NH - WHITE MTNS - ADVICE NEEDED

[BoundryWaters]

There's a small group of Midwest Hangers that is planning on attending this years Lobster Hang in Maine. We would be getting into Boston airport on Thursday Sep 5 and were thinking of a slight detour through the White Mountains. I was eyeballing Lafayette Place Campground for a night, but based on the limited info that is out there it's kinda hard to see what sites might work for five guys to string up their hammocks. Any advice in regards to hanging at this particular campground or any other good spots in the area would be much appreciated. Getting more than one site to accommodate the group would't be an issue either. Thanks in advance!

[heyduff]

Any advice in regards to hanging at this particular campground or any other good spots in the area would be much appreciated.

Home turf for me with Cannon Mountain right around the corner! Great place to set up camp. Not all campgrounds allow hammocks, likely because lots of people use the cheap ones and damage the trees. I will wait to see if some others can answer the question--if not, I have people I can ask to find out directly.

Update: reached out to locals, they said, if you ask the campground, the answer is no to hammocks. I tried to PM you, my box is full, you can email me, address in my profile.

[goobie]

Thanks in advance for all your help heyduff!!

[DocWatson]

Home turf for me with Cannon Mountain right around the corner! Great place to set up camp. Not all campgrounds allow hammocks, likely because lots of people use the cheap ones and damage the trees. I will wait to see if some others can answer the question--if not, I have people I can ask to find out directly.

Update: reached out to locals, they said, if you ask the campground, the answer is no to hammocks. I tried to PM you, my box is full, you can email me, address in my profile.

I'm new to hammock camping and to this forum (Still need to do an 'introduce yourself' post.) Do I need to worry about the 'no hammock' rules at the shelters and remote tentsites around the White Mountains? If so, do you know where I should check? I don't mind doing the legwork, but appreciate being pointed in the right direction. So far this year, I've been to Franconia Brook Tentsites (preseason), Sawyer Pond Tentsites, & Peaked Hill Pond. (Sawyer is my favorite so far) Looking forward to try out more places in the White Mountains.

- Clyde

[JoshandBaron]

Lafayette Place is directly on an interstate (as I'm sure your map showed you) and as such you will be listening to trucks and bikes all day/night. Avoid it, there are better options. All options are better, if you ask me. The FS runs a bunch of campgrounds around the Whites that all allow hanging. All the paid USFS campgrounds have reservation and walk up sites. There are some free sites on Gale River Loop Rd and Cherry Mtn Road that will allow you to do pretty much whatever you want. White Birches in Shelburne is a private CG whose "Top Notch" sites provide plenty of trees and privacy.

Regarding overall hammock use in the Whites, there are no USFS regulations forbidding them and, overall, the camping rules are very lax.

[heyduff]

Do I need to worry about the 'no hammock' rules at the shelters and remote tentsites around the White Mountains?

I cannot say what you should do but what I do is--I am careful with where I am at. If it is more remote, less traveled, I am more lax in my pursuit of the rules--and I make sure when I leave, the best I can, that a person coming along 10 minutes later would never know I was there. As for the more remote sites where people congregate? I stick to the rules...there hundreds or thousands of people traipsing through those areas--if we all bumbled around, even just a little, we'd ruin those areas, so I stick to the rules. Actually, I almost never go to the "popular" areas anyhow.For instance, if I am going up to a remote pond that people do not go to much, I don't mind finding a good set of trees and making camp but when I hiked up to Tucks? I stayed in the shelter like a good boy.

So far this year, I've been to Franconia Brook Tentsites (preseason), Sawyer Pond Tentsites, & Peaked Hill Pond.

Peaked Hill Pond is home for me...grew up about 2 miles from the trailhead--haven't been to the others but the fact they are called "tentsites" means there are probably some rules to follow. If you are using wide straps, and are not cutting down trees, modifying things so you can hang--which you shouldn't need to do in the Whites in my experience--you should be fine hanging where ever. Peak Hill, on the other hand, I camp around the side a bit since the main area is where everyone ends up making there start for fishing.

[JoshandBaron]

I cannot say what you should do but what I do is--I am careful with where I am at. If it is more remote, less traveled, I am more lax in my pursuit of the rules--and I make sure when I leave, the best I can, that a person coming along 10 minutes later would never know I was there. As for the more remote sites where people congregate? I stick to the rules...there hundreds or thousands of people traipsing through those areas--if we all bumbled around, even just a little, we'd ruin those areas, so I stick to the rules. Actually, I almost never go to the "popular" areas anyhow.For instance, if I am going up to a remote pond that people do not go to much, I don't mind finding a good set of trees and making camp but when I hiked up to Tucks? I stayed in the shelter like a good boy.Peaked Hill Pond is home for me...grew up about 2 miles from the trailhead--haven't been to the others but the fact they are called "tentsites" means there are probably some rules to follow. If you are using wide straps, and are not cutting down trees, modifying things so you can hang--which you shouldn't need to do in the Whites in my experience--you should be fine hanging where ever. Peak Hill, on the other hand, I camp around the side a bit since the main area is where everyone ends up making there start for fishing.

Here are the camping regulations for the Whites. Note that the LNT guidelines on page 2 are not rules, but suggestions. The exact rules are laid out on page 3.
https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE...rdb5363715.pdf

[BoundryWaters]

Lafayette Place is directly on an interstate (as I'm sure your map showed you) and as such you will be listening to trucks and bikes all day/night. Avoid it, there are better options. All options are better, if you ask me. The FS runs a bunch of campgrounds around the Whites that all allow hanging. All the paid USFS campgrounds have reservation and walk up sites. There are some free sites on Gale River Loop Rd and Cherry Mtn Road that will allow you to do pretty much whatever you want. White Birches in Shelburne is a private CG whose "Top Notch" sites provide plenty of trees and privacy.

Regarding overall hammock use in the Whites, there are no USFS regulations forbidding them and, overall, the camping rules are very lax.

Thanks much for your input! Looks like heyduff will make sure that we don't get lost in Whites (or that we get lost in the Whites)...Only time will tell....

[DocWatson]

Thank you heyduff and JoshandBaron for the info and suggestions.

[Trail Slippah]

Home turf for me with Cannon Mountain right around the corner! Great place to set up camp. Not all campgrounds allow hammocks, likely because lots of people use the cheap ones and damage the trees. I will wait to see if some others can answer the question--if not, I have people I can ask to find out directly.

Update: reached out to locals, they said, if you ask the campground, the answer is no to hammocks. I tried to PM you, my box is full, you can email me, address in my profile.

Ive hung in most of the US forestry camp grounds without any issue. Ive done it during the winter and during the "open" season. The care takers wave to us as they go by.

The only place I heard that could be a problem is Barnes Field or what ever that campground is off 16. They have a nothing can be hung from tree rule but its not directed at hammocks so who knows if they enforce it.

All the back country sites allow hammocks, the care takers get a little pissy and sometimes will make you move if you hang over the platform during the busy times.