Across the nation, from sea to shining sea, more and more outdoor adventurers are beginning to grow their appreciation of hammocking. 

Today, more people are planning their travel around the prospect of using their hammock to take in some of North America’s most majestic natural sights.

Hammocks have also become intrinsically social, allowing travelers to destress and unwind in friendly company wherever they choose to set up. In fact, hammocking is a great way to meet like-minded friends while you travel to many of this country’s most outstanding national parks and forests.

Whether you’re planning to hammock solo or with a group of your best friends, you're sure to find some fantastic hammock locations near to you. 

In this guide, you’ll learn about some of these fantastic hammocking locations, including each location’s must-see sights. 

You'll even learn about the Mock ONE, the hammock that is opening doors to locations hammocks have never gone before! 

The Best Hammock for Travel

Camping and traveling experiences are always influenced heavily by the gear that you bring along. If your equipment prepares you well, you’ll be able to enjoy your destination without restrictions. Otherwise, you’ll be stuck with a subpar experience that degrades your desire to hammock in the future.

One of the most common hammocking problems is a lack of properly distanced trees with which they can tie off their standard hammock. 

Fortunately, there is one popular hammock model that forgoes the need for trees and tie-offs entirely – the Mock ONE Hammock. The Mock ONE makes use of a stand, allowing you to relax and enjoy the view without any hassle.

This free-standing frame is built from a durable coated steel material, allowing it to comfortably and safely hold users up to 250 lbs. It even folds up compactly, allowing you to hike it out when it’s time to pack it in for the day. Simply put, the Mock ONE Hammock is one of your best options if you’re in the market for a new hammock to take to each of the following locations.

 

 

50 States of Great Hammocking Locations

The US is full of natural beauty that you can take in from the comfort of your favorite hammock. 

In fact, most everyone has at least one awe-inspiring hammock location in or near their home state, making this activity extremely accessible. 

Interested in Hammock Camping in these locations? Check out our Beginner's Guide To Hammock Camping to learn more!  

The Best Places to go Hammocking in the US

Every state in the US has a handful of beautiful hammocking locations that you simply must make a point to visit. 

However, we’ve paired down that impressive list to highlight our 15 favorite locations across the US’ five geographic regions. Each of these locations offers unbeatable natural sights and sounds, so you should make a point to visit with hammocking intentions as soon as possible.

Havasupai Falls, Arizona

 

Located in the same region as the Grand Canyon, Havasupai Falls is among the most scenic locations to visit in all of Arizona. The area is most famous for the aqua-blue waterfalls (five in total) at its heart, which stands in dramatic contrast to the deep-orange cliffs and crags surrounding it. 

Due to this location’s pristine quality, admission is limited by the Havasupai tribe (who control this area as part of their reservation). Though the cost for a permit is a bit high, the tradeoff is plenty rewarding after you spend an afternoon in your hammock beside the crashing waters of numerous waterfalls.

Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Park, California

The sequoia tree is well-known for being one of the largest and mightiest trees in all of North America. As such, it only makes sense to visit their home in California - Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Park. This park includes numerous campsites ideal for hammocking with or without tie-offs, as well as trails that take you within arm’s reach of the park’s eponymous foliage.

Those looking to take in the rich Californian scenery from a few different perspectives will be right at home at this national park. With accessible locations ranging from 1,370' to 14,494' above sea level, you’ll certainly be able to visit one of the park’s five activity centers and set up your hammock in a spot with an unbeatable vantage point.

Prince William Forest Park, Virginia

Located directly adjacent to the famous Quantico Marine Corp Base in Triangle, Virginia, Prince William Forest Park is perfect for nature lovers who want to see the resilience of America’s foliage in person. That’s because the majority of this park’s trees were clear cut early in America’s history. Since then, this area’s mighty foliage has bounced back and shows its true colors every autumn.

After finding a hammocking spot across this park’s 16,000+ acres, you might also have a chance to spot some of this park’s diverse wildlife. On land, your binoculars might spot a red fox, a beaver, or a white-tailed deer. Meanwhile, a hammocking spot alongside a creek bank might net you a chance to snap a photo of an Eastern box turtle, a red-backed salamander, or an American bullfrog. 

Walden Pond State Reservation, Massachusetts

One of the seminal pieces of American literature – Walden - was composed in northeastern Massachusetts, beside an unassuming pond in the woods. There, Henry David Thoreau wrote a chronicle of his year living “simply” beside Walden Pond. This location is now part of its own state reservation, allowing travelers like you to visit and spend some time in thoughtful self-contemplation from the comfort of your hammock.

Shawnee National Forest, Illinois

The Shawnee National Forest encompasses much of southern Illinois, allowing travelers from around the Midwest to visit and pitch their hammock across its nearly 265,000+ acres of untouched wilderness. Among other terrific sights, this national forest allows visitors into the Garden of the Gods – an area with breath-taking geological stone formations created by ancient glaciers.

Prospective visitors should also make a date to attend Shawnee National Forest in the fall to take in the fiery red and gold colors from a raised vantage point. Camel Rock is a popular site for this activity – so much so that it was struck onto one of the US Mint’s “America the Beautiful” quarters.

Acadia National Park, Maine

Acadia National Park carries many of the trademarks of America’s extreme northeast, making it a great place to hang a hammock during the late summer and early fall. 

If you choose to post up on the shorelines within the park, you’ll have a chance to spot some 215 different bird species, as well as humpback whales out at sea. If you’re extra adventurous, you may even consider climbing Cadillac Mountain (the tallest mountain on the US’ east coast) and pitching your hammock there for the evening.

Ocala National Forest, Florida

As the second-largest protected forest in the continental US at a whopping 430,000+ acres, Ocala National Forest has more than enough space for all types of hammock enthusiasts. This forest contains several unique “wet prairies” that are rich in flora unseen in other regions of the country. 

Should you choose to visit Ocala National Forest, be sure to check with the rangers to ensure that you can safely hammock where the native wildlife – including alligators and wild boar – are not active.

 

 

Monongahela National Forest, West Virginia

The Monongahela National Forest is positively massive at 921,000+ acres of land that spreads across a wide swath of West Virginia’s Appalachian region. 

Monongahela National Forest carries much of the classic American forest flora and fauna, including red spruce trees, mountain ash trees, wild turkeys, and bobcats. The majority of this forest also falls inside the US National Radio Quiet Zone, making it easy to leave your bothersome electronics behind while relaxing in your hammock.

Wallowa Lake State Park, Oregon

 

Wallowa Lake State Park is one of the hidden gems of the American Northwest, situated in the northeast corner of Oregon. 

The park provides ample access to campers, some of whom choose to canoe or paddleboard out into the several lakes before finishing their day in their hammock back on shore.

Caddo Lake State Park, Texas

Caddo Lake State Park doesn’t come up short when it comes to providing access to some of the country’s most interesting and diverse swamp areas. 

You’ll be able to explore vast swaths of these marshy areas by bringing or renting a canoe for use on the park’s over 50 miles of paddling trails.

After going on an aqueous adventure, you can pick out a spot to pitch your hammock in one of this park’s 46 campsites. Sunrises and sunsets are particularly beautiful for those staying overnight in their hammock given the effect of the swampy air on the sky’s coloration.

Aguirre Springs, New Mexico

Though it is maintained by the federal Bureau of Land Management, Aguirre Springs Recreation Area is open to the general public for most of the year. There, folks with a tie-off-free hammock (like the Mock ONE) can pick a spot and spend hours taking in views of the high walls and needle-like spires of the nearby Organ Mountains.

As the park’s name suggests, you can spot natural springs throughout this park’s rocky environment during the spring, when snowpack from the mountains begins to melt away. Those looking for a day trip may also consider packing up their hammocking and traveling up to nearby White Sands National Monument.

Clifty Falls State Park, Indiana

Located within an hour’s drive of Louisville, Kentucky, Clifty Falls State Park in Madison, Indiana, features some of the most interesting geologic features in the entire Ohio River valley. 

During the warm spring and summer, this park is awash with runoff from further upstream, leading to four remarkable (and accessible) waterfalls throughout the 1,400+ acre park.

Tahquamenon Falls State Park, Upper Peninsula, Michigan

If you’re willing to travel all the way up to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, you’ll be rewarded with the opportunity to pitch your hammock in Tahquamenon Falls State Park. 

While overlooking this park’s eponymous waterfall, you may take note of its unusual brown tint. This is caused by tannins leaching out of the swamp cedars that dot the local waterways, leading to the “Root Beer Falls” moniker.

While enjoying a relaxing afternoon in your hammock at this park, you may consider reading through Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s epic poem, The Song of Hiawatha. This park’s waterfall is mentioned by name in Wadsworth writing and likely inspired him as he wrote this, one of his best-known works.

Amnicon Falls State Park, Wisconsin

Located in the far northwest corner of Wisconsin, Amnicon Falls State Park centers around a progressive series of waterfalls that drain into Lake Superior. 

This park’s trail system is frequented by snowshoers, making this park’s raised riverbanks an ideal location to pitch a cold-weather hammock from December to February.

Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota

Voyageurs National Park is among the most popular national parks in the US, despite its location in the Boundary Waters region of northern Minnesota. 

Here, adventurous souls can rent a canoe and paddle out to one of the areas many inland islands. From there, you’ll be able to pitch your hammock and enjoy your own slice of wilderness paradise for the day. These islands also make for a great fishing location, making it possible to camp out in your hammock for a few days, if you so choose.

Interested in Hammock Camping in these locations? Check out our Beginner's Guide To Hammock Camping to learn more!