Ever since the first Rubber Tramp Rendezvous was held in Arizona in 2011, there’s been a desire by both HOWA and eastern nomads to have a similar gathering in the east. The obstacles for a large gathering are many, from a shortage of suitable dispersed camping areas to the lack of experienced hosts, however, when J.D. McCrary joined the HOWA team in early 2024 as Executive Director, he set out to make an eastern gathering a reality. Using his knowledge of camping in his home state of Georgia he found a remote dispersed camping spot tucked in the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest where participants enjoyed four days of evening campfires, potluck meals, sharing of ideas, and making new friends.
J.D. shares his thoughts on the event:
The inaugural HOWA eastern campout held in the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest in north Georgia was a grand success. The event was kept intentionally small as a way for the group to bond and for HOWA to learn more about how to host events in the east. HOWA has significant experience with western gatherings including caravaning and camping in the desert southwest. Eastern gatherings differ because while there are extensive dispersed sites they tend to be one or two rig individual sites and not the larger open sites a group needs. HOWA is committed to more eastern campouts in 2025 and if you have a free, dispersed, group site you would like to recommend please let us know at caravans@howa.org.
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