User reviews
June 23
Overall rating
1.0
Location
1.0
Cleanliness/Hospitality
1.0
Amenities/Facilities
1.0
Value
1.0
Overall Experience
1.0
In all my travels I have not seen a FAMCAMP in the poor of a condition. We drove through with the intention of staying a few days, but after observing how overgrown and dirty it was we continued on to Fairbanks.
July 25th 2022
Overall rating
2.8
Location
4.0
Cleanliness/Hospitality
3.0
Amenities/Facilities
3.0
Value
3.0
Overall Experience
2.0
Had a boil water notice since May and staff did not know if still in force. We moved to Fairbanks commercial park. Hope they resolve water issue as rest of campground is OK.
12 May -14 Jun 2020
Overall rating
3.2
Location
3.0
Cleanliness/Hospitality
3.0
Amenities/Facilities
3.0
Value
4.0
Overall Experience
3.0
Wake up every morning to the sound of Freedom! Love it! It’s been one year since we stayed. No significant changes and our biting pesky friends were still there to draw our blood inside and outside the camper. Staff is friendly and responsive. High water from rains have reduced number of camping spots by roughly 1/3. Some sites have humps and curves limited trailers to less than 35 ft length due to turning radius.
10-16 Jun 19, 27 Jul - 13 Aug 19
Overall rating
3.7
Location
4.0
Cleanliness/Hospitality
3.0
Amenities/Facilities
3.0
Value
4.0
Overall Experience
4.0
Campground located AT THE END OF THE RUNWAY! So if you don’t like the sound of FREEDOM every morning at 0800 sharp than look else where. Big rig friendly. Very family friendly. Bathrooms are toilet/shower combinations. Parents please clean up after your kids or teach them how to use the bathroom. My family would appreciate it and I am sure the young folks cleaning the facilities would appreciate it too. Water is rusty, no amount of filtration can remove it. Air base facilities are a comfortable bike ride away. Staff was friendly and accommodating.
August 11, 2019
Overall rating
3.9
Location
5.0
Cleanliness/Hospitality
3.0
Amenities/Facilities
3.0
Value
4.0
Overall Experience
4.0
Its a lovely forested campground alonside a pretty lake, with a lot of pull-throughs (although ours was too short to leave the toad hooked up behind our 38' motorhome). Not a lot of maintainence being done, but everything is adequate. $1.50 per washer or dryer (3 each, one broken) but be warned the water is very rust colored; don't wash any whites you need to keep really white. Seems to be only 30 amp power but it wasn't hot enough to need the air conditioners and the dump station behind space #9 was sufficient since we were only here for 3 days. Easy in and out of both the base and the campground. Nice small commisary and exchange; didn't attempt to fuel up at the base gas station but a smaller rig could get in and out okay.
June 24, 2019
Overall rating
2.7
Location
3.0
Cleanliness/Hospitality
3.0
Amenities/Facilities
2.0
Value
2.0
Overall Experience
3.0
#1 No 50AMP. #2 No sewer #3 Still looking for dump station #4 Laundry room closed #5 Signage on sites confusing. Even office confused when questioned Great looking lake. Base beautiful.
Jul 31 - Aug 3 2018
Overall rating
3.9
Location
4.0
Cleanliness/Hospitality
3.0
Amenities/Facilities
3.0
Value
5.0
Overall Experience
4.0
Easy to find from the front gate, many sites were available with water + power (30/50amp). Several bathrooms had damaged toilets but a plumber was working several days repairing them as well as restarting the water treatment system he had installed in 2017 to improve water quality (iron removal). It seems the system was incorrectly brought online when the campground was opened for the season. I asked several airmen and women on base who said the water was "not good" anywhere on the base. There are a nice, but small, commissary and exchange on base and the Express fuel station had diesel as well as gasoline at competitive prices. Stayed in a 27' travel trailer.
June 14, 2018
Overall rating
1.6
Location
4.0
Cleanliness/Hospitality
1.0
Amenities/Facilities
1.0
Value
2.0
Overall Experience
1.0
Called in advance to see what they have and how full they were. Asked twice if they had full hookups and 50 amps. Was assured both times yes and yes. Fifty amps turned out to be 30. Two hole dump station only, no sewage on sites. Talked to manager and she said some sites do have 50 amps but staff does not know which ones. I told her a map or list of which ones have what would be nice. Then the bathrooms were a disaster. DW refused to use the regular bathroom. The handicapped one was overflowing with..... and the shower was under repair. No sign telling us it was out of service although the laundry did have a warning on it that the water might turn your clothes yellow... No maps of base available. Had we known the deplorable condition of the place and the incorrect hookup info we would have made other arrangements but due to schedule were forced to stay two nites. As it was we cut a planned four nite stay to two since with our 95 yr old mom and us all using the bathroom and no onsite dump we were filling things up pretty fast.. The staff seemed a bit lackadaisical and not very informed, but were friendly overall. The only good news is that the location is good, the entry into the base is easy and finding the famcamp is simple and the sites themselves are fine, easy in and out, and near a lake. A real shame this place is off our list since it is a good location and with some attention and care could be rated a four.
July-August 2017
Overall rating
4.2
Location
5.0
Cleanliness/Hospitality
4.0
Amenities/Facilities
4.0
Value
4.0
Overall Experience
4.0
I stayed 2 separate time frames. end of July and early August for a total of 2 weeks. The staff is young, but friendly and very conscientious and doing their best to make the stay agreeable. I did not use laundry or shower facilities but did see cleaning crew there every morning I was there. Both stays I saw them mowing and trimming the grassy area, and one time saw a brush cutter along the road edges and site edges. There is brush, small trees between sites but it acts as a buffer between sites. I'd say the campground more resembles a state park rather than an RV resort. At $22/night it's a real bargain compared to local prices. It was also the lowest priced FamCamp I stayed at in Alaska. Most sites have water & electric 30/50 amp, but only 5 sites have 50 amp (10,11,12,13,15) Dump station with 2 side access available. The biggest downside is the water, iron odor and rust colored, probably from old pipes. Office said they filter water for base housing but not FamCamp. The base really needs to find some budget $ to remedy. So be prepared to buy bottled water for drinking and coffee or fill your tank before arriving.
May 27 - Jun 1, 2017
Overall rating
3.0
Location
5.0
Cleanliness/Hospitality
2.0
Amenities/Facilities
2.0
Value
3.0
Overall Experience
3.0
The Bear Lake Famcamp was a great location for us to enjoy the Fairbanks area while we were touring Alaska. The campground needs some TLC especially the bath house. It was freezing cold, cement floors that looked liked paint had been spilled all over it. The laundry room looked like they were in the middle of a re-model and only 2 of 3 dryers worked. The young guys cleaning it had no clue how to clean even though they were pleasant. Easy access and lots of great walking around the area. The water spigot leaked and after the staff was told twice about it, I still don't think it got fixed. It was a pleasant experience especially since we had the place pretty much to ourselves. Lots of potholes and trees that could be trimmed back. We had a truck camper so we easily fit into our campsite. Not one of the better famcamps we have visited.
July 26-31, 2016
Overall rating
3.9
Location
4.0
Cleanliness/Hospitality
4.0
Amenities/Facilities
3.0
Value
4.0
Overall Experience
4.0
We used the 24/7 Main Gate, We only encountered Active Duty Gate Guards, they were all friendly, courteous and professional. After entering the gate follow the signs to the FamCamp. There are three roads when you turn into the FamCamp. The road to the right will lead you to the dump station and to 18 pull thru sites. I had to back out of pull thru site #13 because of the numerous trees. My rig was too large to make the turn easily. There are two additional pull thru sites (#37 and 38) on the other road, The camp has 41 full hook-up sites with 30/50 AMP, and water, (20 pull through sites). Lots of trees, hard to pull thru and lots of pot holes. The cost is still $22 per day for the RV sites. The laundry facility has 3 washers and 3 dryers at $1 each. The area is really a great place to visit and Eielson AFB had everything we needed at a reasonable price, approximately 20 miles from Fairbanks. The staff we met were very young men and women that were friendly with professional attitudes. Just some of the places we visited are: North Pole, AK (great place to mail Christmas letters and visit with the Reindeer), Dredge #8 (A National Historic Site and a place to pan for gold), Pioneer Park (History of Fairbanks and an all you can eat Salmon BBQ). We also made the 200 plus mile trip to the Arctic Circle. We have a 45’ Class A and a Wrangler Unlimited.
22-28 June 2016
Overall rating
2.3
Location
5.0
Cleanliness/Hospitality
2.0
Amenities/Facilities
2.0
Value
1.0
Overall Experience
2.0
Camped in a 43' 5th wheel. The pull-thru sites (1-10) were the only ones big enough for our rig. Fortunately there was one vacant we could use. There are a couple in the other side large enough but they were occupied. The campground is nestled in the trees in a very nice setting. So many trees that we were unable to use our satellite. The sites are un-kept and still have last years fallen leaves which track into the RV and have become quite over-grown. The biggest issue is the water quality. Another camper told us the water was not too good. She was right. The water is horrible! It has an odor and color of rusted pipes. We asked the young lady at the office about it. She said they were aware and CE had been working on it. If you camp here, fill your fresh water tanks somewhere other than the fam-camp. There appeared to be a few "homesteaders" but there were plenty of sites for us that were just staying a few days. The laundry facility was useable but not in the best of shape. We opted to go to North Pole to laundry as we had several loads. We were shocked at the $8.50 per load price which made the fam-camp a real bargain regardless of condition. In reading previous posts, not much has changed over the past several years. The $22 per night fee is over priced for what you get. We are moving to Fort Wainwright tomorrow. Hopefully, things are better there.
July 22 - 25, 2014
Overall rating
4.7
Location
4.0
Cleanliness/Hospitality
4.0
Amenities/Facilities
5.0
Value
5.0
Overall Experience
5.0
Camped in a 43' MH. Wide spaces, 50amp + water. Great pull through dump. Did not use restroom. Laundry nice. Met some very nice service personnel living at the camp which "made" the stay delightful. Given grand tour of the base. Really enjoyed Heritage park commemorating our great service men and women. Enjoyed the visit to the knowledgeable and well staffed Nature center on base. Close proximity to Fairbanks, North Pole and Delta Junction only 70 miles away! Yes our closest neighbor was the mosquito; but we fully expected them and came prepared with what all the folks there use, the mosquito fogger! There is nothing like armed guards at the gate to keep you safe and loved the "sound of freedom"!
August, 2014
Overall rating
1.6
Location
5.0
Cleanliness/Hospitality
1.0
Amenities/Facilities
1.0
Value
1.0
Overall Experience
1.0
Couldn't wait to leave. Mosquitoes were the least of the problems. Toilets and sinks had been swished out but the rest of the place has not seen a mop or a broom since the snow melted and the flood receded. We have spent dozens and dozens of nights in military famcamps and this is the worst we have ever seen!
15-17 Jun 2013
(Updated: June 16, 2013)
Overall rating
3.3
Location
5.0
Cleanliness/Hospitality
3.0
Amenities/Facilities
3.0
Value
3.0
Overall Experience
3.0
Amount has increased to $22.00. Did not use laundry or showers. Biggest negative is the mosquitoes.
June 24 to July 1, 2012
(Updated: July 07, 2012)
Overall rating
2.2
Location
3.0
Cleanliness/Hospitality
2.0
Amenities/Facilities
2.0
Value
2.0
Overall Experience
2.0
I arrived at just after 12 noon on June 24. I asked the two young individuals in civilian clothes if they had any 50amp sites available. They looked at me like I did not know what I was talking about. They told me to just go get a site and make my payment using the envelope at the bath house. I told them I needed to get my Air Force Frequent Camper Book stamped. They stamped the book and I paid them with my credit card - $18.00 a night now. They have a large map of the sites hanging on the wall but they do not have the electric annotated, only the site number. The same with the map board at the FamCamp entrance. Site 36 looked the largest so I asked about that site and was told if no one was in it to take it and call them to tell me the site I was in. All the sites looked like the weeds had not been cleared in six months or more. The water pressure is very low. The FamCamp is overrun with mosquitoes. There is no Wi-Fi at the FamCamp or FamCamp office. All the sites are in the trees and satellite dishes will not work at the FamCamp. I did not use the laundry or showers so I cannot comment on them. The BX food court Wi-Fi was not working when I went Sunday evening. I went to the base library on Monday and found out it was closed on Monday's as is the commissary. There is plenty of room to pull your RV into the FamCamp office and swing around heading out. I have a 40 foot RV and towing and I had no trouble. Although small, the BX and commissary are nice. The Heritage Park on base is nice.
July 26 & 27, 2011
(Updated: August 24, 2011)
Overall rating
3.0
Location
3.0
Cleanliness/Hospitality
3.0
Amenities/Facilities
3.0
Value
3.0
Overall Experience
3.0
Wooded sites give great privacy. As others have stated, no one seems to be around. Trash bin is not close. The washers and dryers are having a problem accepting the quarters. They get hung up and one has to really pound on them to get the quarters to fall. Could find no Wifi location on base.
13 - 20 July 2011
(Updated: July 19, 2011)
Overall rating
3.7
Location
4.0
Cleanliness/Hospitality
3.0
Amenities/Facilities
3.0
Value
4.0
Overall Experience
4.0
Price is now $18 per night. Only 15 minutes to Fairbanks and a good base to travel to the northern parts of the area on day trips. Generally a good value but as stated in prior comments there seems to be no one in charge or if there is then they need some supervision. The bathrooms are individual bathrooms and have sink, toilet and shower. The showers have plenty of hot water and good pressure and paper products are replaced regularly but they need a good scrubbing at least once a week and a sweep out daily. We were here for a week and no one cleaned the bathrooms other than taking out trash. Sites are in heavily wooded with plenty of room between them. The have water and power, no sewer but there is a dump site. Mosquitoes are the only pest problem and there are a couple of propane mosquito killers in the campground. Generally a very nice area the sound of freedom is heard throughout the day, we didn't hear noise till around 8 AM and not after about 8 PM so not bad. There were plenty of sites available during the week we spent here, usually 4 or more empty the whole period. The place could be a lot better with someone taking a interest in managing it and keeping up with the maintenance.
June 19 thru June 23 2011
(Updated: July 18, 2011)
Overall rating
2.6
Location
5.0
Cleanliness/Hospitality
1.0
Amenities/Facilities
3.0
Value
3.0
Overall Experience
2.0
Sites are in heavily wooded areas and mosquitoes are a problem in season. Generally a very nice area, but the wash house was a total disaster. Smashed mosquitoes on the walls (Yes, I expect someone to scrub them off.) Full trash cans were not emptied on a regular basis and broken limbs or overgrown shrubs blocked some sites. Someone needs to be in charge of keeping things in order and it is obvious that they are not, or they need better supervision! We can do better.
June 2010
Overall rating
3.7
Location
4.0
Cleanliness/Hospitality
3.0
Amenities/Facilities
3.0
Value
4.0
Overall Experience
4.0
While this park is about 30 miles south of Fairbanks it is of good value and a good stop over with Bx/Commissary on Base. The bath house needs some attention and a camp host would be a great help. The "sound of freedom" was present daily, but being a retired AF guy I didn't mind at all. Sort of like having an air show in the back yard.