Solomons Island Navy Recreation Area

This is a very unkept campground. Individual spaces are mowed by homesteaders that bring their own lawn mowers. Other sites are left in deplorable condition including ankle length grass debris on the street. Looks more like a carnival caravan than a campground. Homesteaders have junk and storage units half covered beside their motor units. We were greeted by a loose dog and saw several as we walked around. Besides looking like a junk yard one trailer had 4 gas cans under their rig. The two husky dogs next door were left on chains most of the day while the owners were away. We are very disappointed as we made our reservation months ago thinking this was going to be a nice place. You would think for $30 a night they could at least mow to avoid ticks and fleas. Not up to standards of the many military campgrounds we have been to across the country. This would be a a no, never again place to come unless you enjoy the thrill of disgrace.

The location of this RV park is prime, but the facilities are severely lacking. If you need 50 amp service, your only options are the "C" and "G" camping areas. We were booked in the "G" area where you are packed into the camp like sardines. It is only 30 feet from center point to center point of the RVs. The sites are relatively level graveled sites, but the gravel hasn't been replenished in years and is mostly covered with weeds. The majority of campers are homesteaders, and it shows by how junky the place looks. The grass was not mowed during the entire two week period we were they and the area resembled a pasture. Many of the homesteaders have resorted to purchasing their own lawn mowers to keep their sites mowed. Especially given the tall grass, ticks were rampant throughout the RV park. The "F" camping area is beautiful with large spaces. Only 30 amp service is available in the "F" area, however. WiFi can be purchased at a daily or monthly rate, but it is mediocre at best (slow and intermittent). It is evident that this Navy Recreation Center was really nice at one time, and the potential is there for it to be really nice again. Major renovations and a change in management appears necessary for this to happen, however. It is a shame that this potential gem is so mismanaged.

Although very nicely located, this place needs some serious attention. I was not able to get a full 30-amps (usually less than 20-amps) from the power supply! Over Memorial Day weekend, the place was a zoo with campers stacked like firewood! Trash was in the provided barbeque upon our arrival. One of the kids playgrounds had human excrement smeared on the slides. Alcohol was being consumed all over the place even though it's forbidden in the campground rules! The rules aren't enforced very well and they need to limit the number of campers! Won't be going back anytime soon.

Had a great time over the Memorial Day Weekend. I rated the location 5 stars because it was only 15min from our house in California, MD. The trip consisted of myself, hubby, and 12yr son - there was something everyone. We tent camped and the sites were spacious, clean, and had many shady trees. Single family sites are primitive so no water or electric hook-ups. We did just fine. They have port-a-potties and a comfort station that includes showers/bathrooms and a laundry room. The amenities are everything you can ask for: pools, beach, pier, marina, adventure zone for kids, sport equipment and facilities, rentals, different lodging opportunities, and convenient located around food stores. We had a blast! If I had to complain I would say the comfort station can stand to be renovated (No shower curtain between stall and changing area for example) and cleaned a little more often. But keep in mind it was a busy weekend. But that is really it. The camp ground itself was clean and maintained. Btw, you don't have to camp or stay the night to enjoy this area. Our family usually does KOA and other resorts but have to say the Recreation Center exceeded my expectations by far! We will come back again and again.

Pay no attention to the May 2013 review. I think he reviewed the wrong park. We and three other families with kids of all ages & multiple pets have just had a wonderful Memorial weekend. No tree issues that we found & a couple of us have some big rigs. No water pressure problems. Pool and beach open. Great rec center that had all kinds of activities for families each day that you could join in. Several large play grounds, hiking paths, large fishing pier. Saturday night they even had a free concert that wrapped up by 10:00 so no one was inconvenienced. Bath houses maintained fairly well for such a busy weekend. Yes this is an older camp ground so some structures have seen some wear but we feel that just adds character. So I am not sure how you could be more kid friendly. We will be back!!!

Do not attempt to get in here with anything larger than a pop up camper because you will scrape your rig on all of the overgrown trees. At our site, we found a dirty diaper and trash everywhere. The grass looks very overgrown, and the place looks more of a very poor, destitute trailer park than a vacation spot. No wifi, poor water pressure, and not, repeat, not kid friendly. No activities, and the whole place needs a lot of work. The staff was really friendly though. Will not be returning. Mowing crew left grass all over walking path, and multiple "homesteaders" made it nearly inaccessible even in the off season. These long timers had their rusty junk all strewn about really making the place look scary.

Stayed here a full week to visit family in the area and it worked out just great. Family members were allowed to come into the campground with no hassle at all. Very neat Air Museum just outside the Pax River Naval Air Station gate. An hour and a half ride to get to DC to see a baseball game. Wifi for $14.95 a week worked pretty well. We found the folks in the office to be very helpful in making our reservations a month in advance...for a very busy Labor Day weekend and had ice for $1.25 a bag. We paid $210.00 for 7 nights camping. One hiccup we have never had before .....when we were checking in we were asked for PROOF OF INSURANCE ON THE TRAILER.....I showed her the proof of insurance for the truck and she was ok. Was just a little strange. We will be back when ever we are in the area.

We're spending four days here while visiting with family. We made our reservations by phone and were informed we could only get water/electric. However, when we arrived at the office we were told we could have full hook-ups. Apparently the company the Navy contracts with for reservations doesn't know what is available. The park has a shabby appearance due to the homesteaders - one woman lived here for 17 years before finally being asked to move on. Also, the cherry trees throughout the park can really mess up your rig when they splat on the roof, and they can stain your clothes and carpets. We would stay here again only because it is close to our family.

Stayed here 3 weeks. Very quite and relaxing, right by the water. Campground is vary large, pools, water slides, putter golf, fitness center, fishing pier, & walking trails. Had water & electric hookups at our site. Sewer is available at other sites but none were available the dates we were there. Direct TV, Verizon cell & Internet worked great. Paid $ 18.00 per night. Small exchange on base, but not far from other shopping and dining out. Had laundry by exchange, $1.25 wash & $ 1.25 dry. I would strongly recommend Reservations, this place gets filled up and their are many seasonal campers there. I'm not a numbers rater, either I like a FamCamp or not. Well I like this FamCamp. Will stay here again.

The description of this facility on this website needs to be updated. This facility is located in a beautiful area of Maryland. This facility has potential to be a five-star site if updated. The personnel in check-in office are not well informed as to the operation and amenities of the facility. Wifi is totally unreliable and is only available in certain areas at a cost of $14.99 a week. This is the only military campground we have stayed at that charges for wifi. The bathhouses are old, but clean. They are in need of upgrading. The hook-ups are outdated, rusted, and in need of updating. The reservation process is very complicated and allows for mistakes to be made. There are a very LARGE number of seasonal campers (not on site) which causes a problem for transients.

We stayed for 4 nights around 15 June 2011. I need to address the contractors that do the mowing. Every one that I saw operating the mowers had the safety flap that makes sure nothing fly’s out were in the open and up position. They were throwing rocks, etc. and I had to get out of the way when I was walking my dog. I think the practice of mowing like that is very dangerous and is defiantly a safety hazard. Your rules state that there will be no decks, plantings on the long term sites, but there are numerous sites with these decks etc. The rules need to be enforced for all. I do not like to make these complaints but I feel the safety issues really need to be checked out. We try to come down at least every year, it is one of the best camping places to go that we have ever been to.

I did like the campground a lot! My kids loved the pools and the slides. The only problem I had was that we took our dogs with us. We had them tied out right on our spot. That's a no no! Too many old people down there that swear there dogs are human. We had them in the shade with a bowl of water and they are labs. They rarely bark. Old people instead of coming and saying something to us reported us and we got a warning. I tried to call the office to discuss this but nobody ever called us back. We have dogs that are not human and would rather be outside then stuffed in a camper. We have dogs not dogs that think that they are human. They also screwed up when we would be leaving and charged us for it and will not return the fees. Even tho it is there fault. So watch all of this because they do not like to return money to the customer.

The information contained on this web site are very, very out of date. the web site needs information current with existing monetary rates, allowable amount of time on camp sites for RV's as they differ. Cost information is out of date Authorized on site comfort items (Patrons private) is unspecifed yet there are numerous items not authorized and patrons are required too comply with those directives. There is no booklet to request which outlines opeations and procedures as in the past yet listed as an option on this web site. Water problems: $38.00 high tech water filters do not remove the chlorine smell or taste.. current storage information is inadequate for RV's. Extreme non-compliance to current directives by some campers needs to be explored. 2010 was the most unfavorable experiance I have had in my 29 years of camping here. Actions and attitudes of persons overall in charge were unacceptable and un warranted. I hope the actions of the past can be errased by positive actions in the future. Current up dates are needed if the web site is to become viable. I see on the web site, This Rec Center is listed as the best kept secret of camp grounds/Rec Centers in general. Wishing this location growth and prosperity.

Solomons Island was a wonderful place to stay to visit throughout Maryland and DC. The facilities were clean and neat as they should be and staff pleasant and knowledgeable of the area. The price seemed high compared to other bases. They do not have cement pads or cable which for the price I believe they should.

As others have indicated, the pricing has recently been increased. In discussions with other long term campers, most find the staff somewhat inflexible. My personnel experience was positive in all respects. The fishing pier is showing signs of wear and will require upkeep in the near future. I found the overall experience pleasant and would come back to stay if I found myself in this area. The sites are somewhat close together but not to the point of being "too" small.

We were assigned to site F28 and found the area in great shape, i.e., clean, mowed, etc. The new rates seem steep for a military facility, but the amenities make up for the rate. However, many sites were vacant...unusual for this area. Is this due to the increased rates for these sites? The fishing pier needs a lot of maintenance work as it is showing wear. One bank of lights were out due to a short circuit. Overall, my experience was excellent, as the young people working there were very positive and helpful.
Hopefully, the management will spend time and energy in planning and executing upgrades and maintenance to the facility.

After reading previous entries I was prepared for the worst but we were pleasantly surprised with the entire facility. The RV site we stayed at and all the surrounding pads looked great. Nice, clean and everything appeared to be in good shape. The bathroom facilities were kept clean and considering they have been in use for so many years they were well maintained. The fishing peer has not changed much over the years and continues to be a great place to try and catch a few fish or crabs (still not running). Not sure if the last reviewer caught the end of Winter before the base had a chance to ramp up for Spring/Summer but during peak season everything on-base was excellent. We just love the area and have been coming here for years.

Well I am back again and I must say things are getting worse at this facility. The grounds are totally neglected - if someone didn't know better they would think it was an abandoned campground. The grass and weeds are totally out of control - looks like nothing has been cut since last summer - just plain awful. The entire facility has been undergoing change - full time residents all moved into one area and made to move - this is good as it has freed up the "F" area - right now there are only 6 campers there - the sites haven't been cleaned up as there is wood, broken stepping stones and other items left behind. I cut the grass on the site I am staying at because I couldn't find my dog when he went out side the weeds are so tall and deep. Come on NDW or PAX River get this place cleaned up!!!! New cabins have been built on the site so money obviously isn't a problem - looks like management of this facility is just plain not doing their job. Too bad - my guess is the Navy will lose this place to the state of Maryland before long - then all military members will lose. Oh yeah - all this and the rates have gone up too!!!!

We stay here twice a year when transiting from Florida to Maine - previously lived in the area before full-timing and after retiring from Navy. Let me say I like this CG very much but don't like what is happening to it - I recommend it to everyone that asks - and this could be one of the best military campgrounds any where but it is turning into a slummy trailer park. It looks like short comings are addressed in some random way - some people have to take down fences around their camper yet some keep boats (against rules) next to their camper along with 40 or 50 gallons of gas in containers. People leave their campers for months at a time and the weather tears up tents and covered patios - not to mention that many of the "full time residents" put up those tacky white rooms or even garages. The fire boxes have had a "not operational" sign on them for the past 3 years - hope nothing burns. This place makes money for MWR and obviously needs management that knows what it is doing. I was active duty at NDW and visited the rec center many times with the Admiral that had oversight and it was never in this condition. We stay here due to close proximity of family - the area is beautiful - someone needs to kick this place in line.

The check-in at the RV office is very organized but make sure you have your RV proof of insurance handy because they want that to make a copy of. First time we've ever been asked for that to camp. I thought the $37 a day fee was quite high. We didn't use the pool or any of the other activities that go along with the passes they give you or it might have been a better bargain. We visited the NAS which is about a 20 min drive and went to the BX. There is a tiny mall inside also. There is a library on base but it was closed at 2pm on the Friday we were there so we didn't get to check it out. It is not open on weekends. No diesel on base. Only 3 fast food joints inside the NEX and I wouldn't recommend them. I concur with the person who posted previous that the Spyros Bagel place next to the nearby Food Lion is WONDERFUL. We were in C loop and it was fine. I didn't see anything to make me think it was "trashed" like the previous post. Verizon air card got a very powerful signal but there is NO TV that you can get with an antenna--not one station--really surprised me. It is close to a beach (within walking distance) but there is no sand-just dirt, and even though we were there at 11:30 in Aug, there was no lifeguard present, so that means no going in the water. The laundry was ok. There are 5 washers and 5 dryers and they're all $1.50 ea. No a/c so if you're doing your laundry in summer, prepare to sweat. There is a tiny book/magazine exchange in the laundry room.