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So my wife and I will be living in Dallas for the next few months. Are there any good hammock camping spots within a few hours drive? We have hammock camped a bunch of times in Michigan and Washington but the southern half of the country is new to us. Good spots, things to know before going, any other tips and advice would be welcome :-)
Howdy and welcome to Texas!
There are lots of places to hang, some just take a bit longer a drive than others. The Texas State Park System has a number of great hanging opportunities, note though that they require a 2" tree hugger. There are also National Forests and National Grasslands which are much less restrictive on the how and where you hang. Another thought to consider is Corps of Engineer property around many of the lakes have hanging options.
In November, we have an annual Fall Texas Hammock Hang that's happens at Fairfield Lake State Park, south of Dallas.
Heres' my set up from that event last fall...
Attachment 173207
Check out some of the old event and trip report posts and you'll find some pictures for sure.
Some that I like...Eisenhower (Ike) SP on Lake Texoma is just a chip shot from Big D. Perfect for spur of the moment overnighters.
Fairfield Lake SP is also pretty close, and very hammock friendly.
A little farther out is Caddo Lake SP. One of my favorites. If paddling a canoe among flooded cypress trees appeals to you, this is the place.
There are many other opportunities; the Texas park system is huge, well funded, and well run. Enjoy!
A favorite State Park of mine that's fairly close to Big D, is Possum Kingdom. Very different than the parks mentioned here... it's located west of DFW & in the Palo Pinto Mountains and Brazos River Valley area. Different topography, different types of trees, a little hillier & more rugged landscape. Great place to camp & hang.
Hi and welcome!
All of the above, plus:
About an hour north of DFW, around Decatur Texas, is some of LBJ National Grasslands. Grasslands is a bit of misnomer. It is 1/3 to 1/2 forest. Some of us meet around the Black Creek Lake and hang. There is a camp area there, playground and pit toilet. Meaning you have to pay like $3 to camp. However all around the lake are other places to park and camp and even hike a bit, and no fee. LBJ is something like 100,000 acres in different locations. Be ready for horses, and some cattle. Lots of people take their horses out and camp. The LBJ FS office is on the north side of Decatur. The rangers are super nice.
Up on Lake Texoma, is the Cross Timbers Trail. around 14 miles each direction. Lots of nice hang places. That is around 1.5 hours north of DFW. Tyler SP is also super nice, about 2 hours east of DFW.
Some city parks also have camping. I have one in our little town. They have RV and tenting sites. Hanging isn't an issue.
There are also places in Oklahoma (Turner Falls) and then eastern OK and Arkansas are full of places to camp, hike and canoe. But those are all over 2 hours away.
Tips: Practice LNT and BEARBAG! Bears are not much of an issue around DFW. But we have roving gangs of coyote's. We have bobcats around the lakes. Deer are everywhere around the lakes. But the biggest pests are raccoons! They get into everything! And they are very smart and not particularly afraid of humans.
Thanks for the input everyone, I'm making a list :-)
Isle of Du Bois State Park is just north of Dallas. Tyler State Park is great with canoe rentals. Atlanta State Park is more secluded. That's all I've been to up north. Ozarks is pretty far, but might be worth the drive since you're coming from distant lands.