Oh gosh I'd love to go hammocking....but....

[Pennsy Camp and Canoe]

i can camp within an hour of home, but for some reason that seems to close, usually go 2 hours away

[airbud]

stealth camping. I usually just go somewhere deep into the trees and set up where no one is looking.

[dscotthep]

How about private land? Do you know anyone with some acreage who might let you camp? I live within 50 miles of 3 state parks but my Boy Scouts favorite camping spot is on a friends 40 acres with a well stocked pond.

[NarlocB]

wow, i guess i never thought about it for others, i am truely lucky to be about 4 miles from the AT. Once at the trail, I can head south 2-3 miles and hit a camp site or north 4 miles and hit a camp site.

[Maytag]

There's not a single campsite within a 3-hour range that has anything open. There is a preserve nearby that could be available for backpacking in and setting up a site, but even that is 2 hours away. Does anyone else have this problem? What do you do to get around it? Book a camp 4-months in advance?

Surely you have a friend that has some land that has two trees you can hang from. I would try that and see what you can come up with.

[durunner]

I'm lucky to be close to the AT and there's tons of car camping options within an hour or two. Still, I wish there were more legal backpacking options, other than the AT. There are some, especially in the three hour range. I do wish I had more non AT backpacking options for an easy night or two and an hour or less. Not even real trips, just some good short term testing and getting out. I guess I should be grateful for what I do have. It's hard though after being in in Colorado in the summer for a few weeks and there's so much land open to backpacking. National Forest after National Forest. Just drive to a trailhead and go out there. Only one NF in this whole state that I currently live in.

[Shug]

I just drove 4 1/2 hours to head way up to Northern Minnesota and get on a cold, rainy, windy backpacking trail to get away from humanity.
Totally worth it.
Carry forth.
Shug

[Wanderer1]

I'm lucky to be a short walk to a National Forest. Not lucky, planned. Where actually few people go. Nightly I hear the coyotes yipping. But there is a lack of water due to the drought the last many years and the poison oak can be thick.

Like A previous reply, I have to drive maybe 6 hours to a favorite place in the eastern sieera or in the valley along the river. Totally worth it. Headed 8 hrs north for a week of fishing and enjoying a comfortable hang very soon.

[NMTrekker]

No drive. For me, out the back door and walk.

[Marmaduke]

I live with Cuyahoga Valley National Park in my backyard.... sadly there is no camping in this giant beautiful park. (other than a few sites in a field that aren't hammockable) I have to drive at least an hour to any area that is campable.