don’t let this happen to you, ask on phone

[backroad]

Private campgrounds make their own rules, Can I hang from your tree? Never forget this if you call!
I read on here that in some parts of the country you can’t hang from trees. In California I thought it was ok. However private camps can refuse hangers. I found out by going, I’ll ask the right questions on the phone next time.

KOA will not let you hang anything from their trees

If you read this far that’s pretty much all the hanger info there is.




The following is an account of how I learned of it by an unplanned stop at KOA

At the end of a weeklong motorcycle trip it got real windy. My brother and I were being moved around & pushed sideways in our lane for two days trying to get home. Report was wind 35 gusting to 50 as we approached the Golden Gate Bridge. If you’ve never ridden a motorcycle in the wind it’s hard to explain the pucker factor. Any bridge, underpass, overpass, truck, patch on the road, trashcans crossing road by themselves can and will freak you out when your leaning into the wind just to go straight. We had intended to cross the Golden Gate Bridge and make it to my brother’s house in Santa Cruz but the wind changed our minds.

We called around and found a KOA, the only campground that wasn’t full. Dark, cold, and 20 miles back to the north howling wind and all. Only to find I would not be allowed to touch a tree. I was carrying a bipod, so I asked if I could tie to a sign or pole? I don’t think anybody ever asked to tie to a pole. Though they could not produce a written rule they still said no dice to hangin’.

Dang near $90 to sleep on nasty plastic covered foam pad on wooden full size platform or the bunk beds. No water in cabin, one stool nailed to floor, dinky table looked like it would break if you put your gear on it.

can’t hang at koa

backroad, formerly known as twestered

[Spartan]

Wow...
That sounds like an eye opener, and a terribly night. Thanks for the heads up. If I'm ever out that way I'll be careful.

[iRokk]

KOA: Kamping On Asphalt. I do my best to avoid their "campgrounds" anyways, but thanks for the fair warning!

[OCDave]

Not all KOA campgrounds are equal. I have hung at KOA campgrounds. Each are independently owned franchises. By all means, ask while on the phone but they are each run as a small business. If they see they are losing business by denying hammock hanging, perhaps that will their perception.

[L.D. Cakes]

If they see they are losing business by denying hammock hanging, perhaps that will their perception.

Quick everyone call a KOA near you and ask politely just to inundate them with inquiries about hammock camping ! Well it could work.

Sorry you had a bad experience. I hope the next one will be better.

[Junebugdawn]

Quick everyone call a KOA near you and ask politely just to inundate them with inquiries about hammock camping ! Well it could work.

I think this would be a grassroots effort...perhaps we should call it a treeroots effort!

[backroad]

Thanks for the replies
Not trying to bash any camp spot. It was my mistake, just know before you go anywhere.

It wasn't that bad a night. My brother and I had a good time making fun of the place.

[HURTHEART]

Thanks for the replies
Not trying to bash any camp spot. It was my mistake, just know before you go anywhere.

It wasn't that bad a night. My brother and I had a good time making fun of the place.

Well, I will BASH KOA. My experiences have all been NEGATIVE. Last winter, I could not find a camp ground in or near Astoria Oregon that was open and suitable to hang. I checked into renting a cabin or yurt at the local KOA, very expensive, and not the least nice. We took a hotel room instead, they were the same price, the hotel room was significantly nicer.

In Montana, we took a spot in a KOA Camp ground, the care taker, manager or whatever he called himself, insisted we take a cabin, we wanted to just sleep outside in our bags. He kept telling us it gets cold, gee we are from a sub arctic region of B.C. I told him that, he insisted we take a cabin. I just wanted to sleep so we took the cabin, there was a hidden camera in the cabin. I was not a happy camper. We left with a full refund. I have had a couple of other not pleasant exchanges with KOA's, just not to my liking at all. Too open, too expensive, not particularly nice, different type of campers than we are.

Calling ahead is always a good idea, collecting the name of who you spoke to is also helpful, even with the best interrogation skills, there is still the opportunity for miscommunication.

[The Old Boot]

Since KOA's are either franchise owned or corporate owned, sending a letter of complaint to both the individual campground and the head office in Billings Montana might/maybe result in some action.

It sounds like in all the cases of complaints that each might have been dealing with employees and not the owners.

Don't be afraid to be a squeaky wheel if for no other reason than to get the angst off your chest.

[gratefuldanny]

...there was a hidden camera in the cabin. I was not a happy camper.

I'm sorry. Wtf about the hidden camera? Please explain.