Review Detail

My family (2 adults, 2 children ages 7 and 8) loved this campground so much that we decided to extend our visit. (The 2-week limit can be lifted if there are spaces available.) The shower facilities are private and clean. The laundry room is rarely busy, with large-capacity front loading washers ($1.25 per load) and large dryers ($1.00 for 60 minutes). Clotheslines are permitted at campsites. (One caveat-- bring cleaning supplies to the laundry room-- the campground cleaning staff gives the washers and dryers a token wipe on the outside-- the insides can get pretty nasty.) There is an arcade for the kids in the laundry building and a lounge with TV and very nice exercise bike. As mentioned by others, the campground store is well-stocked (Starbucks coffee available!)and the staff are helpful. There is no campground host and no scheduled activities. There are several semi-permanent residents and more families than at most military campgrounds. Although the campground is fairly nice, the main befefits of this location are convenience to post facilities and attractions of D.C. and surrounding communities. We can walk (less than a mile) to the library (open Tuesday-Friday), post chapel and movie theater, and we can ride our bikes to the BX/Commissary/Class 6 (just 6 minutes away on a mountain bike). The Commissary is by far the best I've seen in my travels, and it's open until 9 p.m. every day but Sunday. (Just avoid the Commissary on Payday and around 5 p.m.) The gym is an easy walk/jog/bike ride (about a mile), but the weight room and cardio machines are in a poorly ventilated basement. Be prepared to sweat! The gym also features an indoor lap pool with open swimming for families on the weekends and an outdoor rubberized running track. An alternative place to workout during the week is the Field House, which is slightly smaller and about 1/3 mile from the main gym. There is a wooded 5k running/hiking trail around the golf course which connects to more trails near the post housing. There is a small lake across the street from the campground with a walking path, playground, and a beaver dam (near the playground) where you can view a variety of wildlife. The lake is stocked with trout, bass and other fish. If you would like to visit D.C., ask at the office for directions to the Odenton train station (light rail-- about a 7 minute drive) and take the train to D.C.-Union Station. (Don't let the ticket agent talk you into going to New Carrolton--it ends up costing more). From Union Station (which is worth lingering in), you can easily walk to the Capitol and most of the Smithsonian museums. If you'd like to go further, you can take the Metro (subway) or bus. Familiarize yourself with D.C. transportation before you go and wear comfortable shoes! For fun in the local area, you can drive out the Rockenbach Gate and head straight down Ridge Rd. to Arundel Mills Mall (about a 10-15-minute drive from the campground). The Mall is huge with a Bass Pro Shop, movie theater and plenty of shops and restaurants. There's a Wal-Mart and Costco across the street from the Mall as well as strip malls with Starbucks, Panera Bread and other shops/restaurants. Many other attractions in the Baltimore/D.C. area make this campground a great base camp. You can also rent cabins if you'd like to leave the RV behind or want family to join you. It's a very cost-effective way to see the D.C. area. There are a few negatives regarding the campground. The grass is rarely cut and the weeds run rampant. My husband had to insist that someone come pull the weeds out of our picnic area, and I had to go buy ant killer to get rid of the ants. The maintenance staff spends more time watching TV and sitting outside than they do cleaning. I worry that the campground will run into disrepair over the years, but right now it is still nice with large concrete slabs and plenty of room between sites. Note: To reduce fees, you can reserve a back-in site which costs less than a pull-thru. We were easily able to back in our 45-foot 5th wheel. Larger Class A's were also in back-in sites.