Edwards AFB FamCamp

High desert. Sandy. Rocks added to center open space, but no underlaying weed barrier, so it's a grass / weed area now. The $15 charge is cheap compared to other places we stay. [Pendleton is $30] Camp host made the stay pleasant, and roads are paved. Laundry is cheap at $1 wash & $.25 dry. Clean. A nice stopping place. Walk easily to small commissary & exchange.

A bit off the beaten path but well worth the stop. Things were a bit quiet and the camp host Andy stopped by for a visit. He took us on a personal tour of the base sharing stories of the history and points of interest. He was very knowledgeable and was happy to share the information. The base is a city of its own so you will not lack for any needed items. Will definitely return again. Agree the check-in was a bit different, but easy to understand. Lot 21 was a nice size for our 37' motorhome.

What can be said about this campground. It is layed out in a strange pattern. The side by side sites are so close that if you had slides out, there would only be a foot or two between neighbors. I don't have slides and my neighbor was about 4 feet from me. I was lucky to have a site at the end with only the neighbor on one side. At $15 a night, it is not a bargain. The rock has been added to the area around the lounge/bath house and Dave is doing a great job cleaning up other areas. School kids still cut through the campground and campsites. As one person stated, between picnic table and rig. I think the camp host and his wife have full time jobs somewhere because I did not see them at all during the week. I finally saw them on Sunday. My greeting from the hosts was a wave as I went by. It looked like they were doing some minor cleaning in the area. I did not use bath house, laundry, etc. so cannot comment on them, but the last time I stayed here they were very clean. I feel this is a campground that could use more improvements to be up to Air Force standards. It is a good place to come for maybe a week but not longer.

Edwards AFB is a huge base, but the services and facilities are all fairly close and convenient to the famcamp. Check-in is a self-service thing like you find in many national and state parks, with forms and envelopes in a weather-proof box. First pick out a vacant site, then do the paperwork. Put one copy of the completed form, along with check or cash together in an envelope and deposit it into the locked metal post-box adjacent to the campground sign. You take another copy for your receipt, and the white copy goes into the "occupied sites" slots on the back of the c/g welcome sign. There is a camp host, but he is not involved in check-in or site assignment. All the FHU sites are level, paved pull-throughs. The bath house is clean and heated (it's a chilly winter in the high desert). The laundry room is also clean, and has fairly new machines. The commissary, exchange, and shoppette pretty well cover all your travel/camping supply needs. The base gas station also sells propane. Andy, the camp host, is a peach of a gentleman, and was helpful and caring about the campers. One annoying thing about this campground is that the kids from the base schools use it for their shortcut to/from school. In the process, they cut right through the individual campsites, and several of them went into the clubhouse and bath house, and just generally loitered there. A number of them passed through our campsite between our RV and the picnic table, all the while being generally rowdy and loud as groups of school kids tend to be. Andy said he knew this was a problem and, to illustrate the point, another group came rambling through as we were speaking. He said he's working with the schools to find some equitable solution. He also intercepted the kids and explained the rules to them. There's work in progress to cover the barren ground around the bath house and picnic shelter with a thick layer of crushed desert rock. It will be a significant improvement to the appearance of the area and minimize dust on windy days. Andy says other improvements in the works are: WIFI for the whole camp (the contract has been let and he's expecting installation very soon); A new flat panel TV and cable hookup for the club room (there is no TV now except for a small analog set connected ONLY to a DVD player); A new, fenced dog play area; four shuffleboard courts will be added to the existing tennis courts adjacent to the c/g; and an expanded tent camping area. When all these projects are done, it will be worth the $15/night price. So, contrary to the opinion expressed by the May 2009 reviewer, it appears the services squadron folks care a great deal about the success and appearance of this famcamp and that it'll be here for a long time to come. For Sprint broadband air card users, we had good 3G EVDO signal for our internet connection.

I don't know what more can be expected of this campsite other than shade trees. It was clean, the commissary, exchange, fast food, gas station, mechanic & bowling alley were all within two blocks (Walking distance). If you like airplanes and/or history this is worth a good 3+ days. Also, with 40+ full hookups and over 40 overflow spaces the chance of not finding a space is slim. The camp host was enthusiastic and helpful. The site is on the honor system which I personally appreciate.

We entered through the North gate which was very easy with our 37 foot rig. The sites were all paved and level. Some had trees for shade. It was airshow weekend so the camp was full. The restrooms and laundry were clean and neat. The camphost was very nice and seemed to really care about the park. We will stay here again.

When I left, the North Gate, (Hwy 58) was still under construction. Soon it’ll be a year since they started and that means it shouldn’t be more than another six months or so. However, some modifications have been made which should make it easier for larger RV’s to get in and out. A lot has been done at the FAMCAMP and it shows. The water pressure in the showers has improved and each restroom has a mirror raised high enough for an average adult to use without looking like Quasimodo. Plans to paint the restroom floors with the proper paint are in the works along with getting WiFi. The grounds have been cleaned up and they have a bid for rocking the courtyard area. It’s a fair bid and far cheaper than what the CE’s estimated. Now they have to wait for it to go through the committee for approval. The bottom line here is really simple: Management knows this place can become a money maker. They just have to convince the bean counters. The new camp host is just about perfect and should be a welcomed addition. He has the right attitude and is willing to help when he can. He understands campers and their needs and wants. The day room has a new bulletin board with a lot of useful information posted. Pets still must be on a leash and only the outer ring of the campground can be used for walking them. Naturally enough everyone one is expected to pick up after his or hers pet; a concept that seems to elude a few people. And vehicles are strictly forbidden in the courtyard area. My hope is that they reconsider the stay limitations and the amount of time required before you can return. All in all, Edwards is well worth a visit.

The West and South gates into Edwards are under construction and entering and exiting through those gates can be a problem for even mid-size RV’s. Seems the powers that are, did not take into consideration that vehicles bigger than a car often visit the base. The Security Force has been getting complaints daily and they are doing their best to get this problem resolved quickly. The problem may be fixed very soon. Those of you who have read my previous comments concerning the FAMCAMP and just how bad things had become will be happy to know that the new administration is making positive changes. A serious effort was launched to get Wi-Fi on the grounds. The chances getting it are based upon the cost to install what is needed to bring it in. The grounds are being cleaned up and the base is going with a zero landscape policy. That means we’ll have a minimum of lawn, a lot of rock in the center court and a generally neater and cleaner appearance. A cleaning staff comes in every day to clean the restrooms and paper towel dispensers have been installed so you can clean up the sink when you’re done. A list of nearby attractions, places to eat and available shopping in the immediate area is being made up now and should be ready soon. And people will be surprised when they find out what’s really available around here. The idea of expanding the camp grounds over into the former modular housing area has been dashed by the environmentalist here on base. At least for now. Out of the kindness of their confused thinking they did authorize ten additional tents sites that would be on the wrong side of the wind and sun break. In general, improvements are being made every day. However, you must keep in mind that some things are going to take time thanks to the budget and the seemingly endless paper worker they need to do in order to get anything done. These people are serious about improving the area and they are doing the best they can.

I really don't think this famcamp will be open much longer. The place is going to the devil since Carol is no longer here. Bathrooms were dirty, grass/trees dying from lack of water and no mowing or weed whacking has been done lately. The temporary host is trying to get things done but he gets no support from Outdoor Recreation. Last week he had to threaten to contact the base health department to get something done about the bathrooms. Finally Outdoor Rec sent someone out to clean them but as I write this the bathrooms and showers have not been cleaned in 5 days. The temp host told me that three people have turned the host job down and I can understand why. Personal opinion...the Base Services Commander is just looking for an excuse to close the famcamp. Sad!

Spent 21 days here last month and was sad to hear that the host, Carol, will be leaving at the end of April. Management still provides no support what so ever and from the way they act it's obvious they have no intention for providing any in the future. Every person they asked to take over as host has refused for that reason. They claim they do not have any money to make improvements or supply the host with even the basic cleaning supplies. Carol has hurt her leg and has severely limited mobility. While I was there I helped out where ever I could because the office wasn't making any effort. If they won't invest anything into the camp grounds I see it as only a matter of time before they close the facility. Oh! They did open up several new tent sites; on the wrong side of the wind brake and shade trees.

This is our 3rd visit to this park over last 7 years and nothing has changed except the newer bathhouse/laundry which are very nice and quite clean. It still has the same parking lot feel but everything seems to work. Very good place to stop for short time and do BX/Commissary stuff. They have diesel fuel. This is a place that is easy to get in and out of. Have never seen a host any time we have been there.

The layout of this campground is a little strange. There are some sites around the outside that have plenty of room, but most are side by side. Walking around the campground, some of the larger trailers/motorhomes with slides out, had about 1 foot between the slides. Some of the side by side hook ups were very well placed, but the opposite one required long water,sewer hoses and long electrical cord. Host apparently worked elsewhere and his wife took care of the campground. The campground was very neat and the bathrooms and laundry room were very clean. At times there were some dog droppings in the area. At $15 a night, I don't think this a very good deal. Edwards is miles from anywhere. The commissary and exchange had just about everything you need. There are two museums on base. The AF one was very interesting, but small. The one at the NASA area was mostly a gift shop. Overall, it would be a good overnight or maybe a couple days stop, but not a destination. The weather was excellent, with temps well above normal. Not until the last day did we get any clouds.

J.M. left this review using the Directory software: We stayed just the one night to restock, do some laundry and rest. As stated it is in the middle of nowhere - but the BX/Commissary are delightful, well stocked, not at all crowded - and only a short walk due north up a paved path; The Class VI store is a bit further away (mile or two). We never saw the camp host but then the winds were 20 with gusts to 40+ MPH so not many people were outside. The big news to share is that there was a multipage directive posted - from the services director that the FamCamp is for short term camping only - not long term. We don't know how they are enforcing this - but about 1/2 the spots were vacant - so we didn't have a problem getting a site.

I gave a higher than average rating for "location" as this is the best choice for a FHU RV site in the area. Of course, you probably have another reason for being in this area, but at least Edwards FamCamp is a good place to stay at. We were on our way to Arizona this time and only spent the night. Another good stop-over. Electric power was excellent! The current rate of $15/night for a FHU site is just right.

Have continuing difficulty rating 'Location'? (If location had been a consideration, I might not have visited)? The Mojave desert has to be visited intentionally, possibly out of curiosity, [preferably not on foot].. The remoteness is the reason for Edwards' existence. The site I occupied was gravel though there are paved sites. Full hook-up 30a 110vac w/s (and shaded). Restrooms/showers and laundry clean pleasant and well maintained. Commissary, BX, food court with 'wi-fi' within walking distance. Camp hostess was very helpful and pleasant in making me feel welcome. Particularly helpful in locating the camper who's wallet I found and returning it to him late at night. Overall an interesting stay, warm during the day - but the desert cools off to blanket temps at night. Chance to see the latest aircraft being tested. Photo 'ops' for most previous aircraft tested at Edwards.

We stayed here last summer and really liked the location of the camp with respect to the pool, BX, commissary, etc... It is a good place to restock and rest. The camp itself isn't great but functional. They have new showers, laundry and family room. They don't have wireless or a data point but the BX has free internet with a great signal. The host was friendlier last year than this one. While I was gassing up on the way in the wife went to scout out a spot. She was accosted by the host, telling her she couldn't stay unless she had an RV or a tent. I guess she thought my wife was going to camp in the SUV. Anyhow, she told her she had to pay immediately which I think was unnecessary. People around the camp took her lead I guess and weren't very friendly either. I've never had so many waves go unreturned. I finally asked the host if her arm was hurt (I really did) and then she warmed up after that. We would still camp here again because it is the best in the middle of no where.

Middle of nowhere, but a good place to stop traveling through So. Cal. The park is basic, with many side-by-side sites. The good single sites with shade all appear to be occupied by long term residents. The sour point to this visit was the rude behavior of the camp host on our arrival. We were looking for a vacant spot, and removed a 2-day old registration card from the registration board. From her reaction, you'd have thought we just kidnapped her only child. The unwritten rules are you don't take the cards from the board, even if they're out of date. Just put your card over the top and let the host figure it out. We will stay again only because it's a good stopping point, but we'll do our best to avoid the camp host.

Nice park to rest and recharge. A long way to anything!

We think this is a great camp, most sites have lots of room. Walking distance to most facilities. Great library with lots of movies to check out. The new policy should be put into effect in more of the FamCamps to limit full-time & "squatters" who never seem to leave.

Great location as there is nothing else out here in this part of the desert. The famcamp is right near a lot of facilities and it is easy walking distance to BX/Commissary, Bowling, pool, etc. Nice tent locations and very friendly folks in the park. The shower/laundry facilities are new and kept up very nicely. The wifi at the BX is a great bonus too. Overall very nice park.