Motorcycle Camping at Tahoe National Forest

As an avid motorcyclist, I had long dreamt of going camping, only packing the gear I can fit on two wheels. I had the incredible opportunity to embark on my first motorcycle camping trip at a familiar campground: Shirttail Creek Campground in Tahoe National Forest.

Packing efficiently was more or less as difficult as a backpacking trip. Even with side bags, there is limited space on a motorcycle, which demands more prioritization than packing the van for my whole family. Though, I did not have any actual backpacking planned this time, so I packed as much as I could on my motorcycle without worrying about weight. I ended up only bringing slightly more than my usual backpacking gear because I had a flight the next day, so I only planned on staying overnight and did not need much gear. Besides restocking on fuel for my stove and fuel for my belly, the only new gear I ended up buying was ROK straps from Cycle Gear to strap my backpack down, which worked very well and provided me peace of mind over rope ties.

With my 2019 BMW F750GS fully loaded, I jumped on and began my journey to Tahoe National Forest. The 2-hour drive was equal part city freeways, country highways, and windy back roads. For the most part, it was uneventful, which is what you are hoping for in motorcycle trips away from home. However, even the short ride reminded me of my desire to replace the OEM seat with something more comfortable like the Corbin motorcycle seat, who are local to California, or the Sargent motorcycle seat, who have a low version for the vertically challenged. Unfortunately, the price of American-made, high quality motorcycle seats make it difficult to prioritize them over more practical improvements such as a top case or crash bars.

Speaking of crash bars, I did have a bit of a tumble on my way to camp. The friend group I was meeting up with was running a couple of hours behind, so I took a rode through a couple off-road trails on my way. I prepared in advance for this option by running directions from two different GPS: one traditional directions from my phone and another from my Garmin GPS that included off-road paths. There was a point in the off-road path where I had to go up a steep incline on a sharp turn that was effectively a U-turn. Coming up to the turn, it looked intimidating, but I was already locked into my tunnel vision. I dropped a gear, thinking I could power through it as if I was riding on a dirt bike, but I was not that surprised when I tipped over and slid halfway down the hill. Immediately, I tried to lift my bike back up, but lifting 500lbs up a hill is already hard enough and my body was shaking just standing from the adrenaline, so I gave up.

I took off my gear, sat down on the side of the path checking for any injuries I might have not noticed, and shamefully watched my bike lay on its side. After calming down, I walked over to my bike and squat it up to its side which was difficult but easier with a calm mind. I did a quick damage report hoping I would not be stranded off-road in the middle of a forest. This F750GS was my introduction to adventure bikes so I was pleasantly surprised that there was very little damage. Damage included a broken, but usable rear brake lever, a broken turn signal cover, but still working, and some minor scratch on the handlebars and side case. The minor cosmetic damage was barely noticeable after I rubbed it out. I replaced the brake handle lever and turn signal cover for less than $100 and also bought some Barkbuster handguards to better protect my brake levers. In this trip, my side cases saved scratching my engine, but I might not have them on next time, so I moved Touratech Upper and Lower crash bars higher on my upgrade priority list. For the rest of the ride to camp, I stuck to the main roads. Unfortunately, I did not think to take a picture of hill of shame.

Upon reaching Shirttail Creek Campground, I found myself immersed in what felt like a resort. The camp sits right next to a reservoir that is the perfect temperature for swimming. There are multiple campsites strategically placed around the reservoir and each campsite has a limited amount of sites, so it never feels crowded. The bathrooms are clean, not flushable, which is better than the usual hole I have to dig and cover up. When you walk up to the water, as long as you ignore the dog poop people never clean up, the experience feels intimate and exclusive. Before setting up my site and before the rest of my group arrived, I swam out to the island in the middle of the reservoir to enjoy a relaxing moment drying off in the sun before the forecasted clouds rolled in later during the day. Rain or shine, this area is beautiful.

I timed my return to camp perfectly. My friends had just driven in as I was walking back. Unlike many other places, the sites at this campsite are very spacious, so every site ends up being amazing and secluded. We could easily fit 3 to 4 cars and several tents on a single site. The rest of the trip went as expected: eat, swim, eat, card games, more eating, campfire, stay up too late, wake up too early, etc. Unfortunately, I had a flight to get to soon after waking up, so I packed my gear, secured it to my bike, and headed home. Riding back in the rain was daunting in the back roads, so I took it easy, but eventually made it home safely.

Every adventure brings its fair share of challenges, and my motorcycle camping trip was no exception. My first motorcycle camping trip to Tahoe National Forest was a fun adventure. Motorcycling and camping together offered a unique blend of freedom and exploration of the outdoors. I eagerly await the next opportunity to hit the open road with my camping gear on my motorcycle. As I sat on the plane after my trip and was thinking of ways to improve my motorcycle and camping experience, I decided that besides the improvements to my bike, that a GoPro to record my experience would offer a new perspective to my outdoor adventures.