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5 Military Campgrounds Where Anyone Can Stay
No retiree card. No VA rating. No military ID. These five military campgrounds will rent a site to anyone.
Most FamCamps are for the military community, and the gate is the end of the conversation for everyone else. A handful are different. Here are five that take the general public, in no particular order.
1. Admiral Baker RV Park, San Diego, California
Admiral Baker Golf Course from the hill above the park. Photo by a VetCamps member.
A Navy RV park tucked inside a golf course in Mission Valley, along the San Diego River. It sits off base, so there is no gate to clear, and you are minutes from the beaches, the zoo, and downtown. Full hookup sites, laundry, and showers are on the grounds.
Civilians are not a favor here. They are a line on the official rate sheet, right next to active duty and retirees.
- Who can stay: Anyone, including civilians and veterans without a rating.
- Booking: Civilians can reserve one month ahead, for up to 14 days.
- Good to know: RVs older than 10 years need to be in good shape. The picnic grounds are for military patrons only.
Camp website · VetCamps listing
2. Camp Perry Lodging and RV Park, Port Clinton, Ohio
The RV park sign at Camp Perry. Photo by Bonnie Perez on VetCamps.
The only camp on this list where you actually stay on a military post. Camp Perry is an Ohio National Guard training site on the shore of Lake Erie, and its RV park is open to the public. Put-in-Bay and the Lake Erie islands are a short drive away.
Every summer the post hosts the National Matches, the biggest rifle and pistol competition in the country, so expect to hear the ranges.
- Who can stay: Anyone.
- Sites: 40 back-in full hookup sites and 10 tent sites, with showers.
- Good to know: The military rate only applies when an active duty or retired member with ID is there at check-in. The beach and pier are for registered guests.
Camp website · VetCamps listing
3. Grassy Pond Recreation Area, Lake Park, Georgia
The dock at Grassy Pond. Photo by Michael Rivera, CC BY-SA 4.0.
A 500 acre Moody Air Force Base recreation area just off I-75, near the Florida line. It is built around a 275 acre lake and a smaller pond, with bass, catfish, and bream, a boat ramp, pedal boats, nature trails, and playgrounds. It sits well away from the base, on a public road.
Snowbirds headed to Florida, this is an easy stop. It is open year round.
- Who can stay: Anyone.
- Sites: 39 full hookup RV sites with 30 and 50 amp, 10 tent sites, plus cabins and cottages.
- Good to know: Fishing takes a Georgia license and a Moody permit. The park has been rebuilding after recent storm damage, so call ahead.
Camp website · VetCamps listing
4. Valdez Glacier Campground, Valdez, Alaska
Valdez Glacier lake. Photo by Enrico Blasutto, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Run by Fort Greely, but nowhere near it. This camp sits at the foot of the Chugach Mountains outside Valdez, a few minutes from town and from the glacier lake it is named for, where icebergs float in the water.
- Who can stay: Anyone, for RV and tent sites. The four cabins are military and veterans only.
- Sites: 13 RV sites with electric, 8 without, plus tent sites. Showers, water, and a dump station.
- Good to know: Summer only, into early September. Reservations are required. This is bear country.
Camp website · VetCamps listing
5. Allison Point Campground, Valdez, Alaska
Allison Point. Camper photo.
Right on the water across the bay from Valdez. In summer the shoreline fills with people fishing the salmon runs, and the mountains come straight down to the water on every side.
This one used to be run by Fort Greely. The City of Valdez now owns it, and it is open to everyone.
- Who can stay: Anyone.
- Sites: Dry camping, no hookups. Water and dump are in town.
- Good to know: First come, first served, late May through early September.
Camp website · VetCamps listing
Before you go
Rules change, and who can book is up to each operator. Call the campground before you drive. If you do have a retiree card, a VA rating, or another military ID, hundreds more FamCamps open up. Here is who can stay at a FamCamp.
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Every FamCamp is in VetCamps, with who can stay, the camp phone, and gate details on each listing.
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Sources: each camp's operator page and the City of Valdez. Hours, rates, and who can book change, so confirm with the camp before you travel. The Valdez Glacier and Grassy Pond photos are used under Creative Commons.
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