessing you are all over 21 - chronologically speaking anyway.) Just no glass. Please don't drink and drive. And yes - the BLM do believe the bend in the road is within their area of control. The SRMA is the Bonneville Salt Flats and the BNI/SCTA is under contract to behave in a certain manner within that area - basically from lands end on. However, the bend in the road is BLM land. When you pass the gas station, you go pass a BLM sign. From there on, you are on public lands, managed by the BLM. They tried to make one set of rules to apply for both to make things ... easier? They are charging BNI for rangers to patrol the bend in the road as well as the salt. Yes camping is still ok and no, they can't close it down or charge fees to use it (I asked that question too). But they can regulate its use - hence the rangers and rules. The BLM were generally happy with the way the racing was conducted on the salt. They thought the setup, layout and operation was safe. Their main focus on the flats themselves is the yahoos who go out the back and do donuts (hence the speed limit). Everywhere the rest of us go, our posted signs take precedence. If you have further questions, please feel free to email me. miriammacmillan@me.com Miriam Macmillan BNI Chairman And the thread it came out of. http://www.landracing.com/forum/index.php/topic,12516.0.html
Tons of space but as noted if it gets wet you are not going anywhere. It is a mud flat, gumbo mud when wet, at least after the first slimier than snot phase.
I don't think too many people mention this place because it's on the "other side" of Bonneville (the east side), but if you drive to the east on I-80 about 15 mins you get to a place called Knolls that is an offroad rec area. Tons of parking room there if you're in a motor home. I'm not 100% sure they allow overnight camping, but I think they do. It's not mud flat either, it's good solid ground.
Tman, has it rained on the Bend for what, the last 3 years? Buick59 knows about it even on the 'other side of the bend'. It's like gambling and racing ' you take your chances'. For me, I would try to get early as possible and talk to Mike at CarQuest about camping on the Museum site, it's only an extra 3 miles and not mud if it rains. Also call Lucy at the KOA for cancels, also at the KOA you can pay to dump your 'load' if you are dry camping. Bottom line, do what you have to do to make it to Speed Week, I have never heard "This was no fun, I'm never coming back". It is in a Hot Rodders DNA to make the pilgramage to the: hot, blinding bright, hot, world of colors and sounds, hot, and sometime wet, place that is called 'The Bonneville Salt Flats'.
Last two years for sure. Not just rain, but sideways tear your tent down rain. Curious to see what the BLM really does this year
Oh and the Boyd question that been beat to death. Yes it was a cluster F***, he drove where it was not 'advised' not off limits. But the bigger picture is, jump in Tman, is that the salt is almost gone, yes really. That year the salt was so bad the tracks had to be moved to the edge of the lake bed where the salt is just on the surface. The salt sits on a mud flat like bend in the road. Most of what is missing is sitting on the other side of Highway 80. It needs to go back to where it came from. Support Save the Salt. And there has not been camping on the salt for many, many years. 7pm everyone is kicked off, except for securty and SCTA officals, most who are at the pool in town.
Yes, the salt conditions are bad. Supporting Save The Salt is IMPERATIVE!!! We will get our fundraiser off this year even if it does rain.
THANKS Miriam! I'm sure you're very tired of answering the same question over and over. See you at the dumpster- Steve
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