Sherando Lake Rec Area - Part of George Wash. NP - No Hammock Camping

[dkurfiss]

I just spent a couple of days at Sherando Lake Rec Area (part of GW NP) by Lyndhurst VA. While they do allow hammocks, all overnight camping must be done on their provided pads. You can not sit up a hammock outside of your pad area. The challenge is there are no trees to hang from on the pads therefore they might as well say no overnight hammock camping You can throw up a hammock down by the lake for day use or even along their trails for day use but within the Rec Area there is no dispersed camping so you can't use your hammock for overnight unless you bring a stand with you.

It was a bit disappointing as I was in a family group so ended up setting up a tent..yes, I carry both on my motorcycle as I have ran into this issue before.

[CoreyR]

I had something similar happen at North Creek campground down near Buchanan. I have camped there for years and never had a problem. I KNOW that hammock camping is allowed and have the LE park rangers stop by and chat with me about my rigs before. Usually asking things like, "how do you like hammocks," "where can I get a set up like that," and so on.
I was up there a couple of weeks ago and this years "campground hosts stoped by, as I was setting up, they popped out of their truck and informed me that I could hang a hammock but I could not put a mat on the ground as that would make it a "tent off the pad." They also told I could not set a folding chair under my tarp (it was supposed to rain that night too).
I politely pointed out that the site next door had two actual tents, one on the "tent pad," two kids tents, neither on the pad, and a shower tent but they were concerned about me putting a mat on the ground? I also asked them since when it became a policy that folding chairs are only alowed inside of tents which are on tent pads? Especially since almost every campsite in the pace had two or three scattered around.
Their reply was that they "just enforce the rules" so that they did not have to "call the law enforcement rangers, you dont want us to have to call the rangers do you?" "Yes," I responded, "In fact, I insist that you call the LE Rangers at this point." The two "hosts" did not look to happy as I set my foot down and made them call the Park Rangers and we waited for their arrival.
While we were waiting they began to "make small talk." While this was going on, I asked them about the Colorado plates which I had noticed on their truck and RV, they both had distincitive local accents. The husband laughed and proceeded to tell me all bout how they had a dummy corporation set up in Colorado, to get out of paying Virginia property taxes on their vehicles, boats and RVs. I was a little stunned. I looked at them and said, sounds like you have done pretty well for yourself, what kind of work do you do? He told me that he was retired from contracting and asked me what I did for a living. Reaching in my back pocket and pulling our my badge, I replied, "I am a bailiff/investigator for the Commonwealth of Virginia," then as I pulled out a pen and notepad and stepped around to look at their license plate, "now what were your names again?" Meanwhile the Park Ranger had arrived, walked up behind them and had listened in on most of this exchange, he was standing trying not to smile as these two suddenly decided that they had URGENT business elswere, ANWHERE but there and took off. The Ranger walked over as I was putting my badge, pen and pad away and asked me, "you didn't say WHAT state agency you are with?" I looked at him and replied, "workers comp" and he cracked up laughing.
Hey, they asked me what I do for a living and I asked them their names, it was regular conversation, I cannot help that they have a guilty conscience over tax evasion.
The ranger confirmed that hammocks ARE ALLOWED AT NORTH CREEK and I did not see the "campground hosts" again all weekend.

[dkurfiss]

Thanks for the chuckle. In my case it was not the camp hosts that said something but rather the NP Rangers. They have it posted in all the rules too. States that all camping equipment must be set up within the confines of the pad. I can't say I was treated unfairly as I saw the Rangers more than once ask tent campers to move their equipment to inside the pad area.

[CoreyR]

Then they were fairly applying the rules. I am glad you posted this as I had considered Sherando Lake. I wonder if all the Jefferson/Washington NP sites aregoing to start this up? Perhaps we should send an email to the park office asking about it since it has been allowed before. Maybe the signs need to be changed.

[Surfdog]

Corey, great story.
It drives me up the wall when someone comes over and starts spouting rules when they don't have a clue. Some people take their authority just a little to far.

While not hammock related, had a couple park rangers that tried to bully a couple of us out of the water while surfing. A buddy checked with D.C. headquarters and the rangers only have authority to the low tide line, which did not include our crew, 50 yds from shore. Now when they try to call us up on the beach I just ignore them, and they finally go away. Funny how some folks just want to impose their own rules, whether they're right or not.

[CoreyR]

Corey, great story.
It drives me up the wall when someone comes over and starts spouting rules when they don't have a clue. Some people take their authority just a little to far.

While not hammock related, had a couple park rangers that tried to bully a couple of us out of the water while surfing. A buddy checked with D.C. headquarters and the rangers only have authority to the low tide line, which did not include our crew, 50 yds from shore. Now when they try to call us up on the beach I just ignore them, and they finally go away. Funny how some folks just want to impose their own rules, whether they're right or not.

I would've loved to have had that happen with my daughter and son-in-law along. They are Coast Guard and everything past the low tide line is THEIR pueview! LOL.