Wright Patterson Fam Camp – Campground Review

We don’t stay on military bases often, mostly because they just haven’t been where we were planning to be. But in this case, we were running in the Air Force Marathon, so staying on post was a good plan for us.

This fam camp is at a gate, but the gate wasn’t open at the time we went, so we had to go through the main gate and navigate around after checking in to sponsor the boys on post (I have the Veteran ID and am not totally disabled, so I have to sponsor them on base and get them temporary IDs for access).

The campground is open year round has 54 sites and could accommodate rigs of all sizes. They were working on full hook ups that weren’t yet available when we were there, but I believe it is available now. There is a dump station, a nice bath house, laundry room, and a clubhouse with snack bar available, as well. There is also an area for tent and dry campers for a lower rate. There is tree cover, a near by lake for catch and release fishing as well as canoe and kayaks to rent, and some open fields for sports.

There are lots of sidewalks for walking and running. Part of the base was closed down during the marathon race, so coming and going during those hours was not available, but they made sure campers were aware of this in advance. As they host other events and exercises, this is something to ask about when scheduling, too.

The Air Force Museum is located on base, as well, so if you visit, take the time to explore the museum. It has many great static displays and rivals the Smithsonian air museums, plus it’s free to access. If you aren’t staying on post, or don’t have base access, you can still enjoy the museum since it has a public access gate!

We didn’t take a lot of photos, other than during the race since it was a pretty busy weekend. BJ’s got a blog out from last fall that gives more info about that, as well as training and running called Running Goals and Travel , linked here for you.

If you aren’t familiar with “fam camps”, they are the campgrounds on many military bases hosted by the MWR (morale, welfare and recreation), or I think they call it ODR (Outdoor Recreation Services) now. Not all bases have them, and they all have different requirements for access based on status (active, retired, disabled at a minimum percentage, DOD civilians and contractors). The base commander can set their own standards for those, as well as access, so it is important to research online. An military ID card will be needed, and some bases don’t allow card holders to sponsor non-card holders, they require everyone to have a card. Be sure you know the policies and procedures for this, especially if you will need to sponsor someone and need to get them checked into the post.

You can find lists of bases with fam camps online, or just check for a base in the area you will be–it doesn’t matter what branch you were or the base it, all the DOD branches are interchangeable for fam camp. Reservations are usually done via phone and they are good about letting you know where to go for sponsoring someone and for check in. Active duty always takes priority, so there isn’t always availability, especially if trainings and exercises are going on.

If you have special storage needs, be sure to check with the base for those, as well, to see how, or if, they can accommodate you.

While these aren’t always our first go to when traveling, we do check for them when we travel plan, along with other ACE or Water Management Areas, since they are well-maintained and affordable options.

Be sure to check out the Travel Map on our home page for other campground and attraction reviews! You can also find FREE resources on the Printables page, or order your copy of Our Travel Planner to have all the resources conveniently at your fingertips!