Oh, the places you’ll go! Solo traveling across the country to Electric Forest can be daunting, but the entire experience will teach and reward you immensely.
If your favorite artists were performing in a forest 2,000 miles away and you didn’t have a group to go with, would you still make the effort to attend? Heck yeah! When the music calls we must answer, and Electric Forest is beckoning.
Festival organizers did not hold back with this year’s lineup, enlisting some of electronic dance music’s biggest names. Headliners include Justice, Tiësto, Disclosure, FISHER, and, of course, The String Cheese Incident. Not to mention other highly-anticipated sets from Sara Landry, WORSHIP (Sub Focus, Dimension, Culture Shock, and 1991), Of The Trees, Louis The Child, and the addition of 40 plus artists to an already stacked lineup.
Electric Forest is not only a wondrous place because of the music, but also thanks to its array of other offerings. Attendees can get lost in the Dream Emporium, limber up at yoga, tune in and vibe out at the silent disco, or adventure through the forest on a scavenger hunt.
Many aspects make Electric Forest so alluring. At some point, the gravitational pull to attend becomes too strong. The hypothetical adventure becomes a reality. Curiosity of the unknown inspires life. This is a solo traveler’s guide to Electric Forest.
The best way to get to Electric Forest from out of state is by flying in and renting a vehicle.
I have known friends to road trip to Electric Forest from different parts of the country. Some spent multiple days on the road — others a couple hours. It is a different approach to the festival that demands more adventure and flexibility, but is exciting and scenic. Having done both, I find it is easier to fly and rent a vehicle.
I look for a roundtrip, nonstop flight to Grand Rapids, Michigan. This is the closest airport to Rothbury, but if this isn’t possible, the next closest airports are in Chicago, Detroit, and Indianapolis. Renting a truck is ideal. They are comfortable to sleep in and protect you well from any potential inclement weather.
I fly with a carry-on and one checked bag. I pack them with must-have items like a tent, sleeping bag, cooking stove, clothes, tarps, toiletries, electronics, and other festival essentials.
After landing and picking up the rental truck, my first stop is Wal-Mart. This is to gather last-minute supplies like a canopy, cooler, food, and drink before entering the festival.
I plan to eat once per day while attending and have snacks and light food at camp. You can donate or return the items you can’t travel home with after the festival. At this point in the adventure, everything is pretty dialed in, and it is smooth sailing ahead.
The choose your own adventure part of Electric Forest starts as soon as you arrive to the venue.
A short, hourlong drive north from Grand Rapids, and you will be exiting Winston Road to Electric Forest in Rothbury, Michigan! Being able to camp where you want, connect with whom you want, see the music you want, and explore when you want is a level of freedom that pairs perfectly with a festival environment.
The communities you will find, create, and become a part of when you solo travel provides such a special feeling of love and acceptance. Even when I found myself miles away from home, in a forest, in a state where I’ve never been, I rarely felt alone.
In fact, I was adopted by a kind group of Internet friends who became my Forest family. They say “The Forest provides,” and this was my first experience of it. There is a special energy in the Sherwood Forest, and as a solo traveler that magic manifests in many different forms. Finding and connecting with a group of like-minded festival-goers quickly made me forget that I was traveling alone. I was able to share powerful moments with new friends while also being able to take time for myself.
If you are planning to attend Electric Forest solo, there are a ton of great resources on the web. Facebook and Reddit are filled with loads of great information and conversations. Electric Forest even launched a new initiative this year for solo travelers called Camp Wayfinder. It is a group camp specifically designed for solo adventurers to connect with like-minded people and experience the festival with a supportive community. As long as you can get to Electric Forest, you can be rest assured you will not be alone.
This year, as I plan to attend Electric Forest again solo, I cannot wait to fully lean into the experience.
When you surrender your fears of the unknown and fully embrace it, a whole new way forward appears. Pathways and experiences that didn’t exist before are now illuminated before you. Creating your own adventure becomes infinite and limitless in its potential.
You can really do anything with a solo festival send, and Electric Forest is calling! Between the music, art, culture, and the natural environment, I cannot wait to see what this year’s Forest has in store.
If you were on the fence about attending I highly recommend giving it a shot! Even if that means taking yourself on a solo adventure.
