Analysis of the military Campgrounds in the USA

Since selling our home and most of our positions and entering the nomadic life of a full time traveler in 2003 we have actually stayed at approx 24 military campgrounds in 13 states (NH-NC-SC-GA-FL-KA-ND-SD-CA-AZ-TX-LA-MS). We have passed on approx 7 locations - 2 in NV - for various reasons. For instance, we have never stayed at the campground at MacDill, AFB in FL. They are to isolated and because of their high monthly rates accommodations can be found close by for the same or nearly the same price and are much more convenient. Our budged never requires us to dry camp. If you catch doing it we probably blew two tires. After doing more than 30 years on active duty one becomes used to doing things by the rules. We have found this to be quite true when using military campgrounds. A simple phone call to the facility you want to use will almost always provide you with the information you need to know about parking there. When you pull in and see something you don?t like it?s the managements problem. The problem was created with them and can only end with them taking action to change it.

Places like MacDill have developed large military campgrounds because they have a desirable location and Command backing to develop it to meet the needs of those that utilize it. If you want a nice site at MacDill and have no reservations than you had better show up in July because the ?Snow Birds? own it in the winter time. It they didn?t there wouldn?t be 400+ sites there (or anywhere). Same, Same for NAF, El Centro, CA.

Some of the most desirable sites such as NS, Mayport, FL , Fort Bliss at El Paso, TX and Admiral Baker in San Diego enforce a length of stay because they are desirable and small and have no real over flow (which you only find at military bases). Civilian RV Parks call over flow something less than a FHU.



We are current starting our winter trek across country from SC to AZ and have only one Military Campground on our stopping list - Barksdale AFB at Boosier City, LA. We will stay 5 days. We never stay at a military campground for more than two weeks but our traveling companions spent four months at Camp Blanding in FL last year and loved it. Yep, you can long term there in the winter also. Nice new sites with long concrete pads facing the lake.

We would also like to stay at Fort Bliss but its risky driving all the way out there if they will not tell you on the phone that your chances are good. Fuel can be a big bite out of your budget if not managed properly.

Down and dirty - (Nellis pass - not worth the trouble with comps available at strip RV parks). (Davis-Monthan, AFB pass - management not very helpful - twice - and lots of local selections available). Minot AFB pass - (only had dry camping available). Fort Bragg - dirty sites.

Great: Fort Bliss - Laughlin AFB - NS, Mayport - Kings Bay Sub Base.

Up & coming: Foster Creek - Camp Blanding

This has been more than two cents by;

FastEagle

You've pretty much summed up my thoughts also. The only MCG you mentioned that we have stayed is Foster Creek. That is turning into a nice park with pretty good management.

We spent nearly three months in Florida last winter and only stayed in one place longer than a week, spent 8 days at the Southeast Area FMCA rally in Brooksville. From there we went to Tampa. We had called MacDill and were told that we were just out of luck since they were full of Snowbirds for the winter and had no short term sites. We wound up staying in a nice, private park for less money that was much better situated for our sightseeing. While in Florida we did stay at Blue Angels CG, Pensacola; Sigbee, NAS Key West; and NAS Jacksonville. Stayed at Jacksonville instead of Mayport because it was closer to the friends we had gone there to visit.

In the almost year and 1/2 since we've been fully retired we have only stayed one place for two weeks. That was at Ellsworth AFB in South Dakota this past July where we stayed the allowed two weeks, after one night in the overflow.

NAS Jacksonville, Sigbee, Ellsworth AFB - All outstanding parks.

Blue Angels - Needs upgrading for the "B" section since the "A" section (FHU's) is not large enough.

CB Base, Gulfport, MS - Outstanding park but was told at the time it was being torn down and the park was moving to an old FEMA park.

Foster Creek, NWS Charleston - Really nice park that is on the upgrade.

Both of you have summed up my thoughts about MacDill. We are at MacDill now and nothing changed. We called ahead and got 2 weeks reservations. However when we arrived, they said they could only put us in partial hookup. I told them that was not acceptable. No one had told us that when the reservations were made. On top of that they said because we were DOD civilians our reservations should not have been taken as we are considered Space A. Again, not my problem because we were not asked if we were retired, active, etc. The snowbirds have a monopoly here. We were finally put in a full hookup for five days and if it is available we can extend. If not and if we want to stay we will have to move to a partial hookup. The thing is there are a lot of emply sites here. Of course, they say they have people coming in. When the snowbirds arrive they plunk down $100 and they are set for the next year. They have an additional campground at the old mobile home park. But the snowbirds don't want to stay there because they don't have a laundry room or bath house.

We have stayed at Patrick and NAS Mayport and they definately have their act together. After two weeks, they rotate you out from a FHU to a partial or dry camp and then put you on a list to rotate back to a FHU.

Unless everyone makes a complaint nothing will change.

I really have to agree - with several people's comments. I have been to many MCGs since 2004 and found a really good rotation policy at Patrick, not that I liked sitting in overflow, but it all worked; full timers at Grassy Pond with NO military affiliation whatsoever, they are the porch/storage unit sites; we had to stay in a gulley that flooded! Gila Bend (that's via Luke) is full of those fulltimers also! They stay from sep thru mar/apr yearly and so do their non-military friends. AND if you don't get a receipt for the cash (preferred) payment, you won't get one (in someone's pocket???). There are a few others, but I have to get my book and notes out to comment. One had so many full timers (w/garbage, porches, etc), one of them had the gall to ask me to pick some stuff up at the commissary. We stayed at Ft Fisher in dec; followed the rules, paid our money - NO ONE WAS THERE...we had neighbors every night, they didn't pay and several weren't associated w/mil; they said, "the base is always closed (with no gate) at this time of year and we stop over here, no one knows different!" Guess they were right, because, no matter how hard I tried, I could not get ahold of anyone connected with the base or facilities management. At Camp Murray people can only stay Apr thru Oct (I believe) then the ones that are old, old...have a truck from McChord come move all of them over there until apr, then it goes around again; that is except for the 'workers' that stay there year 'round - I was at all of the above and know first hand, not rumor.

There really should be a place to write (a nice, formal letter), root/cause analysis; tell the problems, give solutions/corrective actions. Then see some results! Isn't there a Head of MWR or AAFES for each branch??

No one deserves full time/homestead privileges. My feeling is that all CG's should have host(s) working full time with a reservation system in place. (Hosts ought to rotate, or only get one season and not be able to invite their home neighbors to "come on down".) Camping rates ought to be like lodge/inn, dependent on rank. Prices ought to be similar to the outside, but lower (I have found many MCG's prices to be much higher than I can get outside; time in spots and on base should have a limit and be enforced.

I have been waiting to share my thoughts for months and hope someone has some legitimate advice on how we can all band together to make this a better program for everyone.