Joint Base Lewis-McChord Travel Camp

Lousy reservation system. We had reserved a 50 amp full hookup waterfront site 90 days before our stay and put a deposit down. When we arrived, we were given a 30 amp site adjacent to the busy main road that barely fit our 40' motorhome. The staff said whoever took our reservation probably just wanted to give us a site, any site, and wasn't paying attention to our request. Yeah, right! Other nearby campgrounds were booked because of the golf tournament in Chambers Bay. Our site was overgrown with knee high weeds and dry grass. Previous campers had left trash (xmas lights, confetti, plastic cups and lids, dead flowers, kitty litter, dog poop, cigarette butts) all over the site. We had to rake. It was disgustingly dirty. We took pictures and reported it to the lodging office because we didn't want to be charged for leaving a dirty site like their rules stated. The staff member we reported it to behaved as if a dirty site was normal. The campground does not trim trees away from the roadway either so our motorhome could not avoid hitting 3 branches on the way in and out. They do not enforce their own rules and turn a blind eye to unleashed dogs, or people leaving their sites dirty or multiple vehicles in their sites. The site next to us had two trucks, a boat and a motorcycle parked along with their 5th wheel. There are signs everywhere to not park in the grass but where do you park all those multiple vehicles if not on the grass? It could be an awesome campground if they just took care of it and enforced their own rules. Lanes are paved and narrow, sites are paved requiring minimal leveling. Wi-Fi is only strong in or near the common rooms. Elsewhere it's nonexistent. No cable and with the trees, satellite reception isn't good. The only good things about this park were the price and proximity to Seattle and Tacoma. They take reservations but you can never be sure you'll end up getting what you actually reserved. I asked if they ever confirm reservations with an email the way other military famcamps do and the staff member just shrugged and said they aren't required to. They don't seem to care or like their jobs much. Won't return.

This is one of the best RV parks we have ever stayed at. To begin with, the sites are fairly level. The majority are quite large, wooded lots with a picnic table and grill. The combined bathroom/laundry/computer/TV building is well maintained and very clean. Cable TV reception is excellent. Fairly close access to both the commissary and PX. Definitely a great deal at $20.00 per night. We will definitely return.

What can we say, just picture perfect, nestled next to American Lake, near the commissary and PX, 5 minutes to I-5, 20 minutes to McChord AFB. Last reviewer must have been at a different park. We found the staff helpful, attentive and accommodating. Our site (120) was a large pull thru parallel to the roadway convenient to the entrance of the park, we had great wi-fi and cable. There were two common area that had showers, laundry, toilets and tv rooms. Everything was clean and tidy at all times and we were there in the rainy season. No bad points worth mentioning.

Getting here was easy off of I5. A pull over place provided for check in. Staff was friendly, helpful. What hurts this CG is these same people are also working the store for booking all activities and sales of outdoor equipment. The CG is a little unusual in site layout and sizing. I think it was designed when RV's were smaller. Each site is unique is layout and size. I have what is a sideway pull through and found it to suit me. My awning area was facing the woods, very private. I haul a 32' fifth wheel with no problems, but when driving thru the park, watch your turns.
We loved the wooded quite park and it is one of the better ones. the cable box was no issue with me, I arrived during normal hours, they swipe your card for a deposit, return it, when I returned the box, they gave me the unprocessed card swipe for my disposal. I can say the staff, all I encountered was helpful and pleasant.

Another phone number that you might try, 253.967.3377. I got a gentleman to answer this line, who passed on my information to the...967-7744 personnel, who in turn called me back.

We enjoyed our two-week stay at this beautiful travel camp. A word of caution; DO NOT use the North Fort Lewis exit if you don't have a valid DoD sticker on your vehicles - you'll be turned around at the gate. The visitor center is on the other side of the exit, on the Fort Lewis exit. Signage is good except for the turn-in to the park, just look for the first left turn after the Travel Camp sign. Check in was fast and easy, but don't expect much if you get the bored-looking young man who talks in monosyllables. Sites are a mixed bag of 30 and 50A, we had a large site, but it had 30A (but worked well). Most of the back-ins are sloped, so bring blocks for leveling. The sites are generally well shielded from one another, and have tables and grills. The MWR building where check-in is located also has a good-sized store with RV supplies and equipment rentals. The sites are quiet and dark at night, and Verizon cell and Aircard worked very well. Cable TV is provided; however, because of the cable company's requirement to have a digital box, you'll only get 20 or so channels. A good place to stay, albeit a bit pricey for military location, with excellent on-post support facilities.

We stayed here while our child was setting up his household on base. The rates are now tiered, depending on whether you are retired or active and then tiered based on rank. The campsite sizes vary, and some can handle longer units and some can only handle pop ups. We stayed in site 308, and it handled our 44’ trailer with ease. There are 2 laundry rooms, and the one we used had 3 working washing machines and 3 working driers (#3 drier does not work, so it wasn’t counted). There was an ant issue in the bathrooms, and my kids did not like taking showers there. The camp hosts are very friendly and will help out wherever they can. There is no WiFi or cable at the campsites. There is only WiFi at the laundry room/wash house, and it doesn’t reach any site (site 108, which is right next to the laundry room/wash house, might get WiFi). Except for these small issues, the area is beautiful and well cared for.

I was initially put off by some of the photos posted on this site, but as it is the nearest facility for our needs, we took it anyway. We were pleasantly surprised. The camp is clean and well kept. Access was easy and our site was spacious, paved and clean. The only problem arose when I discovered the electric hookup had only 50 AMP and I have a 30 AMP rig. I went to the camp recreation store and was able to get an adapter. Problem solved. The registration desk/store is a actually a sporting goods store. They have equipment for most anything you'd care to do. It was fun browsing. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay and will use this facility again when the opportunity arises.

I was at first put off by the photos shown, but decided to tough it out. Surprise, Surprise! The camp has relatively recently been refurbished and is remarkable. The showers and bathroom facilities are new and spotlessly maintained. All lanes and sites are paved and well maintained. I find this campground superior to many civilian campgrounds I have used.

A pretty nice place, the roads are tight to drive around to find your space. I was told to go to one site and found someone still in it. They put me in another spot that was open. Upon check in, they didn't tell me about needing a special adapter to use the cable, and luckily I had just enough tree clearance to use my satellite. Fairly quiet and the spaces are far enough apart to give privacy. The sites did need some clearing of weeds, limbs and cutting the grass. Paved spots that were fairly level, but others did angle downhill. The showers need major upgrade and more hooks/shelves at least in the female head. The directions did confuse me and I ended up taking a tour of the main base. At the exit off I-5, from south, go to the LEFT off exit to North gate, then right at light, etc...

We have stayed at 11 military parks. They need a better reservation system like it has been posted in the previous reviews. When we were making reservations, the binder did not equal what was in the computer. There was only one (older) lady who knew what she is doing. The others, including the men, either need not be there because of a bad attitude/rude and/or need training on how to run the RV park. I never saw any maintenance of the park and never saw any of the workers make any daily patrols to inspect the park etc. They moved us to one sight and the water was leaking so bad, we had to use our own on-board storage water and the front desk never knew about it. The bushes were over grown and looked like they haven't been attended to in years. Thank goodness for the grown trees in the park that it makes it beautiful. The park needs new management. I rated the amenities/facilities a 5 because of the nice gym, bx, commissary on base. I would give cleanliness/hospitality a ZERO if I could. The front gate to the JBLM, what can I say: They were the most professional when we drove through every time, it makes me proud.

After hearing about the Travel Camp at Fort Lewis for several years, we finally decided to make the trip out west. For the past two years, the on-line reviews have been about 50/50, (favorable/unfavorable). Unfortunately, the unfavorable comments have all been about the same items; laundry facilities with 50% of the equipment out of service, (two washers out of four, and two dryers out of four), shower facilities with broken plumbing fixtures and in need of cleaning, and a staff with little knowledge or initiative and bad attitudes. To get some additional background, I decided to check the ICE Service Provider Report (http://ice.disa.mil/reports/index) and found only a single response from 11 Feb to 4 May, which was not very informative. Well, I called about a week ahead to make a reservation beginning May 13. Amber advised me that due to the upcoming Memorial Day Holiday, we would have to move several times during our two week stay. As it was, she said that she only had an opening for one night, and then to overflow. Upon arrival the first thing that caught my eye was the fact that the park office is co-located with the outdoor rec store and offices. This may be a good idea for management, but does not bode well for the campground. We were checked in by Margaret on the 13th. She at least made an effort to look for sites for the next two weeks. (How hard can it be with only 48 RV sites?). She found two sites that would cover the two week stay, but, the system they use counts each as a separate reservation, requiring a non-refundable reservation fee. The next day, we checked out of the site and headed to Camp Murray which is only 1 mile up the road and spent the night there instead of overflow. Upon our return to Ft. Lewis we were checked in by Amber. During the process I asked about moving reservations to avoid unnecessary moves within the camp. She replied that "we don´t do that. We aren´t allowed to do that," even though sites are not reserved. At that point I paid the balance on our next two sites and went to set up. During the next week, the site we were to move to next became open so I went to look at it. I is a 41 foot site on a curve with no additional parking in the area. I then went to the office and spoke to Sharron and explained that it was impossible to park a 40 foot 5th wheel and 25 foot truck in a 41 foot space (did I point out that this park in NOT big rig friendly?). Sharron took the initiative to switch a single reservation which eliminated the necessity to move for the balance of our stay. Other observations during our stay included a total lack of any type of in-briefing on policies, pet rules, parking, etc. A total lack of policing or daily inspection by management, a complete disregard for any written rules regarding fires, pet pens, vehicle washing etc., and lack of facilities and grounds maintenance.

Fantastic RV campground at American Lake. Restrooms, showers, and laundry facility was very clean and well maintained. Site 209 was level with an overlook of the lake. Solid water pressure and no issues with electric or sewer. Wood fires still authorized and a well stocked camp store made the little things available all weekend. Privacy was better than expected and campers were friendly. The Camp Host was amazing as I had moved sites the day prior and he was able to get my previous booking cancelled and refunded. Already booked another stay before the rainy season returns (hopefully).