Review Detail

I had problems with the older campground by the river. The first problem is that the road to the campground is poorly marked, and the roadside was littered with fallen trees. As I arrived after dark, I got lost three times and had to maneuver my truck and fifth-wheel to turn around closed and locked gates. I finally found the campground through sure dumb luck. The gate guards at Gate 9 did not have a clue as to how to get there, one of them even said they thought it was closed. Another minus for Redstone Arsenal, unless you have a DoD registration sticker that is current, you can expect a LONG delay as your vehicle and trailer are thoroughly searched. The Air Force has made the stickers optional as many Air Force bases now have 100 percent ID checks 24/7 and have ceased issuance of DoD vehicle registration stickers. The guards at Gate 9 saw my sticker without an corresponding valid year sticker and threatened to remove the sticker and turn me away. They finally gave me a pass that I had to renew twice in 24 hours. And I had to go through the third degree search every time I went through the gate. After I got the rig parked, I wanted to take a nice hot shower. The bath house was serviceable except there was no hot water. There is practically no street lighting at the old campground, so if you arrive after dark, bring flashlights. Pluses include the friendly staff at the Outdoor Recreation Center who told me to just pull in to an open spot and come by the next morning to pay the camping fee. The old campground is right on the river, and there is a boat launch there. You can watch the river barge traffic, sit underneath the shaded campsites and enjoy the quiet. The new campground is very nice, with pull throughs and a new bath house, but NO trees to speak of. The new campground is well marked, close to the base facilities and eating establishments. The daily rate is higher at the new campground. With the security implementations those with large rigs will have to take a roundabout way to get to either campground. The old campground, as noted, cannot accomodate RVs larger than 30 feet. While the security precautions are understandable given the mission at Redstone Arsenal, the heightened security checks every time I entered the installation (I was in town for a amateur radio convention) made getting to the outlying campground even more of a chore. Unless you are staying for a long time and have a DoD vehicle sticker with year of expiration issued by your installation, to my way of thinking the good is outweighed by the bad. I give the ORC staff high marks, the actual maintenance of the roads and signs that lead to the old campground leave much to be desired, and the overzealous security staff make staying at Redstone Arsenal more of a chore than a pleasant experience.