Seems hammocking is not very popular in the western states. Is this my imagination? Why aren't more people into hanging. I am new to this and I wanted to try it at Big Basin Redwoods state park and the Ranger told me hammocking is not allowed, only tents. He didn't give a reason..just not allowed. What's up with that?
State Parks in general have a reputation for not being hammock friendly. Look to the National Parks and Forests.
Trust nobody!
In terms of Big Basin: Living close by, I empathize with the frustration of not being able to hammock camp there. I had the same experience at nearby Butano State Park.
I think it’s a pretty challenging campground management/conservation issue: a staggering number of people camp in these parks every year, especially Big Basin. And the Redwood trees are delicate, often ancient treasures. If just one person hammocks using a wire or a thin line, the bark of the tree gets damaged, potentially lethally, spoiling the campground for other folks, potentially for a century+. So the park service, at least in these two campgrounds, can't categorically say “yes” to hammocking because there is so much variation in how it can be done, from zero detectable impact to extremely harmful. They have needed to start by saying “no” but hopefully their policies can evolve to where they have designated trees in designated sites with strict rules on using appropriate tree hugger webbing (perhaps even require a permit to make sure folks know how to practice low impact hanging).
I think it always helps for our community to talk to rangers and give them our perspective (and for us to get theirs too). Hopefully, with enough dialog, the feedback/interest will bubble up to the level of policy and forward thinking management planning.
In terms of hammocking in the West: I absolutely love to, huzzah! Every time I climb into the sack, swingly sweetly beneath the redwoods, ancient oaks, coastal sycamore, cypress, ponderosa pine, I think “what could be better?!” There are many of us out here, and I suspect the number is only going to grow. As Cannibal says, there is plenty of opportunity to hang outside of campgrounds, in the vast Western wilderness. See you in the trees!
Last edited by iambic; 05-25-2011 at 09:06.
A few thoughts:
-Wouldn't you need about 20' of webbing to get around a redwood?
-Hammocking in the desert can be tough, as the trees are big bushes in lots of areas.
-Rain in the desert comes sideways a lot, which probably makes people nervous about not being fully enclosed like in a tent.
Living in AZ and backpacking throug a lot of Northern AZ I've yet to run into any state or federal officailtell me I can't use a hammock. But we have mostly ponderosa pine here and it's bark is... Thick. Damageing a ponderosa with a hommock would be difficult, I think our states biggest problem is trash, and I mean trash as in the people who don't know the rule leave it better than you found it.
I LIVE FOR THE DAY AFTER TWO DAYS BEFORE TOMORROW.
I think you'd need 30-40' for (medium sized) coastal redwoods.Originally Posted by dukedante
Why do you think redwoods are the only trees in Big Basin? Sequoias are definitely the minority in Sequoia NP. You don't hang off the really big trees - there are small redwoods, just the same as there are small sugar pines (which are nearly as big as redwoods when old).
In California 10-15 foot straps are a good thing. Pines are monsters sometimes.
There are a lot of places in California they don't want you to hang - a lot of places it's easy to see why, there are trees with serious damage thanks to folks who have left rope and/or wire around trees long term. It's hard to convince the rangers your system is any different.
There are also a lot of places you CAN hang - the national parks have never given me anything but the hairy eyeball, tho you can get into trouble for not having it in "the designated spot" (usually a tent pad without trees around it). Backpacking has been no problem at all.
One notable exception to the no hammocks in state parks - Henry Coe State Park, where the volunteer was laboriously explaining how few tent spots there were, and when I said I had a hammock she was all, "Oh, you'll be fine, then."
Hammocking out west is still pretty new. The 1st time I saw a hanger was in Idaho, last year.
For the most part, hammocking is more expensive in the colder climates, heavier, and pretty much a solo expenditure. Whereas a tarp/tent, pads & bags is cheaper, lighter and two people can share my tarp.
Trees are cheap in Oregon, Idaho and Montana unless you are above the tree line. I rarely camp in a "park" or campground, so I don't know what the rules would be regarding hammocks. But in coastal Oregon, trees aren't sacred or scarce.
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