Hammock backpacking in april – any location

[Christopher S]

hi there,

I’m planning a hammock backpacking trip to the US this april. I have read about 20 posts about doing trips in april here on this board, but it’s not quite the information I need/ or plainly not enough. I am asking you to help me find an area satisfying most of the following criteria, please :)

•  about 2 weeks
• 2 person trip
• daily mileage averaging on 15-20 mi
• emphasis on remote hammock camping (we’re fine with some nights spent on the ground)
• scenic landscape
• mild temperatures (above 60 during the day. we can endure nighttime lows down to 15, but would like to avoid that)
• location: all over the US is fine for us

From what I read I conclude that Zion NP, and the neighbouring NP could be fine?! don’t want to do grand canyon.

What about stretches of the CDT (and neihgboring areas) in colorado between denver and albuquerque?

I’ve been to death valley and yosemite last year in late may/june. from my experiences back then and most comments in other posts, I think yosemite is just too cold and snowy at that time.

thanks for your help!

[DancingBear]

Hi Christopher,

I don’t have many concrete suggestions, but since you’ve gone a week without a response I figure I should help at least by bumping the question a little.

April tends to be a bit early in the year for mild temperatures in the mountains unless you go very far south.  Even northbound hikers on the AT and PCT often encounter snow in April in the higher elevations.  You may do better in the deserts of the Southwest, but I have no expertise to lend in that regard.  April can be a wonderful time to hike in the Midwest, but you may not find the scenery to be up to your expectations.

I do hope someone with experience in AZ, NM, and UT can chime in.  I’m sure there are some possibilities there but I can’t speak from personal experience.

Walt

 

[Katherine .]

ample trees + mild April temperatures sounds like the Southeast to me. Maybe the Smokies?

 

[Christopher S]

hi,

thank you,  Walt and Katherine!

yes, I’d be good to know more about the possibilites in AZ,NM, UT and the stretches of the CDT (and neihgboring areas) in colorado between denver and albuquerque.

Smoky Mountains NP and neighboring areas sound also very nice, I’ll check that out!

 

[David Sugeno]

For hammock camping that time of year, I’d probably head to the Smokies as well.  The Ouachita Trail and the Ozark Highlands Trail might be good options as well, either could be through hiked in two weeks.  For NM that time of year I’d look into the Gila Wilderness.

[Author]

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