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  1. #1
    Senior Member Hang Williams's Avatar
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    What's your favorite type of public lands?

    This was a fun conversation I had with people I met on the trail recently. Publicity wise, national parks get a lot of the attention, but make up such a small percentage of our public lands and, frankly, are my least favorite type because of their restrictive rules on pets and hammocks (designated campsites with tent pads and no means of hanging) along with their massive crowds that make it feel like an amusement park.

    So what do you say hammockforums, when you're planning an outdoors adventure, do you prefer national parks, wilderness areas, wildlife management areas, national forests, state parks, or something else?

    Personally, I prefer wilderness areas because I find those to be the best opportunity for a secluded experience in nature without as obvious an influence of machine.

    O/U on times BWCA gets mentioned is 4.5.

  2. #2
    Trail Runner's Avatar
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    National Forests are my preference. State Forests in some states have equally liberal rules that I'm happy to take advantage of. I don't do National Parks much. If I have to pay to camp and can only use tent sites, I'd much rather day trip the park and camp/sleep outside the park.
    "Behold, as a wild a** of the desert, go I forth to my work." -- Guerney Halleck

  3. #3
    joe_guilbeau's Avatar
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    Here in Texas we have about 2-million acres of recreational area, out of the 172-milion acres in Texas, the rest is private land, no trespassing.

    Big Bend National Park, the Guadalupe Mountains National Park, the Padre Island National Seashore, the Angelina/Caddo/Davy Crockett/Sabine/Sam Houston parks are also available.

    With our current heat wave, the Padre Island National Seashore is always to go to location, as it remains cooled by Gulf Winds, 77-miles of largely undeveloped (no electricity and accessed by a very capable 4-wheeler are required).

    Dispersed camping in National Forests/Parks have always been my go to - show me a trail and I will drive 100-miles to get away from the crowds. The PCT doesn't seem to fall into this category.

    There are only two "Official National Parks" in Texas, but our Park System manage about 14-other locations.

    Texas Parks and Wildlife generally manage the State Parks, Natural Areas and Wildlife Management Areas.

    No cut-n-dried answers here, and getting accurate information on closures always requires multiple phone calls to get current information. Each location is widespread and accurate info depends upon local knowledge.

    Then there are the Nature Conservancy locations, again there is always a challenge to get accurate and up to date information.
    Last edited by joe_guilbeau; 07-28-2022 at 20:44.

  4. #4
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    The ones with the least amount of visitors.

  5. #5
    PopcornFool's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Trail Runner View Post
    National Forests are my preference. State Forests in some states have equally liberal rules that I'm happy to take advantage of. I don't do National Parks much. If I have to pay to camp and can only use tent sites, I'd much rather day trip the park and camp/sleep outside the park.
    Most National Parks allow back country camping and most of those allow hammocks. Back country camping is free at the NPs that allow it. That doesn't necessarily mean you can camp/hang just anywhere, though. Each NP has it's own set of rules and guidelines and they generally want you to stop in and register your trip and get a (free) permit. I've heard that there are a couple of NPs that ban hammocks, but I've never experienced it yet and have been able to hang in the back country at every NP I've been to. The biggest issue I have with NPs (besides the crowds on the weekends) is that many don't allow campfires in the back country.

    National Forests and National Parks are great mostly because they generally have much larger contiguous tracts (and thus broader choices) for backpacking trips. NFs are my favorite. No permits required and the ones I go to allow campfires. WMAs are nice but a lot smaller, so my backpacking trips must be shorter (usually just overnighters). There are very few state parks near me with large enough forested areas for backpacking trips. If I camp at a state park, it's almost always car camping (which means almost exclusively group hammock hangs). I haven't had a chance to check out any of the NWAs near me yet. There are a couple on my to-do list. I sometimes hang at nearby regional and county parks that have campgrounds, but those are always car camping excursions to test out new gear I've made. (Nearby means I can bail for home easily if something doesn't work out right.)


    Bottom line, though, is that any place I can hang is a good place, even if it's just somebody's back yard!
    ~ All I want is affordable, simple, ultralight luxury. That’s not asking too much is it?

  6. #6
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    Here in Eastern PA the only option for backpacking is the AT or state Forrests. The AT near me has weird rules since it runs through game lands. On the local AT you can’t do an out and back. You must go point A to B and shuttle. Dumb.

    As a result state Forrest’s are my favorite locally. I love National forrests but that is a long drive for me.

    In the end areas that are the least crowded and with the least restrictive rules get my thumbs up!
    Last edited by Skytow; 07-26-2022 at 18:52.
    The deep mystery gives rise to the spirits -Charc

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  7. #7

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    Wilderness then National forest. The latter more if it is with a vehicle (either dispersed or a group camp) or a canoe.

    I also bushwhack in wilderness a fair bit to get away from people (or even sign of people). Going in to Jefferson wilderness this Thursday. It will be my first spin with the new permit system but so far it seems pretty good. A good chunk of permits are released a week ahead of each entry date so even those bad at planning (guilty) can get a permit.

    Been a wet spring/summer. Hoping the bugs aren't too bad but equipping for the worst. And it will likely be hot so planning for that as well. Fifth trip out this summer though the first at higher elevation. Had great hangs so far. Even with my failed outing in the ridgerunner which lays super nice but too narrow for a restless side sleeper. For stats: 3 Wilderness, 1 NF. This will be one more for wilderness.
    Last edited by Sean McC; 07-26-2022 at 19:10.

  8. #8
    cougarmeat's Avatar
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    State or Provincial Parks I have to paddle to; mostly in the San Juan Island group and islands east of Vancouver Island, B.C.
    In order to see what few have seen, you must go where few have gone. And DO what few have done.

  9. #9
    Senior Member Pennsy Camp and Canoe's Avatar
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    Allegheny National Forest, period. We have a few Wilderness areas in the ANF that are fantastic!

  10. #10
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    One of my takeaways is that it seems like each of us tends to like whatever is close to us (in terms of proximity). I've moved around a ton, currently in NC, so there are 4 National Forests and that's where I'm currently hangin'. In the last state I lived in (Colorado), BLM land was my favorite, and only 10 states have that. In Illinois, it was State Parks for me. Anyway, hanging a hammock was also part of the OP's initial question. In that case, I definitely prefer being able to pitch a hammock between any two trees I can (that are also far enough away from water), so National Forest/BLM land would be my pick.
    Iceman857

    "An optimist is a man who plants two acorns and buys a hammock" - Jean de Lattre de Tassigny (French Army General in WWII)

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