TheSamba.com :: View topic - Buses Nowhere Near The Arch #39 VW campout - Aug 29-Sept 1 2025

Fri May 23, 2025 8:48 am

B.N.N.T.A #39 "Buses Nowhere Near The Arch #39 VW campout

Friday, Aug 29th thru Monday Sept 1st, 2025 right on Mark Twain Lake near Hannibal, Missouri.

https://1kathrynbowman.wixsite.com/bnnta

Join us for the premier Midwest VW Type 2 camping event!

Come join us for the upcoming 39th "Buses Nowhere Near the Arch" camping weekend. This family-oriented VW camping event will feature on average a gathering of around 100 VW Transporters of all types and eras from all over the USA. While predominantly a Type 2 event, all models and eras of VWs are welcome to camp with us! We are looking forward to seeing you and your Transporter amidst all the "Split-windshields", "Bubble-windshields", Vanagons, and EuroVans and even the new "I.D. Buzz" as well as any other VW types and models this Fall. Please note that only VWs are allowed inside the BNNTA event campground.

"Buses Nowhere Near The Arch #39" will be held rain or shine over the long Labor Day holiday weekend, Friday, Aug 29th thru Sep 1st, 2025. We will gather again at the "group campground" inside the Indian Creek Recreation Area. This U.S. Army Corps of Engineers campground is located right alongside 18,000 acre Mark Twain Lake, about 30 miles southwest of historic Hannibal, Missouri. This is a beautiful, federally-run campground with paved roads and parking pads and nice facilities. Most supplies and conveniences are available in nearby Monroe City or Hannibal.

On both Friday and Saturday evening we plan to have campfires along with VW and door prizes, and parts swapping in addition to the "site-to-site" socializing that this VW camping event is famous for. On Saturday morning we are planning another of our famous "Bus caravans" over to historic Hannibal, the boyhood home of Samuel Clemens, a.k.a. "Mark Twain." You'll have lots of time to explore the haunts of his hometown, or tour "Injun Joe's cave." You won't want to miss it!

On Saturday afternoon registered campers can stroll the campground and select by ballot their favorite VW Transporters, and that evening owners choice awards will be presented in several Type 2 classes in addition to a drawing for any vendor and participant-donated door prizes. If you have any neat VW-related items to donate, please bring them along for the drawing. On Sunday you are free to enjoy the lake or visit other regional highlights. It should prove to be a relaxed, fun weekend full of great Volkswagen experiences and new friendships.

We are planning again to have a "vintage lantern walking tour" on Saturday evening right after awards are presented, so break out your old and new lanterns, dust 'em off and get them working and bring them along for the lantern-lit walking tour of the campground! We may even have a best and worst working lantern award or two, who knows!

Our private camping facilities at Indian Creek include our own large, private "Buses Nowhere Near the Arch" group area with some electric hook-ups (first come, first served), fishing, water-sports (bring your water toys), playground, a huge pavilion shelter, toilet and shower facilities, and a nearby boat ramp. The all inclusive camping/event fee is $35 per VW for the entire weekend.

Only VW’s that are registered and camping will be admitted into the BNNTA group campground area! Now, please read that last sentence again!

Sites in the BNNTA group campground area can not be reserved in advance. The gates to our campground will be open for arrivals and site selection on Friday. If you arrive earlier, you could stay nearby in the regular "main campground" in the Indian Creek Recreational Area. Although there should be plenty of room for everyone, the earlier you arrive the better.

We are looking forward to your arrival for a long holiday weekend full of Volkswagen fun. Please pass the word around to your VW friends about this long-running Volkswagen camping festival held over the long Labor Day holiday weekend!

So wipe down and pack up those Transporters for the cruise over to Mark Twain Lake, MO for the "Buses Nowhere Near The Arch #39" campout on Friday, Aug 29th thru Monday Sept 1st, 2025 near Hannibal, Missouri. Please see the website below for lots of photos and information and a link to a mapping program to find your way to BNNTA.

https://1kathrynbowman.wixsite.com/bnnta or http://www.bnnta.com

Wed May 28, 2025 3:56 pm

Looking forward to the event!

Sat Jul 19, 2025 12:38 pm

Wow! If you are driving a VW Transporter of any kind from Olympia, WA you'll have a good chance of winning the "furthest distance driven" award at this upcoming event! We look forward to seeing you!

Bill

Mon Aug 25, 2025 9:33 am

I just saw the weather updates for this coming weekend for the upcoming "Buses Nowhere Near The Arch" VW camping weekend over the long Labor Day weekend. It looks to be fantastic! Much more like late September cool weather than typical late August weather.

This long-running (this will be the 39th one of these campouts!) VW camping weekend is predicted to have the following high daytime/low nighttime temps:

80/59 on Thurday
79/57 on Friday Aug 29th
78/58 on Saturday Aug 30th
78/58 on Sunday Aug 31st
80/61 on Monday (Labor Day) Sep 1st

You might even want to bring a light jacket for the nice cool Fall weather at night! Come join us all for this fun "Volkswagens only" camping weekend in what looks to be fantastic cool/dry weather right on Mark Twain Lake, Missouri!

For more info/photos/videos/directions, just go to https://1kathrynbowman.wixsite.com/bnnta

We hope to greet you soon!

Tue Aug 26, 2025 11:29 am

Wow. Sounds like it is going to be too cold. Will you snuggle with me to stay warm Mr. Bowman?

Tue Sep 09, 2025 11:48 am

"little ricky", I hope I kept you nice and warm. Yes, we had fantastic Fall cool weather almost requiring long sleeves at night.

A great VW camping weekend right on huge Mark Twain Lake! We enjoyed fantastic camping weather, we had many long distance attendees (from Olympia, WA, Albuquerque, NM, Phoenix and Tucson, AZ, No. and So. Carolina, and many surrounding states! We hosted a total of 92 VWs (mostly Transporters, but all were VWs) who registered and enjoyed each other and their Volkswagens all weekend.

Mark you 2026 calendars now for the long Labor Day weekend (Sept 4th thru 7th of 2026) for the holding of my 40th "Buses Nowhere Near The Arch" VW camping weekend! Special thanks go out to my wife Kathryn, my sister Kathie, Craig, Tom Janiszewski and all of you VW-loving campers that travelled from far and near to make my 39th BNNTA so much fun!

Bill Bowman