Sparrow Hammock Camp is a little island in the forest - literally. Quiet and peaceful, looking down into lush forest all around. Jennifer was a wonderful host, took time to show me around, was great to chat with, and kept me in the loop when she had to leave unexpectedly.

It's a hike into the site and it is uphill, so pack light or plan with Jennifer to help with your gear. The hammock camp has an arrangement of on the left of the site that will accommodate hammocks, a large fire pit with a swing-over grill grate; a sitting area with 4 chairs and a coffee table; a wash station with a hang line, wash basin, soap, water and trash bag; and a covered, open-air biobag toilet with sanitizer, toilet paper and additional bags. Key points at the site are lit by unobtrusive solar posts to find your way to the toilet. To the right of the site, a path leads down toward a stream. It was raining for most of my stay, so I didn't get to explore or sleep without a rain fly, but I am for sure bringing my tent-camping family back to camp at another of Jennifer's sites.

Jennifer's land also hosts a menagerie of farm animals, with the pigs and sheep grazing freely, lots of poultry, some farm cats, and a very friendly dog named Lily (?)

Some things to be aware of - there is no cell service until you're a bit down the main road, so plan to plan ahead. It's also a steep, rocky drive in. I was in an SUV and was ok, but best to talk with Jennifer first if you have something like a sedan or compact to figure out a game plan.

Eva was a fantastic, welcoming host. We ended up setting up camp in the rain on a colder-than-average day; when she stopped by to check in on us, she brought homemade tomato soup and hot cheddar bay biscuits, which were perfect to warm us up! Her three dogs are friendly and playful and my sons spent most of their time playing fetch and chase with them. Our needs were fully anticipated, including access to a hot shower, hand and dish soaps at the potable water faucet, a coffee station and refrigerator, and a pit toilet stocked with toilet paper, hand sanitizer and cleaning supplies.

We were also impressed with her care for the environment. The back edge of the property is planted out with new, protected seedlings, and each camp site also has a seedling that will one day grow into a large shade tree. We enjoyed trying to identify each one. The camp area was surrounded by bluebird houses and unmowed meadow, and we observed many bluebirds, goldfinches and barn swallows just to name a few. We really enjoyed waking up to the bluebird and mockingbird songs each morning. Most of our trip was clouded over, but on our last night the clouds began to part early in the morning and displayed a truly dazzling starry night sky.

We would absolutely camp with Eva again.