Hammocking illegal?

[Michelle the Camper]

LOL, yeah, go stealth!

[DerNageler]

I camped at Wild Oak canoeing camp ground on the Pax River and several were in hammocks. I checked withthe park, run by MD DNR, prior to the campout and they were fine with the hammocks.

[Catavarie]

Most of the places I've seen that prohibit hammocks actually prevent anything being attached to the trees. This includes clothes lines, runners for a dog, camp lanterns, tarps, and even hammocks. Mostly these rules are put into place because of people who abused the trees years ago before LNT was widely practiced or acknowledged. And many of these rules stay on the books because for the most common campsites (drive up to camping) it makes sense to reduce the effect people have on the the often abused trees. However I feel that people who are not only willing, but also enjoy getting off the beaten path and hiking several miles to where they camp are more likely (sadly though not always) to follow LNT practices.

Write your state forest service, state park system, and representative to revisit the rules which, effect hammocks. Giving them information about proper hammock use involving the use of straps for attaching to trees instead of rope. And the advantages of leaving the ground beneath relatively untouched so that the forest floor is not damaged to extent that a tent does.

[2.ooohhh]

Another thing I've done last summer at a local State park where I know the rangers is donate some of the retired climbing webbing from our scout troop to be used as loaner tree straps.(it's very lightly used and it has to go somewhere)

That way anytime the rangers run into a camper with an improperly set up hammock they can both educate the user and protect the parks' trees.

One of the rangers said he couldn't count the times over the years he had found campers wrapping chains around the trees and had to ask people not to do that.!

[MDSH]

The ranger on duty at Guadalupe Mountains National Park did not allow my hammock several years ago because he was afraid it would damage the trees.

Trees there are few and far between so I could understand it.

[kayak karl]

the fall MAHHA is in Maryland and they are fine with our hang. im sure there is a park near that REI that don't, but it is not a state rule.
some state parks that DID allow hammocking now DON'T. Ricketts Glen being one of them. the reason is people would not follow the minor rules that they did have. if a park does not allow it we need to follow their rules. stealth (illegal) camping or just hoping to not get caught is not what we are about. education and training is the only way we will turn people around. most rangers (as 2.ooohhhhhh stated) are great and want to help.
TY
KK

[old4hats]

I was talking to one of the sales associates at REI about backpacking in and around Maryland. At some point during the conversation I had mentioned I have a hammock. He told me hammock camping in Maryland is illegal because of the damage it can cause to trees. I presume he means the hammock will some how inadvertently girdle the tree. I use nice wide tree huggers from Jacks R Better so I feel my chances of killing/damaging the tree are fairly slim.

Does anyone know if this an actual law. If it is, I cannot imagine it is regularly enforced.

I kind of suspect he was doing what we call in the Navy, being a "Sea Lawyer" (acting like an authority on a subject, but in reality having no idea.)

Perhaps you can notify REI corporate, let them know how "knowledgeable" their salesperson was, and they can give that person a well deserved commendation.

[Hornca]

Perhaps you can notify REI corporate, let them know how "knowledgeable" their salesperson was, and they can give that person a well deserved commendation.

Actually not at all. He was very helpful! He told all about where to hike in the George Washington National Forest. His favorite hikes, where to take kids. I just wished I took a pen and paper to write it down since I'm not familure with the area at all.

Just the one statement about hammocks surprised me.