Hanging in a state/local campground

[Law Dawg (ret)]

With that said, I can't stand having my options/actions limited as a precaution against the lowest common denominator. I'll be pretty ticked if I... with my diligent preparation and thoughtful suspension selection... am denied the right to hammock hang just because most folks are ignorant and don't do it properly... but at least I think I understand the logic behind it.

Do you think that the general public is knowledgeable, diligent, and well equipped enough to pull off hammock camping WITHOUT leaving visible signs?

You have just described bureaucratic government (pretty much all of us) from local to DC. How many times have you sat at a stop light with zero cross traffic and miles of visibility because it is the "rules"? Welcome to the school of government traffic engineering. Nerf world is a reality...rebel against the Nerf.

Now this second question was taylored for registered cynics and misanthropes like me! The general public is just as enlightened as government education (is that a oxymoron?) and television programs them to be. In other words no...critical thinking skills are in seriously bad shape.

There is one big way to avoid all this Ranger rules stuff (should the rules cause you to ground dwell) and that is to stealth camp. Why anyone would actually want to go to an average flatlander campground is beyond me anyway. If you must; please allow this 32 year LEO to give some advice. Talk to the Rangers with courtesy and respect while you gently educate them. All while making it seem like this LNT hammock stuff was their very own idea that you heartily endorse because you are in awe of their enlightened enforcement. Told y'all I was a cynic.

Frankly if the State was really interrested in preserving their campgrounds they would never allow a flatlander to even drive in them let alone set up tents or park RVs.

[cfisch9]

Frankly if the State was really interrested in preserving their campgrounds they would never allow a flatlander to even drive in them let alone set up tents or park RVs.

I agree entirely. I believe that as a whole, the hammock community is typically better informed than the typical day camper due to the level on knowledge one must possess in the first place to get out there and use a hammock as a shelter (successfully). I think that the real danger to the parks and wildlife would have to be the car and RV campers who typically posses very little knowledge of land conservation and leave no trace policies.

[Law Dawg (ret)]

Frankly if the State was really interrested in preserving their campgrounds they would never allow a flatlander to even drive in them let alone set up tents or park RVs.

A bit tongue in cheek but not made evident...replace "preserving their" with "preserving our". I will say that my clan and I have spent many hours pre-cleaning camp spots in remote campgrounds. It is amazing what day campers will leave behind...or hammer into trees.

HF campers will tend more toward better educated about LNT camping...maybe we could get the State to sell us a license to LNT camp ('nuther toungue in cheek moment).

[tbctx]

Our we could always do the logical simple method... "no hammock camping without using tree straps." Lets people that are responsible go for it and stops those that aren't, best of both worlds.

[Alamosa]

...The general public is just as enlightened as government education (is that a oxymoron?) and television programs them to be. In other words no...critical thinking skills are in seriously bad shape...

I agree entirely. I believe that as a whole, the hammock community is typically better informed than the typical day camper due to the level on knowledge one must possess in the first place to get out there and use a hammock as a shelter (successfully). I think that the real danger to the parks and wildlife would have to be the car and RV campers who typically posses very little knowledge of land conservation and leave no trace policies.

Before we hurt ourselves patting ourselves on the back and bashing other campers...

It is more likely an issue of concentrated use. There are a very limited number of usable hanging spots associated with an individual camp in a typical state park campground (especially in the Rockies). A tree hugger that will do little to no damage to a tree for a night or two in the backcountry would quickly wear through the bark of a tree if it were used every night throughout the year while being attached and detached every few nights.

I think the more reasonable route may be to work with the parks to see if poles could be added to the sites that would support hammocks (shade tarps for tent campers).

[cataraftgirl]

I'm new to hammock hanging, and I guess I never gave any thought to hammocks being a "no-no" anywhere. I've camped in a lot of state / forest service / national parks in my life. With all the tents, tarps, RVs, volleyball nets, toys, dogs, kids, boom boxes, generators, etc. etc, it seems odd that a hammock would be so frowned upon. I've seen plenty of "casual hammocks" in campgrounds and no one seemed to bat an eye at them. However, I've never seen anyone sleep in one with a UQ or tarp or tree straps in the manner that I've now learned on HF. Maybe it's the novelty that attracts the attention? Until now (with my newly acquired hammock knowledge) I would have just put my hammock up and been shocked to have some ranger tell me to take it down. Guess I'll be more cautious & stealthy from now on.
One thing I did see that made me laugh ..... I think it was on the Capital Reef NP website. Hammocks are allowed during the day only and must be taken down at night. Huh??????
KJ

[lori]

There are plenty of places with no hammock rules. It's not the novelty of them. It's just going to depend on the place and the bureaucracy running it. Some places the trees have been hammered full of spikes and have obviously grown around wire or cables that have been left for years. Places like Big Basin here in Cali where the focus is redwood trees, one can see why there would be a rule against doing anything to the trees....

National parks have no rules about hammocks, so I've had no problems there. State parks are all different in this one regard. I called Henry Coe once to talk about taking a group out - the staffer was patiently apologetic about lack of tent spots in some of the camps (within a specific radius of park hq one must be in designated spots) until I mentioned sleeping in a hammock. "Oh, you're all set then."

The real problem for me has been campgrounds. Ones that demand that you put up the shelter in a SPECIFIC PLACE will raise heck - sometimes there are trees over the specific place, sometimes there are not.

[rjcress]

Before we hurt ourselves patting ourselves on the back and bashing other campers...

It is more likely an issue of concentrated use. There are a very limited number of usable hanging spots associated with an individual camp in a typical state park campground (especially in the Rockies). A tree hugger that will do little to no damage to a tree for a night or two in the backcountry would quickly wear through the bark of a tree if it were used every night throughout the year while being attached and detached every few nights.

My thoughts exactly.

It would be nice if the parks installed some sort of hanging poles. But I'm not going to hold my breath. I think I'll investigate portable stands if I ever find myself compelled (against my will) to stay at a car camping campground.
Edit: or Scout camp. The last Cub Scout trip we went on they put our Pack in a field. No sturdy trees close enough... so we were stuck in the tent.

[Kaliram]

One thing I did see that made me laugh ..... I think it was on the Capital Reef NP website. Hammocks are allowed during the day only and must be taken down at night. Huh??????
KJ

Yup, I hung in Capital Reef NP this summer during my motocycyle trip out west, and noticed the sign stating that hammocks are allowed during the day only and must be taken down at night. ...huh...WTF!

....I just ignored it and put up my hammock and tarp in the afternoon and took a nap. Then I got out of my hammock, cooked a nice dinner, waved to the nice elderly couple that were doing camp host duty as they went by in their golf cart checking that people had registered, and then climbed back into my WBBB for a wonderful night's rest.

...My conclusion: I don't think camp hosts read signs...oh well...the height of absurdity...

[bigred72]

Has anybody had any experiences hanging in Utah? State or national parks, recreation areas????
I'm new to hammocks and so far have only used them on river trips, but I do some camping in parks & recreation areas ( such as around Flaming Gorge). Seems like I've seen some casual hammocks, but not anyone sleeping in them.
KJ

Yes, no problems so far. I have been to the Uintas, Escalante, up and down the Wasatch front, Logan Canyon and many other places. The couple of rangers I have bumped in to have not had an issue. Been up to Idaho as well and no issues in my experience.