Irritated with Missouri State Parks, need help!

[mrmike65]

+1 on giving a demo for the local ranger. You might be able to be a favorable decision for that park.

If I read right, they don't allow you to hang from trees, right? So how about hanging from something else? Like from your vehicle to the picnic table. Or bring a portable stand. If you're car camping, the extra weight won't really matter.

[ibgary]

I haven't read all the posts yet, I will though. I wanted to jump in because I'm as close to an expert on this as your likely to find. I'm a retired park superintendent.
1, reason is because people walk into things in the middle of the night that they don't see.
2, when hung wrong hammocks can damage trees and break branches.
3, rules may both be different and misinterpreted differently from park to park.

I suggest contacting the park by email and ask if they allow hammocks. If the answer is yes you have it in writing. If the answer is no call and ask to speak to the superintendent and ask again. If the answer is no again ask, politely, for the reason. Be prepared to explain your set up, how will you make it visible, how will you keep people from tripping on it at night? The answer may be no.

I left Capitol Reef at 8:30 @ night because the ranger said I couldn't use a hammock. No refund. I wrote Yellowstone and they said it was fine. In Colorado its ok if hung from a
dead tree or dead branch, dead branch stubs by the trunk are plenty strong.

Let me know if you want more info

[cavediver2]

I have hung in almost all MO state parks and never had any problem. if you do find someone that does not allow it let them know that your doing your part of leaving now trace. explain the set up to them if they still don't see it your way pack up and move on and put that on your DNR list ( do not return ) my list is very small and most of them are from florida but they are starting to change down there. As other readers have said there are plenty of other places to go with in a few hours of you that you can go to hang shawnee forest in southern IL is one of my favorite places and it's close to me.

good luck with you hanging. Don't get discouraged.

[beasty-beast]

being from mo this all interests me. have yet to hang in a state park but with recent succes hammockers had in florida through education i have confidence we will eventually be allowed in our great state park system! i might start working on a stand for the family campout i'm going on in two weeks

[activeshooter]

I'm in the cave state quite a bit, the only place I have run into problems was a private rv and atv resort. Hang in the national forests or Nat parks all the time. Not sure but I think lad would be ok also.
I'm a caver and do a bit of work for both state and national parks and forest.
Try and if they say no respect that, has always been my atitude

[Gideon]

Folks, i could be wrong but I don't think it's against the published regulations in MO state parks. After my initial post I did some more digging and simply can't find any prohibition. the only thing I think could get someone in a bind would be a "subjective" determination that it's damaging existing vegetation. I also hang on Missouri conservation land (excellent places by the way) and they have very straight forward rules about vegetation as well. So unless theres something in writing I can't really buy it, however, the problem comes when park ranger "thinks" there is and gives the order to take it down. Even if they're wrong I think it's important to be polite and comply. Then all of the posts about trying to explain, teach, or show, come into play.

If anyone has anything in writing, I would appreciate help in finding it; otherwise every state park reg I've found seems not to even mention hanging things from trees.

Gideon

[Sidewinder]

Hammock stand.

Any car camping situation I go to will always be with my Turttledog stand. Beside, no guarantee that there will be suitable trees at your campsite.

S

[crackrbilly]

Sounds like a good place for an H.O.C.