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Camping
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Michael from Brick, N.J. on 8/10/2023 8:41:04 AM:
Hi Everyone,
Back with a new question.
Would it be possible to hammock camp the C&O and GAP trails??
Starting around September 12th from Washington D.C.going all the way to Pittsburg .
I plan on camping the whole way with one or 2 hotel stays and as usual thanks for your time and help.
 
Rivnuts from Homestead, PA on 8/10/2023 10:08:31 AM:
There are opportunities to rig your hammock in many of the camp sites along the GAP and C&O especially if you are flexible where you stay and how you rig it. Along the GAP most of the campsites have first-come first-serve Adirondack shelters or pavilions in which you can rig your hammock even if well-spaced trees are not present. This is not the case at the C&O hiker/biker (H/B) websites.

Well-spaced trees are not universally present in all the C&O hiker/biker (H/B) campsites within, say, 30 yards of the picnic tables and fire rings. However, the wooded areas typically surrounding the mown campsite areas would often offer places to rig your hammock. You may need to be flexible about which H/B campsite you stay at in order to use your hammock. The good news is that the sites are fairly close together to provide real-time options about where you stop as long as you plan to have enough daylight to do so.

I'm leaving on 9/12 for DC from Pittsburgh. Perhaps we'll cross paths along the way.
 
Michael from Brick,N.J. on 8/10/2023 2:58:27 PM:
Thank you and hope to meet you.
Going to be staying at the Fairfield Inn downtown Pittsburg then on to Washington D.C.on Amtrak.
 
Gypsea from Vancouver WA on 8/11/2023 1:34:53 PM:
Hey Rivnuts - I'm leaving PGH on September 11. Look for a yellow monkey on my handlebar bag, my navigator.

Safe travels.
 
Rivnuts from Homestead, PA on 8/12/2023 9:21:30 AM:
Gypsea:

I'll keep my eyes open for that monkey! How many days are you planning to make the ride?
 
spindoctor from Towson, MD on 8/18/2023 10:43:29 PM:
Planning 1st time solo bike-packing trip Georgetown to Cumberland, camping the first 2 nights. I aim to bike 50 - 70 miles per day. Won't know exactly which Hiker-Biker campsite I'll use - depends on how far I get each day. What are the chances of encountering campsites that are full? (I assume it depends on the time of afternoon / evening I arrive). Thanks!
 
Rivnuts from Homestead,PA on 8/19/2023 3:28:40 AM:
“Full” is difficult to define in the H/B camping sites since there are no defined or controlled number of campsites in them. It’s more a matter of how close to other tents you are comfortable with or how close to the picnic table and fire ring you want to be.

All that said, it’s rare that there are more than 3 or 4 campers at a single site other than those closest to DC. If you are riding 50-70 miles each day, you shouldn’t be stopping at those.
 
spindoctor from Towson, MD on 8/20/2023 7:08:03 AM:
Thanks so much for that answer!
What are the options for charging electrical devices (cell phone, etc.)?
 
Rivnuts from Homestead,PA on 8/20/2023 4:19:34 PM:
There are no electrical services/receptacles in the C&O hiker/biker camp sites. You’ll need to seek out businesses or commercial/municipal locations in the trail side towns to charge any devices.
 
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