I am planning a last minute late season bike tour for the length of the C&O Canal and I am curious if any of the sites around Hancock, MD or Harpers Ferry, WV are hang friendly. I've done this ride before but I stopped at other places and was still camping on the ground.
Near Hancock is White Rock H/B. That is the most hammock\sleep friendly. East of that your options aren't too good. Little Pool is loud due to the interstate, Licking Creek is a bit overgrown and better suited for tents, North Mountain is loud; the train tracks are on the MD side there, Jordan Junction had a great spot for hammocks. I used to set up there but last year they cleared out the smaller trees to make room for more tents. Past that you may as well head to Harpers Ferry. It's been years since I have been down there. Check out Pedalshifts recent videos for more info. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZ3...1zhmfBipCsSqjg
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I don't mind traffic noise much, but I'm not going on this ride have it sound like a highway while I'm camping! I can get that right near my house. My initial feeling was to stop in Hancock and get stuff for dinner and camp at Little Pool, Licking Creek, or Big Pool if I had enough daylight left. I wonder if there is a way to hop off the Western Maryland Rail Trail to hit White Rock. It would be faster to backtrack up that way on asphalt vs. the towpath. Last time we camped at McCoys Ferry and the one guy with a hammock had a hard time finding a good spot.
I'll check out the video as well, thanks!
I actually think that I am going to stretch this trip to four days with a short fourth day. I remember how rough it was the last time trying to push 60+ miles a day plus time to stop for lunch and again in town for to buy food and then make it to camp before dark. I am looking at 45-50 miles a day rather than 60 miles a day. We also didn't have any time to stop and check anything out along the way. So, I need to revise my plan again.
I did a 100 mile overnight O/B from DC on the C&O back in September with another hammock hanger. We made it out to Harper's ferry. We stopped at Mena's Pizzeria on Washington st and had a delicious BBQ chicken ranch pizza. Then we hopped back across the river to the trail and headed north another mile or so til we hit Huckleberry Hill. There are a few spots to hang at that site. Though, a couple are spaced pretty wide. But just make sure you have some long straps, or whoopies and you can make it work.
I had done a similar trip a couple years back, and hung at the same site.
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So, I did the trip and ended up doing the trail in three days. I only camped one night because I got out late the second morning and a detour I took on country roads to shave off a few miles ended up being crushingly hilly and didn't save me any time.
Five foot tree straps aren't long enough for many sites, assuming that I have five foot straps. I have whatever Warbonnet included with my hammock so I'm assuming they are 58". I ended up camping at Little Pool and I only found one suitable hang location mostly due to tree spacing or tree girth but also due to widowmakers. Minus widowmakers, there was one other location at that site where five foot straps would have worked. The highway noise wasn't too bad but there were also trains on the other side of the river. Either way, I slept soundly due to exhaustion.
A word to the wise for those who want to do the C&O, bring longer tree straps if you are using whoopies. I'll be buying a set of seven or eight footers for my next trip. I briefly stopped at a few other sites along the way and found very few campsites where five, or even six, foot tree straps would be enough to hang.
I've hung many times on the C+O. My favorites are on the east side of the Paw Paw Tunnel.
Sorel Ridge @ 154.1
Stickpile @ 149.4
Also:
Killiansburg Cave @75.3
Huckleberry Hill @62.9
The Antietam Fee area I found only 1 spot I could hang from. Thanksgiving 2014 the snow/ice storm almost did not let me drive out of that area.
I did hang at Purslane @ 156.9 but it was very buggy and only found 1 set of trees I could hang from & they were too close.
"Courage Grows Strong at a Wound" - Stewart Clan Motto
A friend hung at the Antietam fee area on our trip a few years ago. He ended up hanging in a tree because there was nothing else he could find.
Back in August, I did the GAP & C&O from Pittsburgh to DC. The C&O campsites were generally not well suited to hammocks. Most areas were clear cut for tents, and the remaining trees were monstrously large and widely spaced.
I'm biking the C&O in May. I am hoping to use my hammock on the trip.
I've got long tree straps. I listen to the Pedalshift Podcast as well.
I'll have to review our plans to see if I need to change plans to use a tent.
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