User reviews
June - August 2-19
Overall rating
4.0
Location
5.0
Cleanliness/Hospitality
4.0
Amenities/Facilities
3.0
Value
4.0
Overall Experience
4.0
The rates shown are not accurate. It is 28 per day for the pull throughs and some of the back ins that now allow two spots instead of one for additional room. Weekly rate is 180. The other backins are still cramped and close to each other for 26 per day or 165 per week. I would avoid this area if I could. I really enjoyed my stay for the quiet area and the wide open spaces available for biking, walking, jogging etc. The weather is always cool and breezy. There is access to beach areas without leaving the base. The onsite staff were very friendly. The grounds were well kept. Internet was not usable and was never repaired even with constant followup. The answer seemed to revolve around one person at outdoor rec who had the password to the router but was not available. The excuse is really as stupid as it sounds. At the same time the wifi for the office was usable and it seemed that if you were connected (knew the right person) you could get the password and use that wifi as needed. wink wink nod nod, say no more. So there was really no incentive for the regulars and the office to apply any priority to fixing the camp wifi connection. Why not just make the other connection available to all if the other is not going to get repaired. This campsite has an office staff and two hosts sharing duties. I would say a bit of an overkill considering the size of the park and the reponsibilities involved. One of the hosts has dogs that are tied but pretty vicious. We decided not to walk by that area. The same host has the outdoor area around her rv looking like trailer trash. My only other observation, sorry to be so negative, was the ability for civilian contractors being able to live in their trailers. Their cost is 30 per night or 200 per week. These are civilian contractors living on base with all utilities paid for 900 per month. On the weekends the 10 o clock quiet time was not enforced as it was rotating beer time at one of the contractor sites. One of the camp hosts is directly across from this group of 4 contractors and likely never maentioned it. I will never understand any military "fam camp" which I guess is an abbreviation of family campground to allow people to stay any longer than a month. There are a group of at least three retirees that stay 6 months every summer and have been able to do so for several years running. How is this serving our active duty as a family campground. The longer people stay, the more it morphs into a trailer park and the trailer trash that generally gets too comfortable. There is no reason why anyone should not be able to drive up here and get a campsite. Too many long termers prevent family campers from being served.
1 October thru 1 March, 2015
Overall rating
1.9
Location
3.0
Cleanliness/Hospitality
3.0
Amenities/Facilities
2.0
Value
2.0
Overall Experience
1.0
As the outgoing host I am submitting this review. If you are staying here for a day or two you'll not know about anything wrong with this camp but if you are a week or more you will notice the following; This camp has two tv lounges which close at 2100 hours. each building here has mens and women's showers and laundry with pay machines. At present the mens showers in the "new" building has been under a work order for over a year now, and recently one lady's shower in the new building is now out of order. The old lounge and bath facilities are in an old Korean war era building, its cold in winter and hot in summer, some renovations have been completed but there are still major issues with the safety of the building. As for the staff, the office clerk never leaves his office except for lunch or to go home. He is unable or unwilling to handle issues that come up between the campers, as a host we've never felt he supported us, but leaves us to handle all issues. The main office does not include us in their meetings, discussions, and never invites us to their special gatherings, again no support from MWR. When we signed on to host here we were told we'd work one week on and one week off, but after the first month when the old hosts left we've been alone and have worked the last 4 months with no time off. There are many active duty personnel here and a few full-time civilian campers, mostly dod civilians in support of the bases NASA mission. If your planning on hosting here, I suggest to continue your search, if your camping here be ready for old, outdated systems, uneven rv spaces due to tree roots, and tight quarters between all spaces except pull thru. There is a tent area which the staff allows homeless to stay for extended times and there are only 50amp electrical connections so if your rig need 30, you should buy an adaptor before arriving. The bases security is tight but no tighter than any other active military base.
January 2015 and March 2015
(Updated: March 24, 2015)
Overall rating
4.7
Location
5.0
Cleanliness/Hospitality
5.0
Amenities/Facilities
4.0
Value
4.0
Overall Experience
5.0
I would like to start this review by saying that I nearly skipped this place due to some of the reviews on this website, but boy I am glad I didn't. As a military campground this place is in a prime location, being one hour away from both SLO and Santa Barbara, the area couldn't be nicer. It is a quiet central coast campground that isn't too far away from the BX or commissary. After reading some of these reviews I would to set the record straight on the staff. The office staff is wonderful, the young man behind the desk (Braxton I think his name is) answered all my questions and if he didn't know the answer to something, he diligently searched for it. His level of customer service was outstanding, I have never felt more welcome. I never had a run in with the grounds keeper, but the bathrooms seemed to be cleaned and stocked regularly so he must be doing his job. The camp host Hugh and Lisa were the exact opposite, they seemed very unapproachable. One thing I would like to note, the camp hosts seemed to be missing a lot of the times during the night and when they were there, both of them were always drinking some form of alcohol to the point of what seemed like drunkeness, not very professional. I also had a run in with some of the gossipers in the campground, where I was bombarded with horror stories about the operating instructions and homesteaders, after looking around I could not differentiate between a home steader and a camper. The sites were nothing special, I stayed in a pull thru which had plenty of space. I think a great improvement would be to put in additional pull thru spaces and possibly fix the bathrooms. The price was not exceedingly high, I felt like I was being fairly charged for the amenities on site. As a final comment, I was given very clear instructions by one of the campers there to go to this website and "write a bad review to help change to park", I don't know why someone who stays here would want me to do this, but instead I decided I would review this place truthfully so that people don't miss out on a great campground.
December 2014 - February 2015
(Updated: November 08, 2015)
Overall rating
4.6
Location
5.0
Cleanliness/Hospitality
5.0
Amenities/Facilities
3.0
Value
4.0
Overall Experience
5.0
Came to VAFB without a reservation and the young man in the office was able to get me into a pull thru. He was able to switch around some reservations so I wouldn't have to move during my stay, I greatly appreciated this because my wife is handicapped and the closer we are to the bathroom the better. The camp hosts Hugh and Lisa were accommodating, they lent me a 30 amp adapter when I realized all the sites were 50 amp only. I find the easiest way to review is lay out the pros and cons of a place and why I rated what I did. Location 5/5, prime spot for a campground. I believe with a but of updating and perhaps additions drive thrus you would have a real money maker here. Cleanliness/hospitality 5/5, bathrooms and lounge was clean and comfortable. The staff, especially Brandon, was quite accommodating. The young man in the office makes you feel more like a guest in his home than a customer at a campground, very welcoming and informative. Amenities/facilities 3/5, these need updating. The washers and dryers, furniture, carpets, bathrooms, showers, and sites seem outdated and in need of replacing/updating. The laundry room is desperately in need of a change machine. One thing that really hurt the score here is the roots in the pull thru sites. Value 4/5, according to the staff the prices just went up slightly. I believe that the prices are somewhat competitive but, the campground could offer more to make me feel like I got my money's worth, I recommend some sort of recreation room (ping pong, billiards, etc) and a snack bar or vending machine. Overall experience 5/5, a wonderful place if you like a quiet camp ground and welcoming staff. If this place was to be updated I would go out of my way to stay here as much as I could.
April 14th and 15th 2018
Overall rating
4.9
Location
5.0
Cleanliness/Hospitality
4.0
Amenities/Facilities
5.0
Value
5.0
Overall Experience
5.0
What a lovely surprise. Yes we were required to undergo an inspection of our rig, but nothing like previously stated. We were not required to go into an enclosed room and accompanied the airman doing the inspection (looking for hidden persons). Not sure what Vandenberg has over bases like Andrews et al. This is the 41st base (AF - not including the numerous Navy and Army installations) and only the 2nd where we were required to even open the RV. The wifi has apparently been upgraded as I'm in my RV and connected. The showers are excellent and clean with an abundance of hot water. The sites are clean and well-maintained. Lots of walking paths and the BX/Commissary complex is nearby. I wish the Exchange gas station had diesel but beggars can't be choosers. I would definitely stay here again if I were ever to venture into California again.
January 03-10, 2015
Overall rating
4.7
Location
5.0
Cleanliness/Hospitality
4.0
Amenities/Facilities
4.0
Value
5.0
Overall Experience
5.0
We arrived without reservations on a Saturday. Camp hosts Lisa and Hugh welcomed us and made us feel right at home. All the pull through spaces were taken but we got a back in. The back in spaces are somewhat tightly packed, but acceptable. The back in spaces are in a parking lot but there are picnic tables and plenty of grass to the rear of each space. As of January 1st, daily rate is $22 for back in, $24 for pull through. Weekly is now $143 for back in, $158 for pull through. They have about 20 dry camp spots for $10 per night. Despite being close to full the Famcamp was exceptionally quiet. Everyone we met was friendly. Vandenberg is a great place for RVers. Good, inexpensive food at the beautiful dining facility, where all are welcome. Many other places on base to eat. Nice exchange and commissary on base. The base is gigantic - nearly 100,000 acres. Nearly all of it is open space, loaded with wild animals. We saw plenty of deer and coyotes every day. Thousands of ground squirrels and birds, including hawks, vultures, herons, quail. We even saw a bobcat. We were told the base also has cougar and wild pigs, but we did not see any. The ocean views are stunning and there are numerous beaches on the base with excellent surf fishing. We saw seals and pods of whales. If you like critters this is the place for you. There is an old Coast Guard Rescue Station at Point Arguello on the base. You can obtain the keys to it at Outdoor Recreation and spend the day there. It is fabulous! Don't miss it if you camp here. We will definitely be coming back.
20 - 25 NOV 20
Overall rating
4.3
Location
5.0
Cleanliness/Hospitality
4.0
Amenities/Facilities
4.0
Value
5.0
Overall Experience
4.0
Very nice place to stage for the surrounding areas of Lompoc, Solvang, and Santa Barbara. Being there for the SpaceX launch was an unexpected bonus as well. Pull-through site 10 was very nice but had a large pine tree on the left side which made things a little messy/hairy getting in and leveling. Do not book site 9 if you are expecting a pull-through, power pole at the end. Great laundry facilities, ok WiFi, and lounge areas. Don't expect too much from the FamCamp office customer service side of things though; the camp host was marvelous, can't say the same for the folks in the office. Thank you VAFB for a nice stay.
Mar 29, 2015
Overall rating
1.0
Location
1.0
Cleanliness/Hospitality
1.0
Amenities/Facilities
1.0
Value
1.0
Overall Experience
1.0
BEWARE--We attempted to enter the base at the south gate, and two airmen directed my wife and I to exit the motorhome and open all bays, then go into an enclosed waiting room without windows while they inspected our motorhome. I requested they wear booties if they go inside the motorhome. My wife went into the enclosed waiting room and I stood just outside the door in order to maintain view of my property. I observed one airman step just inside the door of the motorhome, then exit and walk around the motorhome looking into each bay. One airman standing next to me said I was preventing them from doing their job by not going into the enclosed room, and called for his supervisor. A MSG arrived, spoke with the two airmen at a distance, then approached me and said "we do not have booties, and since you refused to allow us to do a complete inspection you are denied entry to the base". I left and sent the base commander an immediate email, protesting the requirement (1)to go inside an enclosed-windowless room while my property is unsecured and out of my site, (2) the nonavailability of booties to protect my carpet, and (3) more competent authority to deny entry to the base. The Installation Commander did respond timely, but his explanation was not acceptable. His excuse to prevent us from maintaining view of our property was so that a "Terrorist or Threat" could not observe the procedures used to inspect! He also said they had not budgeted for booties, however I could provide them or some other means to protect my carpet! He did not discuss the availability of competent authority to deny base access, although he did request I return to observe the professional service of Vandenberg AFB! I think after 26 years of military service, I've observed enough professional service, so a return visit will not be on my bucket list!!
January 2015
Overall rating
1.6
Location
5.0
Cleanliness/Hospitality
1.0
Amenities/Facilities
1.0
Value
1.0
Overall Experience
1.0
Disgraceful is the word I would use to describe this campground. First, it is not a campground it is a trailer park for full time active duty and contract workers. The back-in spaces are in a parking lot, and you are so close to each other you can hear everything (and I mean everything) going on in the RV next to you. No safety considerations given to anyone in a back in space. Pull through spaces are in great need of repair, very uneven and broken pavement, tree roots pushing through. There are 2 condemned building on the grounds. The washer and dryers are old, don't work well, and the bathrooms are filthy. The "new" bathrooms are falling apart and the "old" ones are in desparate need of renovating. Only 50 amp hookups, so make sure you have adaptors. The man in the office is no help at all, that is if he even comes into the office. Any complaints fall on deaf ears. Dogs running around off their leashes, barking all day, even have a resident bird (someones pet) that squawks all day long. Highly recommend skipping this one.
30 Oct - 17Nov 2012
(Updated: November 22, 2012)
Overall rating
4.3
Location
3.0
Cleanliness/Hospitality
5.0
Amenities/Facilities
5.0
Value
5.0
Overall Experience
4.0
If you're looking for a place to do the touristy thing this isn't it. Other than the beach there isn't much to do here. Getting on base with a motorhome is a pain but bearable, they do go through all the outside bays while you wait in a room with no windows. The commissary and BX are good. The campground is clean and the sites are large enough that I could leave the trailer hooked up. If passing through this part of the country again I would stay here for the peace and quiet.
June 29-30, 2014
Overall rating
3.7
Location
4.0
Cleanliness/Hospitality
4.0
Amenities/Facilities
3.0
Value
3.0
Overall Experience
4.0
Arrived here at VAFB yesterday and was greeted by Ken and Mary, who were very friendly and able to put me in a pull-through spot, which I must have for lots of reasons. The pull-throughs are unfortunately not level, covered by trees, only 50 amp, and the smaller part of this Famcamp with plenty of folks who look like they've been here far longer than 2 weeks. I took a look at the back-in spots and can only describe them as sad--even ghetto-ish!. Yuck! What on earth are they thinking here? It looks more like an RV storage lot than a Famcamp. I hope the MWR manager and VAFB cc pay attention. If they want the Famcamp revenue (which can be considerable!) and invest in improvements, plenty of retirees would make this a destination, but *not in this condition*. Two condemned buildings sit just next to the sites, and one of them is padlocked with all of the former break-room furniture still in place. I wonder how long it will sit there? If you have slide-outs, are unpracticed in backing in to a spot, or don't want to live on top of other people, don't come here. If you specifically reserve a pull-through spot in advance, you'll have a good experience, though (just remember you'll have to level your rig because of the tree roots that have broken up the concrete pads). As others have said, it's quiet as a mouse here...and there are plenty of rodents--squirrels abound. My dachshund and I watched a coyote watching us back at 0630 this morning. It's also generally colder by ~10 degrees than Camp San Luis Obispo, which is just an hour north. Like others who've written reviews, I also had my rig inspected at the Lompoc Gate (having read this website to learn about entry points), but I did not find it unfriendly or alienating. Personally, I wish there'd be tighter security on all of our bases. Perhaps if they secured and maintained them better, we wouldn't find this place such a mess. I know from unfortunate encounters that there are unsavory individuals (and their spouses) who bounce between military campgrounds and cause trouble...but are allowed back.
April 17 2012
(Updated: April 18, 2012)
Overall rating
1.9
Location
3.0
Cleanliness/Hospitality
2.0
Amenities/Facilities
2.0
Value
3.0
Overall Experience
1.0
When we got to the gate we were told we needed the registration and insurance, open all compartments to include the hot water cover and the cover to the refrigerator and go into the building! As I was looking for the ins card another rent a cop came up and said we didn't need that since we had our ID cards. Not sure what they were looking for in the back of the hot water heater and refrigerator. But we opened them anyway. When we got to the famcamp we did not see the same things as in the pictures. First of all the nice sites they show are of a few pull throughs that are very unlevel and broken up concrete pads. The rest are back in sites that are in 2 parking lots. I ask the host where the water is that is in the photos and he said a few miles away, what parts of it is open! So don't come here to be by the beach, it's not here. The wifi was down and no one can reset it after hours. The host said the office tried to reset it but it was 4:00 which is time for them to go home. The website and the Military camp book said you can not make reservations but sites are marked as reserved and the host said they changed that about 6 months ago. But nothing has been updated. Most everyone looks like they live here. Some not so clean around the campers. And they have a lot of busybodies up in here. They want to know what you are doing and don't mind standing and looking to see what you're doing. This is not a place we will come back to.
July 25 - 28 2012
(Updated: August 21, 2012)
Overall rating
2.0
Location
3.0
Cleanliness/Hospitality
1.0
Amenities/Facilities
2.0
Value
2.0
Overall Experience
2.0
Have been coming here over the years, but it seems to be slowly spiraling down hill. My main concern is the host's site, what a mess. The only thing missing is a car on cement blocks. And the junk is working its way out on to the street. There is also the problem of their SIX dogs. And seems to be a large percentage of campers being here for months, even years. Not that safe feeling we get usually when staying at Famcamps. Sad.
June 7, 2014
Overall rating
4.7
Location
5.0
Cleanliness/Hospitality
5.0
Amenities/Facilities
3.0
Value
5.0
Overall Experience
5.0
This is unusual campground. They have sites that appear to be converted parking lot with added hookups and then the pull thru sites. Laundry facilities clean. I was told that they try to assign short term stays to the pull thrus. The pull thru sites are very nice, they are old and may have tree root distortion. I found mine level. Must do, visit the on base beaches, Wall beach and minuteman beach. The electrical hookup is only 50 amp, no 120. If you are 30 amp, you will need a converter. Lompoc gate is the only gate for entrance and exit for an RV. The inspection didn't take long and was simple.
11 June 2022
Overall rating
4.0
Location
4.0
Cleanliness/Hospitality
4.0
Amenities/Facilities
3.0
Value
5.0
Overall Experience
4.0
Stopped here for one night on our way up the west coast. If you are on Hwy 101 and exit at Hwy 1 to go to Lompoc, be prepared for a very steep incline just west of 101. Our diesel pusher with an F-150 in tow really struggled getting up an over that hill. The inspection at the Lompoc gate was very mundane; did have to open all the bays but just for a second. We had a reservation but not a site number but as we pulled in we were met immediately by the camp host, a very friendly and professional woman named Whitney. She had our site assignment and welcome package ready. We were in the "parking lot" but it's pretty wide open and level so we had no trouble backing our 38-foor rig into the site. The check-in process includes reviewing about a 12-page document of rules and regulations. You have to initial every page and sign a bunch of places and return it to Whitney. Plus email her a copy of your rig's registration and your pet's vaccination record. So be prepared. Very quiet night; good place for a stopover.
20-23 Aug 2021
Overall rating
3.9
Location
4.0
Cleanliness/Hospitality
4.0
Amenities/Facilities
3.0
Value
4.0
Overall Experience
4.0
Ok place to stay the weather is comfortable. The site we stayed in was just part of a parking lot with full hookups. A mobile veterinarian happened to be on site and was able to get the dogs shots updated. BTW they wanted to see the dog's shot records. There were coyotes running around in the overflow sites. The base is a sleepy place without much activity. There is beach access from the base.
16-17 June 2019
Overall rating
4.7
Location
4.0
Cleanliness/Hospitality
5.0
Amenities/Facilities
4.0
Value
5.0
Overall Experience
5.0
Peaceful, quiet location on base. This was the first stop on a long summer tour and it set the mood for us. The site was spacious and easy to access. We ate the the dining hall (ok - not great but not bad) and used the gas station to fill up (relatively easy access even with a toad). Coming in from the Lompoc gate was a bit unsettling if you don't know the area - seems like you're driving off to nowhere... but soon enough you come to the gate and the campground isn't far ahead. Gate hours are until 1900, at least the Sunday we drove in. We'd love to stay here again for a longer time frame.
27,28,29,20 August 2012
(Updated: August 27, 2012)
Overall rating
2.8
Location
4.0
Cleanliness/Hospitality
3.0
Amenities/Facilities
3.0
Value
3.0
Overall Experience
2.0
Still here, WOW, coming through the gate was easy considering what occurs on the base. When we arrived in the camp grounds the camp hosts approached us with drama, drama, drama. The camp hosts and staff need to be replaced sooner than later. Drive through sites are available, but if a site is reserved within a week it is put in a reserved status and overnight patrons stay in a parking lot. I'm not sure if this campground is user or employee friendly, KOA may be a good option. I will be paying a visit to the MWR manager before leaving. Famcamps are a benefit to the military families needing and wanting to use them. I always thought these programs were in place to support the military family. Homesteaders are here and not leaving, this will impact anyone's stay. The 14 day stay limit is BS, people are allowed to stay here as long as they want.
April 16, 2013
(Updated: April 17, 2013)
Overall rating
4.9
Location
4.0
Cleanliness/Hospitality
5.0
Amenities/Facilities
5.0
Value
5.0
Overall Experience
5.0
Stayed one night in full hooks up pull through. Full hook up spaces are 50 amp but Michelle, the host, gave me an adapter for my 30 amp at no cost. They have two internet access channels but connection sporadic. Kept losing signal so switched to my own connector. Going through the security at Lompoc Gate made me feel like a criminal. I appreciate the security aspect but when you're use to just showing your ID at Nellis AFB it was a shock especially having to sit in a closed room while they did whatever they did. A tad over the top in my opinion especially for a single older woman with a small dog. Not exactly a terrorist-like person.
July 3-6, 2013
(Updated: July 05, 2013)
Overall rating
3.9
Location
3.0
Cleanliness/Hospitality
5.0
Amenities/Facilities
3.0
Value
4.0
Overall Experience
4.0
Let me state that everyone staying here at the campground are friendly and very helpful. Be warned if the Lompoc gate is open you will be turned away at all other gates. There are pull thru sites but we have been told there is a waiting list for those sites. It is most likely because there are a lot of homesteaders in the campground. People have lawn sprinklers set out as if they are watering their own lawn. Most of the spaces were made from two parking lots that have been converted to backin spaces. They are very tight to get into. I have a 32 foot travel trailer with opposing slide outs. When I open them I am looking right into the neighbors camper windows. If they had slide outs I could not have used the space. I was not asked when I made the reservation if I had slideouts so when making reservations you need to let them know. It's a nice base off the beaten track, very quiet with a nice commissary and BX.
