Grand Canyon rim 2 rim?

**Triggerhpy** · 02-16-2017, 09:35

Has anyone hammock camped while backpacking the rim to rim trail?

**Henry8** · 02-16-2017, 09:56

Hiked south (Bright Angel) to north (North Kiabab) as a day hike a couple of years ago. Didn't camp, but scouted the three campgrounds for future trips. There are trees at Indian Gardens and Bright Angel campgrounds, but not enough large ones to bring a hammock in my opinion. Bright Angel was full of campers as I passed by (early June), so if you did find a suitable pair of trees there's a good chance it would have a tent between them. Were you able to get a corridor permit or just in the planning stages?

**ringtail-THFKAfood** · 02-16-2017, 10:58

The Grand Canyon is NOT hammock friendly. I have hung in the area where they do not require designated campsites. But you will need to make some compromises about where you camp, and it should be for a small group.

**johnspenn** · 02-16-2017, 11:15

I think forum member kwpapke has spent time in and around the GC. Reach out to him, he may have some info for you WRT your OP.

https://www.hammockforums.net/forum/...p/1250-kwpapke

**pgibson** · 02-16-2017, 12:07

For all intensive purposes you can not hammock camp in the canyon. On the rims you are ok to hang but below rim the park service has very strict policies about attaching anything at all to the trees....as in you are not allowed to hang up a string to hang your sweaty T shirt on let alone a hammock. Now here is the caveat: You can attache to some man made structures below the rim....but there are limitations there as well. At Indian Gardens there are shade structures and pack hanging poles. You can hang a hammock from them. However at IG the camp sites are first come first served and many (most) of the pack poles and even some of the shade structures are loose in the ground and you would pull them over on top of your self if you hung from the wrong one. At Bright Angel there are no shade structures and the pack poles again for the most part are loose and would not support your weight....was told that some folks though attached to them and the picnic benches to hang....just realize that you will be lucky if you are 1-2 inches off the ground and again you have a high likelihood of pulling them over again. Kwpapke has a photo of just that exact thing happening with the pole bent and the hammock on the ground from someone he saw "hanging" on a trip a year or so ago. So yes you might be able to pull it off but it's likely more work than anything.

**Triggerhpy** · 02-16-2017, 14:42

I'm in the planning stages right now. Doing my homework. Could mean that I bring my own free standing system.
Thanks for all your input.

**pgibson** · 02-16-2017, 15:08

One thing to note when you bring up a stand is that it will need to be totally free standing. The ground it hard as rock and driving in stakes would take a sledge hammer. One of the guys in our group was thinking of bringing a handy hammock stand until we learned about the ground....and yes it is packed super hard. As long as you can do something that does not need staked down you will probably be ok with a stand.

**grubbster** · 02-17-2017, 07:07

Never been there so I really don't know, but you might want to look into non-damaging climbing devices like chocks to hang from. Might not be worth it though.

**pgibson** · 02-17-2017, 13:19

Originally Posted by grubbster

Never been there so I really don't know, but you might want to look into non-damaging climbing devices like chocks to hang from. Might not be worth it though.

Being that in the main corridor you can only camp in the campgrounds setting up off rocks will not work.

For me and for now there really is not a great option to hammock in the canyon. A stand set up would have to be very very light weight. The hikes while not necessarily difficult or technical....the trails are are dirt highways, you're not hiking over rocks, your not scrabbling....the trails are smooth and manicured with so much traffic. But the elevation gain and loss makes for a good bit of work. I spent 2+ months training hard every day and the hike still kicked my butt. I would rather put the weight into Advil and snickers bars than a stand. If/when I do the GC again I will have a reservation to stay at Phantom ranch and take a light pack load.

**Rushthezeppelin** · 02-17-2017, 14:14

I wonder if there's any chance of finding a way to hang on some climbing protection placed in rock down there....you would have to have two opposing walls with a crack or horn to protect. Then there is whole problem of lugging a full rack of gear in addition to everything else.