Atlantic Coast Questions

[staehpj1]

Can anyone comment on the Atlantic Coast route and the available camping/lodging opportunities there?  I kind of have the impression from living in the Mid-Atlantic region that the camping is likely to be scarce and expensive.

I am giving some consideration to giving the Atlantic Coast a try since I live near it in Maryland and have a daughter and son in law in Florida.  Also I am retiring soon, not that I let my job stop me from doing long-ish tours.

I don't have any touring experience with the Atlantic Coast Route because I have typically gone out west for my tours in the past.  My limited experience in the East was the eastern portion of my Trans America and a Southern Tier trip that ended in Sarasota.

I am not afraid to stealth camp and will do so once in a while, but prefer either free camping in plain sight or inexpensive campsites.  I am guessing I will not find much of either in the East.  Is that the case or am I being too pessimistic?

How often are inexpensive rooms available?  I don't mind staying with a warmshowers.org host here and there, but really do not want to rely on that too much.  The warmshowers thing tends to require too much planning and not enough last minute spontaneity to suit me.  Hosts seem to usually like some notice and I often don't know where I am stopping until I am there.

Other comments about the route appreciated as well.

[Westinghouse]

I have done the AC three times or more. Camping in campgrounds is expensive compared to hiker-biker camps on the PCBR. Motels are expensive too. Cheaper ones can be found, for example, the one in Kingsland, Georgia. Georgetown, SC has some moderately priced motels.

I never make reservations. I free camp out of sight because I want to avoid taking chances. I use motels maybe two days out of six or seven. The AC route is mainly level or roughly so.

[indyfabz]

Unless you get a nice owner who gives you a discount, camping will cost you in PA, NJ & NY.  Places along the route south of Philadelphia will likely run at least in the high twenties/night and maybe even 30s. I doubt you will find anything free like city parks. Obviously, there is no established camping close to Philadelphia and I don't think it would be wise to stealth camp in the wooded areas of the city's public park system. For out of state residents, NJ state parks like Worthington near Delaware Water Gap,  PA, are $25/night for non-residents. Once you get into NY things probably won't get much cheaper. Commercial campgrounds were pretty expensive when I last looked into them a few years ago. Some of them were in the mid to upper 30s.  Out of curiosity, I priced a tent site with no utilities for next week at the KOA a little above Port Jervis. $36. Probably more in season. There are one or two state parks near/in Hyde Park. Don't know what they charge.

I rode a short portion of the route (Port Jervis, NY to Philadelphia) back in May. Drove a one-way rental to the start and camped a few miles outside of the center of town at this place:

http://www.rockviewvalley.com/rates.htm

$30 for a site with no utilities. The owner only charged me $15. He said it was because I was on a bike, but I think maybe it was because the place really was just gearing up for the season. The pool wasn't even open yet. The next night I stayed at Worthington for $25. The third night I stayed at Dog Wood Haven just off route in PA across from Milford, NJ. I was again charged $15 since I was on a bike. (I was also offered a free beer by the owner.) They don't have a web site so I don't know what the normal rate would have been.

I am hoping to ride part of the route next June to get to my 30th high school reunion in western MA. Guess I will have to suck it up and pay the price.

[staehpj1]

Thanks.  That is about what I expected.  I will probably continue to fly to places to tour.  Three or four weeks of $25-35 campsites really adds up.  For that kind of money flying somewhere else sounds more attractive to me.

[bktourer1]

Salem Ma.  has a town owned CG and when I was there I was given a discount.
There is a nice state campground in Salisbury Ma. on the water.

[bobbys beard]

i did it last june and tended to pull up at the roadside most nights, then get a motel once or twice a week as a treat. there are almost always logging forests to hide in and plenty of abandoned building sites too, which made great free camps.   the couple of occassions i did pay for camping, it was really expensive and certainly not worth it. i'd suggest taking a hammock as well as a tent

[staehpj1]

Thanks.  Good to know that stealth camping wasn't difficult.