Hammock Camping out West

**BeartoothTucker** · 05-08-2011, 16:07

Just curious if anyone has hung much out west. Anyone hung in the backcountry of Yellowstone, Glacier, etc...

**olzeke** · 05-08-2011, 16:55

Plenty of hanging choices in that country. Most of Y and G are well below tree line. I am heading off to Yosemite this Aug, and some of it will be above tree line, but I hope most of the nights will be hanging sites. I have seen hangers in almost every Western state. Check out the map of HF members.

**Just Jeff** · 05-08-2011, 17:58

I've done quite a bit of hanging in Big Sur and along the central CA coast, with a few trips in Yosemite.
Trip Reports: http://www.tothewoods.net/HikingPictures.html

**Flangler** · 05-09-2011, 08:38

Originally Posted by BeartoothTucker

Just curious if anyone has hung much out west. Anyone hung in the backcountry of Yellowstone, Glacier, etc...

Looking forward to my first official/overnight hangs in the Yellowstone area on my annual trip this summer. Most will be in the Absaroka-Beartooths, actually. I already have the perfect trees picked out and everything (not these two, but close by).

**Apollo2112** · 05-09-2011, 08:52

Yellowstone is my absolute favorite place on Earth!

I've never been there since I became a hammocker, but hanging in YS would make me a VERY happy person

Careful in glacier though. Bears!

**Alamosa** · 05-09-2011, 10:49

Many great places to hang throughout the west. Except for the National Parks themselves and California with its high population, the west is a very easy place to hike and camp. There is a lot of forest lands and relatively low usage, so the restrictions and impacts are a fairly easy to work around.

**BillyBob58** · 05-09-2011, 11:13

Originally Posted by BeartoothTucker

Just curious if anyone has hung much out west. Anyone hung in the backcountry of Yellowstone, Glacier, etc...

No, but I have hung on 2 dif week long trips in the Wind Rivers of WY, not far from Yellowstone. ( plus another week long trip in the Olympics of WA)

Of course you can easily get above timberline, but it is also pretty easy to plan trips for sleeping just below timberline, and plenty of forest there. The only trouble I found- in some areas but not so bad in others- is there is so much tree damage due to pine beetles and so many years of drought. Some areas, maybe a lot of areas, it is a greater chore than usual keeping safe from widow makers. It would also be a threat went tent or ground/tarp camping in these areas, but at least you would be free to get out in a meadow.

But despite all of that, I have still done some delightful- and spectacular- hanging in this area.

**BeartoothTucker** · 05-09-2011, 11:15

yea, thanks for the info. i guess i posted specific to the parks because of the designated camping areas. are trees available? etc...

**Alamosa** · 05-09-2011, 11:20

All the backcountry sites I have stayed at in Yellowstone have worked well with hammocks.

**lori** · 05-09-2011, 11:22

The difficulty with hanging will depend on what kind of camping you do. Many designated campgrounds will have trees, but restrictions on hammocking, and if you are reserving campsites from afar and don't know if there are trees in all campsites, you may find yourself in a barren little spot and forced to keep the gear within the boundaries of it - in other words, can't walk ten feet and set up the hammock, without a ranger yelling at you.

Backpacking is different. Research the trail you are doing and find out how much of it is alpine. When I go somewhere high elevation I generally pack pads instead of an underquilt, so I am versatile in terms of campsite choices. Being prepared to sleep on the ground is essential for high mountain travel.