My Travel Blog by George M. Fields: June 2012

Camping at William Kent Campground, Tahoe City, CA


Entrance to William Kent Campground

William Kent Campground‎

1995 West Lake Boulevard

Sunnyside-Tahoe City, California 96145

(530) 583-3642

I just returned from a four day camping trip to north Lake Tahoe. Fresh mountain air, clear blue skies, lush green forests and near-freezing overnight temperatures. Brrrrrrr!

I arrived at William Kent campground on Wednesday morning in early June. It was good to be back at this campground, a place where I've been camping at since the mid 90's. I always enjoy coming to this campground for a variety of reasons but the main one being it's directly acro ss the highway from Lake Tahoe. The location of William Kent is great because it gives you access to many outdoor activities in just a matter of minutes from your campsite. This campground is located on Hwy. 89 about 1.5 miles south of the "Y" intersection in Tahoe City.

You can walk down to the lake and go for a swim or paddle around in your personal watercraft. You can go biking on the bike path that passes directly in front of the campground entrance and runs parallel to Highway 89. I like to ride into Tahoe City for groceries and a tasty espresso. You can float down the Truckee River in your own raft or rent one and be picked up Alpine Meadows Road. There are also a number of great restaurants available very close by. Sunnyside is a five minute walk from the campground.


Near Sunnyside Resort at Lake Tahoe

Other reasons I like William Kent are the layout of the sites, they are large and offer privacy unlike many campgrounds where there is no vegetation between campsites. Here the Ponderosa pines, birch trees and Douglas Fir trees grow tall and give you plenty of shade and privacy. I love trees so I spend a lot of time just looking at them, noting their shapes, symmetry and height. They are beautiful to look at.


Campground Loop

I was in campsite #70. This site has everything I look for in a good campsite: lots of room for all your stuff, a relatively flat area for your tent, a good distance from neighbors with privacy, good combination of sun and shade, close to the restrooms-but not too close and close to a water source. This site is nearly perfect in my opinion. I love it. This is the third time I have stayed in this particular site and it just keeps getting better.

Setting Up Camp

I unloaded my gear and set up my five-person tent. I enjoy setting up my campsite while I breathe in the fresh mountain air and gaze at the beautiful sights all around me. The process of setting up my tent and camp is very therapeutic for me and a lot of fun as well. I enjoy the outdoors very much and draw energy from the environment all around me. I have a very strong pioneer spirit inside of me so I feel very comfortable and connect very quickly to nature.


Camp Site #70 - William Kent Campground

I find it very relaxing to set up my tent, the propane stove, the Coleman lantern, fill up my five-gallon water jug and set out my chairs to my liking. I like to have my camp all set up before night fall, it's much easier to do when you have plenty of daylight. Once my bed is made (I use a foam pad or air mattress and a sleeping bag), I am free to go for a bike ride or a long walk around the surrounding neighborhood.

Site #70 with Tent Setup

Exploring the Surrounding Area

One of my favorite activities when I'm in Tahoe City is to walk around the different neighborhoods and check out the wide variety of custom homes in the area. They can range in price from a quarter of a million dollars to five or ten million dollars. Most of the architectural styles are based on a log cabin theme or a variation of the Craftsman style of architecture. I'm a huge fan of log cabins. I really like the houses that combing natural wood and stone into their construction. The two house shown below are typical of what you will see when exploring this area. I can spend hours and hours looking at the many different construction styles you will see around the lake.

I enjoy thinking about what it would be like to live here year round. What it must be like to be home while the snow falls heavy outside and you sit inside your cabin next to a warm fire and then go outside the next day a walk through the deep snow. During the winter months here, you are subject to the dictates of nature and you have to be prepared to deal with whatever she may throw at you. Freezing rain or three or four feet of snow in a matter of days.

Custom-built home in Tahoe City

On my second day during this trip, I spent the day riding my bike south to Homewood and north to Dollar Point on the bike path. I also rode about seven miles on the bike path that follows the Truckee River. If you have never had the opportunity to ride on this bike path, make it a priority on your next trip to North Lake Tahoe. You won't be disappointed. There is always something to see when you are bike riding the paths here. Tall trees, Lake Tahoe, rafters floating down the Truckee River, large custom homes, snow-covered mountain peaks and lots of people having fun in the great outdoors.

I enjoyed this trip very much and it was good to get away from my usual routine. I have a ritual I like to follow in the morning when I wake up. After splashing cold water on my face, I fire up the gas stove and start heating up some water make coffee. That first cup of coffee sitting at the picnic table tastes the best. It probably tastes so good because of the combination of fresh mountain air and all the sights and sounds of nature all around me. To me, the morning hours are my favorite and I cherish every passing minute while I gaze at my surroundings or just read a book and sip some black coffee.

This is the time that helps me recharge my batteries and I am thankful for the healing effect just being here has on my soul. I don't know if other people are so deeply affected by nature as I am, but I am so grateful that I can experience such joy and happiness from being out in nature. It has always been this way for me, even as a young boy, being outside and exploring nature has always made me very happy. I guess I am lucky that way.