My experiences with hammocks and AT shelters have been that many do not suitable tie-off points. Last summer, there was one night that several of us had hammocks and wanted to hang inside out of the frequent rain showers. Fortunately for me, I arrived first that day, had first dibs, and found sufficient tie-outs. In the Smokies, some of the shelters in which I slept (sort of), there were chain-link fences and just no way to hang so I ended up on the floor, more waiting for the night to be over than sleeping.
I suggest that you check the regs wherever you travel. In some areas you can hang/camp wherever you wish, in others, you must be within or outside of a certain distance from shelters or only in designated campsites. For the Smokies, you may do well to stick to campsites. When in those, I found trees for hanging easily enough.
Rosaleen
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