Solomons Navy Recreation Area

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.

Great campground and a lot of fun! My lower marks were due to being winter time and not much open and what was open at the Recreation Center needed upkeep. The putt putt golf course was open, but needed maintenance and most of the games in the game room were inoperable. We were in the F Loop and we really like it. The other loops really do look slummy. I don't know why when folks full time in a campground they let their areas get so trashy, but the A, B, C, & G areas are trashed and something should be done to force people to clean up their areas.

Great Place!! We have come here often and enjoyed each time. HOWEVER, unless you enjoy frustration, I DO NOT recommend signing up for the local commercial wifi. It is expensive (7.95 daily/15.95 weekly) and, in my opinion, very unsat, i.e. 1st day it worked slow but okay; 2nd day it was slow and kept disconnecting (called provider and was told "we know about the problem and a tech will be working on it in morning") 3rd day we couldn't get connected (called provider and was told "the tech is trying to find a connector to accomplish the repair") 4th day it was slow and kept disconnecting. On the 4th day I was told by the provider " it must be BOTH of your computers that are the problem. GIVE ME A BREAK!!! Oh by the way, our laptop works fine everywhere else!

We really enjoyed our vacation with the grandson. It is great to have a nice clean facility to ride bikes, fish, swim and just enjoy. Caught lots of fish off of the pier. The pool with the slides was the grandson's most enjoyment. We are going back for another week before the summer is over.

Excellent campground with plenty of summer activities. I especially enjoyed the outdoor concerts on weekends. Many campers live there full-time. Campground has a fishing pier, boat dock, swimming pool, and beach. Nearby Solomon's Island offers excellent night-life with many restaurants and clubs. I'd easily consider this campground high-end on quality and value for your money.

Solomon Island Navy Rec Center is a fantastic place to camp for anyone - from big rigs to travel trailers, to those who want to stay in on-base apartments or houses / bungalows / huts / yurts. Our favorite place to go with a large travel trailer is the
"F-section," as the sites are very spacious and all have full hookups. Those sites are hard to get though, unless you reserve well in advance or call for an "off-weekend." Next best is "C-section," which is another distinct area of the campground. Typically has full hookups as well, but the site are not as spacious. Some spots are good for big rigs, but not all. You can ask at the desk. Most folks there know what size campers fit where. Last on the list of priorities is "G-section," which is comparable to European style campgrounds. Your camper is 10 feet from the next one, with enough room for slides to go out and doors to open, and a place to park your vehicle. All those spots (with very few exceptions) have only water / electric. On base, during the summer, there is putt putt golf, four swimming pools (2 with slides, 1 kiddie pool, 1 4 foot deep pool), a driving range, game room, workout room (year round), beach, kayak rental, pontoon boat rental, marina, fishing pier, and a beach you can bring dogs too as well. This is a great place to let the kids roam or ride thier bikes without worry. Bath houses are very well maintained. The bath house in F section is nicest, but those in C / F are good too. There is no place on the navy rec center to cash checks or buy things (except ice at the marina, which is a dollar for a 7 lb bag), but there is a Food Lion 2 minutes from the gate, and a fantastic bagel store right next to it that is open early every day of the week. Patuxent Naval Air Station is about 20 minutes away. The front desk crew is very friendly, and they will place you on a waiting list if you ask, in case sites are not available. You can ask for specific sites - by number, and by section. They do a lottery early in the year - priority to active duty, then retired and DoD civilians. There are a LOT of full timers there - some who have been there all 4 years we have been going. They do make them move around to new spots each year, and it seems pretty fair the way they do the lottery system. We highly recommend this place to anyone who has not been.

Solomons is a recreation center and has many different things to do. RVers with children will find it a wonderful place to stay. Unfortunately for us, most of them were only open on weekends until Memorial Day. Our site was electric & water only, not paved and the grass certainly needed cutting. Many of the sites are occupied by people who either live there full-time or have occupied the sites for many years, as evidenced by gardens, fences, skirting around the base of trailers, flagpoles in cement, and large propane tanks. One guy we met has been there for over 20 years. Many live and work in the DC area and use Solomons as a summer or weekend home for a very cheap rate. (About half of what we paid.) This is okay as it is a very large center except that the fulltimers seem to feel they own the place. We had two confrontations with them within five minutes of getting to our site. One woman was quite nasty about us blocking the road while we disconnected our tow vehicle although she easily could have turned around and gone out the other end of the road. (It only takes about five minutes to disconnect.) The second woman complained that we were blocking the satellite dish of another trailer although it was not her trailer, the people in that trailer weren't even there the entire time we were, and we had no other way to park. The restrooms were very clean and the laundry is very reasonably priced at 75 cents to wash and 75 cents for 60 minutes of dryer time. No WiFi.

Very nice place, even on the busy Memorial Day weekend. Have lots to do for the children, concerts, singing, hayrides plus it is very well organized.

Solomons has always been a bity of a "secret", but becoming well-known. It's mix of RV sites and regular lodging provides an extensive offering for vacations. We have been going there since 1992 and love it. It's a great place and we have always had a good time. And the staff is first-class and always eager to help.