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I’ve been reading through every traffic thread, arrival time thread, arrival strategy thread etc. I thought I would create a convenient single source of information based on information pulled from other threads and my 5 years of experience. Any suggestions or corrections people provide I will try to update/incorporate. I hope this is helpful and informative for everyone…if not…oh well.
First, lets look at a map of the festival grounds…
*edited to add updated map, courtesy of Madeline *
As you can see there are 3 ticketing tollbooths (squared in yellow). The one on the bottom left corner is the main booth access via exit 112 from I-24 South. BFE is in the bottom right corner (squared in red). Tent only is in the center (squared in green) as you can see compared to the rest of the campgrounds tent only is fairly small. Note how centeroo and the best camping grounds are boxed in by Bushy Branch Road, I-24 and a few other roads as seen below. The ground above bushy branch are quite a hike as well, I don't know which is worse BFE or those but BFE certiainly sucks a fat one.
Which road should I take? According to Bonnaroo: If you are coming from Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Virginia, all other states in the northeast including Maryland and Pennsylvania, or other locations east of the site:
1. Use I -75 or I -59 to Chattanooga 2. From Chattanooga take I-24 west and follow the directions on the Variable Message signs and police directions for the Exit to use to get on site.
If you are coming from Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Missouri, Texas, Wisconsin, or any other locations west of the site:
1. Use I-40, I-24, or I-65 to Nashville 2. From Nashville take I-24 east and follow the directions on the Variable Message signs and police directions for the Exit to use to the site. If you live in Tennessee, use one of the routes listed or consider using Route 55.
I have only ever come in from the south so I can’t say with any certainty, however, some have stated that its easier to come in from the south on I-24W (shorter lines, less traffic). This makes since as there are probably a lot of people coming in from the northeast or by way of Nashville on I-24E. Traffic is going to be routed and re-routed so that cars are evenly distributed among all three tollbooths. This means if you were aiming for one toll booth in particular, its a crapshoot wether you'll actually make it to that booth or get re-routed.
When should I get in line Gates will open at 7:00pm Wednesday night. General feeling on the boards (as far as I can tell) is that a lot of people will likely show up Wednesday evening and throughout the night, due to people’s anxiousness to get on the farm and avoid traffic. Wednesday night traffic will probably be a mix of Noobs who “just want to get on the farm already!” And a bunch of veterans who are trying to get on the farm so they can be among the first to secure a spot in Tent Only camping. It’s anybodies guess when the “best” time to get in line are. My experience has been coming from the south on I-24W if you get in line around 7-8 am you’ll be setting up camp by around 12-1pm. I have no idea how officially opening the gates up on Wednesday night will change this. In general I’ve noticed through personal experience and lurking/participating in these boards for 5 years that BFE always gets filled first, then throughout the day the choicest campgrounds (between Branch and Centeroo) get filled up, then those arriving later Thursday night or Friday morning get put in wherever they can fit along the perimeter/outskirts beyond bushy branch rd.
BFE[/u] will be the FIRST campgrounds filled. I always thought this was to “punish” those arriving too early, however, recently a few people have posted that they have to fill up BFE first so they can use the roads to fill up VIP. Apparently the road used is a one way road, VIP traffic flows in the opposite direction of GA traffic so they have to fill BFE with GA traffic first so the road is clear for VIP traffic. Those arriving on Wednesday night expect to be put in BFE until it is full. This was further confirmed by bunny after she got her tickets:
The info in the VIP package says it definitely does not open until 8:00 am on Thursday. They will fill up BFE as per usual.
In the past when they “secretly” opened the gates Wednesday night BFE usually was full by 7 or 8am Thursday morning. If you are in BFE expect ~30minute walk to get into centeroo. This sucks and I personally will do anything possible to avoid being put in BFE. There is a taxi service but it costs 5$ a ride. Some people love this camping area…to each their own.
Tent only camping will be interesting this year. How tent only works: you get parked like all other GA traffic, you then have the option of either setting up camp by your car OR lugging all your stuff to tent only In years past it was a “secret” that you could get in on Wednesday night, but you’d get put in BFE. A lot of vets did this because they planned on moving to tent only anyway. In the past tent only wasn’t opened up until 8am Thursday morning to give everyone a fair shake. This year it appears that tent only will be open on Wednesday night when the gates open. According to Gary Chardonay
This will likely result in tent only filling up quicker than any years previous, so if you plan on doing tent only camping factor this in.
For the straight up Roo virgins…
What to expect when you arrive
When you start getting close to Manchester keep your eye peeled for the end of the line of cars which has formed on the shoulder of the highway. It looks like this:
Get in line as you approach it. Get comfortable because you’ll be in bumper to bumper traffic in this line for several hours. This is the shittiest part of the drive so if you’re trading off with your buddies, try to arrange it so you don’t get this last leg . Cops on motorcycles will drive by constantly in the right lane. They do not take kindly to people blocking traffic for any amount of time, so never stop in the right lane and wait for someone to let you in line. They will also yell at you if you’re hanging out of your car window or sunroof, or standing on the shoulder, or if your car door is open, etc.
DO NOT CUT IN LINE farther down the road. You may get away with it, but karma WILL catch up with you during the festival. Furthermore, keep in mind all the nice people you just selfishly cut in front of will be your neighbors, they will be camping right beside you, and they probably won’t want to be your best friend. Having a good relationship with your neighbors is crucial, they’ll watch your stuff when your gone, share food and drinks with you, help you find corn, etc. Don’t crap on them.
Once you’ve reached the toll booths it’ll go something like this…
*edited to add tollbooth photo, courtesy of bonnaroo.com*
DTF (Chief Wiggum) will be “randomly” selecting cars out of the line to search. There is no foolproof way to avoid being searched. If you get picked you get picked and if you deny them they can bring the dogs over. They don’t search you to the point that you have to “spread your cheeks and lift your sack” but they will search you very thoroughly. More so then festival security will.
Next the single line of traffic will get split into multiple lines of traffic. At this point festival security (Roo symbol) will search your vehicle. Some are more diligent then others. If they find anything they have to take it, so hide your Leno well if you have it.
After being searched you’ll get sent through the ticket booths, at this point they’ll put your wristband on give you a schedule and a map, and maybe a trash bag or two.
The line then coalesces back into one line. There is usually someone directing traffic at this point. From here you’ll get led through the campgrounds to whichever “city” block their currently filling.
Caravanning If your crew is several cars strong here is what you need to know:
Make sure all cars get in line at the same time in a row. This will make it easier to stay together. When you get to the toll booths your caravan will likely get split up to go through the booths. The challenging part is getting your caravan back inline after the toll booths. If you’re nice to the guy directing traffic after the tollbooths he might help you out and allow only cars from your caravan through till your caravan is reassembled. Never hurts to offer the guy an ice cold bottle of water or something like that. I’ve heard of people making this easier for the guy by putting numbers on the side of their cars (car 1, car 2, car 3 etc) or making signs (“I’m with stupid”). If this doesn’t work you can pull out of line on the side of the road on your way through the campgrounds and wait for your caravan to catch up and reassemble. The people that direct parking don’t like it when you do this though so expect for them to yell at you to get back in line and keep moving.
What other considerations should I take? Weather! Weather! Weather! Anyone who went last year will tell you weather can seriously quack up getting traffic onto the farm. Torrential downpours or even light continuous rain can turn the farm into a giant mud pit making it difficult or impossible to get 80k people onto the farm and parked
Gas – Always have at least a half tank (preferably a nearly full tank) before getting in line. You will be waiting in line with your car idling for up to 12 hours, you will need the gas. You might want to start your car up to re-charge cell batteries, sit in some A/C for 5 minutes, etc, you will need the gas for this as well. You’re also going to want that gas to facilitate getting off the farm and on the road quickly and smoothly.
Snacks – Plan on sitting in bumper to bumper traffic for several hours while you wait to get in. You’ll likely get hungry or thirsty so be prepared.
Bathroom – If you have to go while you are waiting in line, you’re only option is to pee in the bushes on the shoulder of the highway. Guys AND GIRLS do this every year. But if you have a shy bladder keep this in mind, don’t drink a 6 pack of beer or a bunch of coffee because if you do you’re quacked! Finally, if you get out of your vehicle to pee, keep in mind the line will continue to move without you, sometimes a considerable distance. Wear shoes, keep your ticket on you, and be prepared to hike a considerable distance on the shoulder to catch back up with your vehicle.
Spare key - Bring a spare key for your vehicle. You'll thank me when you lose your keys while partying. Also, keep in mind that all your friends that rode down with you are going to want to lock up their valuables in your car; as a result every time they need something they'll have to ask you to get into you're car. If you drove down with 3-4 then expect every 20-30 minutes for someone to ask "Hey will you unlock your car?" which becomes inconvenient and annoying when you're tired, and its hot as hell, and all you wanna do is sit down and relax. So bring a spare key and alleviate some of your troubles.
I come from NY. We come down 24 West and get in line that way. I waited in line for 6-8 hours this way. I will be rolling the dice and trying another route this year, I think.
First time I went in through a back road somehow and waited 0 minutes. Second time I came in from the north and got put in the south line.
I'm pretty sure the cops are free to re-direct traffic however the see fit based on how its flowing. Last year we got routed past exit 112 and up bushy branch to the toll booth on the top left corner. If you're aiming for one gate in particular, keep this in mind as sometimes its pretty much a crapshoot depending on how their routing traffic.
Nice job Yoderoo! The only comment I have is just to emphasize that people arriving may not have a choice in which line to be in or which entrance to use. For the last 2 years we were directed to exit Rt. 24 to enter Bonnaroo at the Bushy Branch Rd. tollbooths (can't remember exactly which exit was was, probably somewhere around 120 or so). In 2009 this was about a 9 hour line. Last year we desperately wanted to avoid that but again were sent along the same route and waited in line for a little over 2 hours. In 2009 we got in line at around 10:00 and last year around 8:00. My sense is that it is somewhat random which lines move faster and as you said, the Wednesday night opening may change the whole thing. In any event, for those going for the 1st time, be prepared to wait a long time and be very happy if you don't have to. Even when we waited for the 9 hours, nobody seemed to lose their cool as the prize at the end was worth the wait.
The top right end of the map is also a long walk. It seems like getting in the main gate will get you the best spot. But as it's been said, you can't really predict what gate you'll get.
Do any of you guys have experience with using TN Route 55 to get into Roo? I haven't seen much about 55, everyone seems to use I-24. I'm coming down on 55 so I'm wondering how it is in terms of traffic, etc.
Do they usually only open one entrance on Wednesday night? Since the gates are *officially* open Wednesday night this year, do you think all the entrances be open?
Post by franklinresident on May 6, 2011 20:07:38 GMT -5
This Comprehensive Guide is extremely informative. Great work!
Your logic on an optimum arrival time is very sound.
Each time someone has asked "Gary" if there was a connection between an early arrival time and being placed in BFE - he has always been evasive.
I originally thought they did this as a punishment, as you mentioned - but you make an astute point that this is probably more about it being the optimum way to load the campsites.
Post by I LOVE SPICY PIE on May 6, 2011 21:18:40 GMT -5
I am a little concerned because I do not want to be put in BFE but was planning on arriving Thursday morning around 6:00 am. Is this too early? I wanted to arrive this early because I figured we would be waiting in line a long time anyways.
Do any of you guys have experience with using TN Route 55 to get into Roo? I haven't seen much about 55, everyone seems to use I-24. I'm coming down on 55 so I'm wondering how it is in terms of traffic, etc.
i only live 20 min away and this is the way i'll be coming in. i don't have to get on 24, so i guess i'm going to avoid it. i'll be taking 55 to bushy branch and hoping for a good spot.
with that being said, when do you guys think i should leave? like i said, i only have a 20 min drive to the farm and i really don't want to wait 5 hours once i get there. i was planning on leaving sometime around 10 am-noon on thursday. what kind of wait and campsite do you guys think i would get if i got there then and went in on bushy branch? i have volunteered the past 2 years, so i haven't had to worry about this.
I'm pretty sure the cops are free to re-direct traffic however the see fit based on how its flowing. Last year we got routed past exit 112 and up bushy branch to the toll booth on the top left corner. If you're aiming for one gate in particular, keep this in mind as sometimes its pretty much a crapshoot depending on how their routing traffic.
The first year I went, I was part of an 11 car caravan from Knoxville. We came up from Chattanooga, and the first 3 cars went in through the direct I-24 exit then the rest of us got routed to up to the next exit. When the car in front of us tried to drive past the deputy to follow the other three cars, the deputies moved in front of her car and made it quite clear that he wasn't making a request.
Do any of you guys have experience with using TN Route 55 to get into Roo? I haven't seen much about 55, everyone seems to use I-24. I'm coming down on 55 so I'm wondering how it is in terms of traffic, etc.
I too would be interested in any information someone could provide about this?
Do they usually only open one entrance on Wednesday night? Since the gates are *officially* open Wednesday night this year, do you think all the entrances be open?
I can’t say for certain. But logically I would think that yes all 3 gates would be open. If they’re doing this to mitigate traffic, then why bottleneck everyone through only one gate? Or let lines form at the other two while only letting people in through one? I think it’s a safe bet they will all be open.
I am a little concerned because I do not want to be put in BFE but was planning on arriving Thursday morning around 6:00 am. Is this too early? I wanted to arrive this early because I figured we would be waiting in line a long time anyways.
Nobody can really answer that because no one knows for certain how many people are going to try to come in Wednesday night. Usually BFE would fill by 7 or 8am (about 10-11 hours after opening) but that was back when the gates would be “secretly” opened up. Gates open officially @ 7pm this year, you want to get in line about 11 hours after they open soooo yeah you’ll probably be safe from BFE. The fact that its public knowledge you can get in Wednesday night might even make BFE fill up quicker than usual.
Do any of you guys have experience with using TN Route 55 to get into Roo? I haven't seen much about 55, everyone seems to use I-24. I'm coming down on 55 so I'm wondering how it is in terms of traffic, etc.
I too would be interested in any information someone could provide about this?
We've had luck that way last year and will do it again.
Do any of you guys have experience with using TN Route 55 to get into Roo? I haven't seen much about 55, everyone seems to use I-24. I'm coming down on 55 so I'm wondering how it is in terms of traffic, etc.
ive gone this way every single year ive gone and never had a problem (this year will be #5 for me. but my typical roo group i go with has taken it the two years i missed with no problems as well)
I'm doin the McMinnville/Route 55 route but I'm volunteering so I wont notice the difference. Stayin in McMinnville Monday night then headin in on Tuesday. Should I go that way on the home or have a change of scenery and stick with 24 towards Chattanooga on Monday the 13th? How's traffic leaving?
I'm doin the McMinnville/Route 55 route but I'm volunteering so I wont notice the difference. Stayin in McMinnville Monday night then headin in on Tuesday. Should I go that way on the home or have a change of scenery and stick with 24 towards Chattanooga on Monday the 13th? How's traffic leaving?
Depends on when you leave. When I left Sunday night, there was some people but nothing crazy. When I left Monday morning, there was hardly anyone at all. Either way, it seemed to diffuse pretty quickly when you got away from the Farm.
I'm doin the McMinnville/Route 55 route but I'm volunteering so I wont notice the difference. Stayin in McMinnville Monday night then headin in on Tuesday. Should I go that way on the home or have a change of scenery and stick with 24 towards Chattanooga on Monday the 13th? How's traffic leaving?
Depends on when you leave. When I left Sunday night, there was some people but nothing crazy. When I left Monday morning, there was hardly anyone at all. Either way, it seemed to diffuse pretty quickly when you got away from the Farm.
hmm ok. so not an issue with traffic on 24 and whatnot? i think the plan is to take 24 for the sake of getting a change of scenery and probably a little bit faster on the highway anyway. I don't know what time, but I guess we can just pack up in the morning and leave when we feel ready.
Where does the line typically start when taking I-24 from Nashville? Does it start in Manchester or is it miles and miles before? Been curious. I really appreciate all of the advice I have gotten already. This is hands down the coolest chat site thingy I have ever joined, which is really only 2. Thank you.
Post by Whoreshack on May 10, 2011 17:26:10 GMT -5
Lines form along the hghwy sereral miles south of the farm. Cops direct you to a route which you cannot control. Hopefully this year, with full gates Wed eve, the wait won't be 8 hrs like the last 8 years I've traveled.
hmm ok. so not an issue with traffic on 24 and whatnot? i think the plan is to take 24 for the sake of getting a change of scenery and probably a little bit faster on the highway anyway. I don't know what time, but I guess we can just pack up in the morning and leave when we feel ready.
When I left on Monday morning last year, there was no problems. I was amazed at the difference in the number of cars near me when I went to bed and when I woke up.
. Cops on motorcycles will drive by constantly in the right lane. They do not take kindly to people blocking traffic for any amount of time, so never stop in the right lane and wait for someone to let you in line. They will also yell at you if you’re hanging out of your car window or sunroof, or standing on the shoulder, or if your car door is open, etc.
