This Summer’s Ultimate Northern California Motorcycle Scenic Routes
They call it motocamping. You call it packing up a bedroll, pup tent, and additional vital camping gear for a trip from Southern Cal into the delightfully desolate wilderness of Northern California.
Mountains, deserts, rivers, wineries, and roads far off the beaten path … they’re all here, waiting for you to discover them. Just make sure you practice motorcycle safety and have adequate motorcycle insurance before you point your ride north.
Here are four of our favorite Northern California motocamping and exploring destinations. Keep in mind that summertime is tourist season in the entire state of California. Unless you plan to pitch a tent off the side of a desolate road and hope for the best, you had better make reservations first, no matter where you go.
Yosemite Park
Well, of course, we have to start with Yosemite. Tourists come from all over to see Yosemite Falls, Glacier Point, and El Capitan, the imposing granite structure known to rock climbers worldwide.
In short, the entire national park is breathtaking. The mountains, forests, waterfalls, valleys, and wildlife assure a lifetime of memories. Take plenty of pictures. Also, park your bike and take advantage of the numerous places to hike.
This national park is home to several off-road motorcycle and hiking trails around the High Sierras. You’ll find nothing but scenic routes here. You’ll also discover some 13 motorcyclist-friendly campsites in the park. Sleep under the stars, nestled into some of the most gorgeous natural vistas you’ll ever lay eyes on.
Bigfoot Country!
That’s just our name for a region along the Trinity River and Trinity Highway, a couple of hundred miles north of San Francisco, that’s seemingly gone out of its way to embrace Bigfoot and his/her/their many loving fans.
Everything is big here, the trees as well as the monsters. You’ll start in Eureka. After exploring Old Town, ride east into redwood forests along Highway 101. It’s also known as the Redwood Highway for appropriate reasons.
Your eventual destination (but take your time) is Highway 299. This becomes the Trinity Highway and leads to … weirdness. Delightful weirdness. You’re now in Willow Creek, the self-proclaimed “Bigfoot Capital of the World.” The little town (naturally) contains a Bigfoot Museum and holds an annual Bigfoot Daze celebration in September.
Coincidentally or not, you’ll be following a piece of the Mad River to get here and back. You’re also in the Six Rivers National Forest, where you’ll find abundant campsites.
Redwood National and State Parks
More big trees! Really, really big trees. The most massive living thing on Earth, in fact. They’re all around you.
The ancient sequoia forests are reason enough to visit this national park. Redwood National and the three state parks that make up this system contain nearly 40,000 acres of sequoia forests — nearly half of the trees that haven’t already been lost to timber production. You’ve seen nothing like it. Get off your bike and hike for a while.
You’ll find a total of 11 developed campgrounds and backcountry camps here. As with everywhere else in the Golden State, reservations are mandatory. Additional lodging and campsites are also available just outside of the park grounds.
Napa Valley Wineries
This might be a bit of a change of pace from the popular, yet rustic, attractions we’ve noted so far. The picturesque small city of Napa, California, features a wealth of restaurants, museums, art studios and galleries, and even an opera house — not to mention some 400 wineries within a 15-minute drive of the city center.
Ah, yes, those wineries. And the numerous winetasting opportunities the valley offers. Just remember that a day of wine sampling and motorcycle riding don’t always go comfortably together.
Find a campsite and settle in. If it’s within hiking distance of a few wineries, go on foot. Otherwise, make this more of a sightseeing trip than a grape-sampling trip. You’ll have just as much fun.
Get the Most Out of Your Up-North Motorcycle Tourism Adventure
It’s again worth mentioning that the state of California gets millions of tourist visits annually — mostly in the summertime — so it’s critical to make campsite reservations as early as possible.
Whether on congested California freeways or lonely winding off-road trails, motorcycle safety is imperative. Take your time, and always wear a helmet. (It’s the law in California for riders and passengers, and a no-brainer wherever your ride takes you.)
Also, do your online research to find out where your bike is (and isn’t) allowed in national parks and other motorcycle tourism must-see destinations. Here are a few more popular attractions for Northern California moto camping we haven’t mentioned.
Start Your Travels With Affordable Motorcycle Insurance
The minimum motorcycle insurance requirement in the state of California is liability coverage. But is that enough?
Liability insurance covers other individuals and their vehicles and personal property in the event of an accident that’s the fault of the policyholder. But it won’t cover damage to the person holding the coverage.
In other words, your liability motorcycle insurance coverage will only pay for damage to the other party when you’re deemed to be at fault for a collision or other type of accident. So if your bike was heavily damaged or even totaled in an accident for which the authorities say you’re to blame — you’re out of luck.
So, let’s say your bike suffers thousands of dollars in damages in a collision outside of Yreka, near the Oregon border. How do you get home to the Los Angeles metro, nearly 10 hours away? How will you pay for repairs if your bike even can be fixed?
That’s why you need to investigate the benefits of full coverage motorcycle insurance. It includes collision and comprehensive. It protects you and your bike in the event of an accident that’s your fault or for any kind of damage where fault can’t be assigned. For instance, a collision with a deer in the Cascade Range. Or a hit and run, a smashup with an uninsured driver, or a stolen bike or act of vandalism.
The best news: Motorcycle insurance is highly affordable, especially when you’re dealing with an independent insurance agent who can bring you a selection of the cheapest policies on the market.
Don’t let your Northern California moto camping summer vacation be ruined by unaffordable damage to your bike and personal property. Make sure you’re confidently insured.
Call Us Before You Hit the Road for Cheap Motorcycle Insurance
Make your Northern California summer vacation by bike one you won’t forget — for all the right reasons.
Start your motorcycle tourism planning by getting the most dependable and cheapest motorcycle insurance in Southern California. That involves contacting an independent Cost-U-Less Insurance agent.
Call us at 800-390-4071. Or get a quick quote online. We also invite you to find a Cost-U-Less location in Southern California near you and schedule a meeting at your convenience.
