Reviews written by WillCro

Our arrival at the famcamp did not go smoothly, it took a long time on a hot afternoon to have one of the outdoor recreation staff members to arrive to open the office, not the member who had posted the sign about to call him on the door. We were given three sites to choose from, except one was occupied but not noted on the status board. We did not want the site in the trees and chose the end site (#20). This famcamp appears to be tolerated, rather than show pride of ownership in its appearance and upkeep. When we went to the laundry there was a female camper sweeping the floor and her husband doing the touch up. She could not stand it any longer. Outdoor Rec gave her the broom. For some reason the laundry door is propped open 24 hours a day. Our site had electrical problems, 30amp and 20 amp service. When the campers in the trees lost their power from a nearby lightening strike we got our box fixed that lasted for one week. The air conditioner would have a very strange sound as though it were stalling out. Who ever was closest to it would shut it off. A few minutes later everything would be fine until the next time it occurred. The neighbor in site 19 originally had electrical
problems when they arrived in March but they were repaired and have worked fine. The rate posted is $20 for the day, $240 for Two weeks, $480 for Four weeks. The laundry is now $1 for washers and dryers. We enjoyed meeting some of the fellow campers. This base is convenient to day trip to all of the New England states except ME. We will return to the base to meet our friends but will stay elsewhere. Besides Masse's restaurant, seek out Bernies Restaurant on James street, just outside the back gate (which closes at 6PM). They are closed on Mondays and give you large portions for the money charged. We had a short wait at 6:30 on a Tuesday but it was well worth it. The Chicopee Library is about 4.5 miles from the famcamp on Front street and is well equipped. We went to the family services building to use the computers to check email, they are set up for smart card users. The USO located there runs a food bank for the lower rank enlisted. We brought them dry goods but they also have refrigeration and freezer space available.

Parks & Recreation office is now in control of this famcamp. In 2013 the office will open at the campground in the largest building, known as Greer's Palace, with hours 9-9 Mon thru Sunday, closed on federal holidays. We called the 800# and was referred to (315) number. We were assigned spot #8 with credit card information. Went directly to the site. Sites 7-10 are huge. Open fires are permitted. We have never found that on another famcamp. Office has bathrooms, showers & laundry. Price now $28 a night. I wish laundry room had a deep sink between two ($1.50) washers and two ($1) dryers. Dry cycle was quite long. If you are handicapped, the bathroom & showers will be difficult or impossible to use. Seen deer, wild turkeys & geese with their young. No sighting of friendly skunk reported in earlier review. We will return here whenever in the area.

We showed up with no reservation on a Wednesday afternoon. Our surprise was that the office at Bass lake was closed for the winter on last Oct 21. After looking at the map posted on the door, we made our way to building 95, Outdoor Rec, on the main part of the base. The cargo trailer with the "Rent Me!" sign made it easy to locate. The cost was $125 whether it was for 5/6/7 nights. We had only passed through once before years before so we stayed for the week. Since this was the weekend of the ham radio convention that 25,000 people attend in Dayton, we expected only dry camping at the most. We were given a pull through. There were many back-ins available with sewer and more than a dozen w/e overflow available. By looking for antennas we found three other ham couples there to attend the convention. The famcamp was well maintained, and the grass mowed while we were there. We found no wifi at the camp so we located the library in the Kitty Hawk area, the smallest we have found on any installation but it had both computers and wifi, in the area of the BX, Commissary & Gas station. It was a surprise to us to learn that the gate by this area also had a 24hr gate which makes eating at restaurants on Fairborn's Main Street easily accessible. The information book maintained in the famcamp laundry room provides several choices. We enjoyed both the convention and the Air Force Museum. If you are crossing the country on I-70, this is a convenient stopover. We will make it a point to stop here again.

We were not sure of our arrival time so my wife called the lady in the office who informed us that there would be room and about the gate locations and closing time. We managed to enter through Gate 26A and locate the fam camp quite easily. There is a binder in the laundry room with plenty of information. We did not do laundry because 2 of the three washers were not working. After dinner out in town we found our way back from the 24/7 gate. The bathrooms were clean. In the morning the lady from ODR came through the park on her way to the office. She explained how to get to the kitty hawk area where the gas, BX, Commissary & theater are located. The base is in the process of permanently closing highway 444 and incorporating the kitty hawk area into the base design. I think the signs say it will be complete in December. This was our first visit here and we will be coming back in the spring.

We spent one night here on our way to the east coast. We stayed in the West section, the older section of the fam camp. I rated the facilities a three because the bathrooms and laundry have not been upgraded after the number of sites have been significantly expanded. Doreen, the night host, site 25, advised us that the Gibson gate has been changed to being open 24 hours and the Wyoming gate closing at 1900. I am not sure what hours the Eubanks gate is open. This is different from our last visit here. The state fair and the balloon fest are coming shortly. This campground is easy to reach from both Interstate 25 and 40. We departed through the Eubanks gate that Doreen recommended and passed a Costco, Sam's and Walmart before reaching the interstate.

We arrived without a reservation because we were traveling and not knowing when we would stop for the night. We went through a heavy rain between Page and Flagstaff, which caught up to us just after we finished our hookups. There was a full length Class A just across from us, so big rigs can be accommodated. If you own one I would definitely recommend that you call for reservations. We had 30 amp service. While walking through the campground I noticed a rv site with no hookups, if you are just passing through, and can dry camp, you might ask the desk about this. If you are passing through the area on I-40, or planning on seeing the Grand Canyon, this campground is easy to get to. I first used this campground in 1993 using the yurts, followed by tent camping. This was my first time in a RV. Luke AFB does put your money back into the campground. Trees have been thinned to widen the roads, but you still must proceed slowly and use a spotter to get situated on your site. The retail store was under construction while we were there. If you are tired of parking lot style RV parks come see this one.

There are still problems with the office staff returning phone calls. I called Friday morning, June 22, for a reservation. According to JR the computer was busy, could he call back after requesting the type of RV. That was fine. No call back any time on Friday. A call on Saturday afternoon was answered by answering machine, promising a return call. When no call back came on Monday we changed destinations to a RV park in state, staying four days longer and saving the 600 mile drive each way.

On a Saturday arrival, after hours, we had 6 or 7 pull through and 2 back in sites available, so no overflow this trip. The only complaints I have are the slowness of the Wi-Fi and lack of a community/family room. The DSL and dialup connections in the office are nice but not always convenient. The fastest WiFi that I found was at the community center. The FamCamp should have those people over to overhaul their WiFi. An automated pet wash has been added, 10 minutes for $5 which is much appreciated. The maintenance and cleanliness of the campground is a model for other Famcamps.

We Arrived after hours on Friday and followed the written instructions for late checkin. We were right about the dog enjoying the grassy area, which are well maintained in the winter. The only markdown comes because of no map to the bathroom and Wanda seen us outside the RV as she rode her handicap scooter to get her mail but failed to come over to introduce herself. We wonder if we stayed an extra day without paying if Bob & Wanda would have approached us. This park is very convenient to I-5 travelers. There is a Subway on base which sign says open at 6:30 for those want a quick meal prior to departure. The restrooms and laundry were always clean. Wife says women's shower handle is hard for someone with arthritis to operate in the regular stall.

We returned to the FamCamp after a seven month absence. My previous comments about not being to keep your cargo trailer on (W/E) sites have been changed, so the rating has been raised from 3 to 5 accordingly. The shower floors are still in the same condition so they remain a 3. The January ice/snow storm that hit the Seattle area did massive tree damage here. Roy is working hard daily to have the camp restored to its beautiful appearance by the spring. WiFi is available 7 days a week at the food court, six days a week at the library. I was told Burger King also has it but have not verified that. My T-Mobile cell phone worked fine from site 23. If you have a data package with your cell phone you should have WiFi on site. I love the location, staff and base amenities and will return here whenever in the area. All parking lot style FamCamps could learn a lot by studying this operation.

We wanted to see Mount Rushmore before heading to the west coast so we stayed here. I would highly recommend this FamCamp for anybody wanting to see the local attractions. This base is small but well laid out. This is the first base I have seen that has the Exchange, Commissary, Credit Union, Burger King, Library and theater all in the same area. The theater surprised us with 99 cent movies. You don't mind the regular concession prices when the movie is that reasonable. The class 6 store & gas pumps are just kitty corner from the campground, very convenient. The only markdown was for the way the hosts acted. That comes down to people and their actions. I will stop here again when in the area because the hosts rotate through.

I enjoyed our stay at this famcamp. The reason that I marked Cleanliness down was because both the men's and women's showers need funds invested into them for upgrading. The floor in both need work. Also the women's has problem draining. The Facilities were marked down because we were not allowed to keep our 8 foot tag along trailer on our site, or within sight. As a 20' long van we need the extra storage. The two combined equal 30 feet in length, shorter than most coaches. We were informed that we could not keep our trailer on site (#31), (W&E), because in case of a fire we might not be able to get out. I agree that limits need to be placed on trailers, because some people go overboard when combining long trailers with Coaches or long Class C's. The rule says ALL cargo trailers need to be in the main storage area BUT boat trailers and toads are able to be kept on site. GO FIGURE! We love the (W&E) sites being set back into the trees and separated by vegetation. We have stayed in plenty of parking lot style rv parks, this is a pleasant change. We had plenty of deer and sighted coyotes. We will be back. If you are here the night of July 4th, we recommend the fireworks display at Fort Lewis. We will be back any time we have a reason to be in the area.

This was our first visit. We are impressed. Every staff member we dealt with was knowledgeable and friendly. If you travel with one or more dogs this fam camp has a wonderful dog park, the best we have seen on a military base. We spent the first night in overflow then three days in a full hookup site. The rotation policy is very fair to everybody. While I was in the office using the DSL a camper tried to bully the clerk into assigning him a full hookup. The clerk was friendly but firm. The rules applied to everyone, including him. The only markdown is because the MWR staff should take a visit to Fort Bliss to see their community room setup. We will be back.

We spent one night here while getting medical attention at the nearby hospital. The just opened bathroom/laundry complex are outstanding. The six bathroom/shower units are unisex, so who gets there first does less walking. The new laundry contains a deep sink, five washers and dryers. What makes it unique is the inclusion of a commercial large capacity washer and dryer, which is capable of washing your quilts and/or sleeping bags. I received WiFi from inside the motorhome with no problem from site #86. The community room should be a model to other military campgrounds.

This is our third visit here. If you are traveling on I10 east or west of if you have business with Fort Bliss or Beaumont Army Hospital this is a very centrally located RV park. It has always been clean and well kept. The staff is cordial. Today I was told the expansion will open November 19th. It looks very close to be being done at this time.