Ellsworth AFB Famcamp Club Med. Not!
I don’t know what’s going on inside the heads of MWR Directors or what they’ve been smoking. They obviously think they are running the “Club Med” of Famcamps by the rates some of them charge. Take Ellsworth AFB Famcamp for example. They charge $20.00 for full hook-ups and $10.00 to dry camp and the tent prices are ridiculous. 
How do I substantiate my claim? First of all, Ellsworth Famcamp is surrounded on one side by a civilian trailer park and no spectacular views of nature. 
Second, the famcamp backs up to a noisy day care center. 
They are also by the gas station (where gas is higher than off-base). 
Third and most significant it is cheaper to stay at Passport America campgrounds nearby which have much nicer amenities and scenery. And finally, this campground is hard to get to because you have to go through a maze to find the commercial gate. After hours you have to call security to let you in or out with your RV because the commercial gate is locked. 
If you need to pay with a credit card you have to leave the campground and walk or drive to the actual MWR office (when it’s open) to pay your bill. If you’re a member of the Air Force MWR Frequent Camper Club you have to go to the MWR office to get your book stamped and to top it all off there are no pull-through sites! For $20 bucks you’ve got to be kidding me!!!! A young enlisted person’s family or a retired vet on a fixed income is not going to stay at this campground long if at all. They can join Passport America (PA) for around $45 for a one year membership (click here for more info)I will not visit Ellsworth AFB Famcamp again unless they drastically lower the price to about $7.00 for full hook-ups. Really, that’s all it’s worth folks. No kidding, I’ve stayed in WalMart parking lots that have better scenery and parking spots than this place. Ellsworth AFB Famcamp is a joke!!!
However, if you insist on being mugged by MWR then you will appreciate this GPS information.
Commercial Gate 44.12774 -103.08085
Famcamp 44.14398 -103.06909
Exchange 44.14800 -103.07711
Note: the exchange has pletny of space for RV parking.Amenities include a nice bath house with a separate handicap shower and bathroom.
Free wifi with a code obtained from the camp host. 30 full hook-up sites with 110, 30 and 50 amps. 10 overflow sites with electric only. 
All the spaces are back-in with 12 feet wide paved pads.There are many things to see and do in the Rapid City area and I recommend seeing Custer State Park where they have bison, prong-horn antelope, wild burrows that come up to the window of your car. You will also see wild turkeys, deer, coyotes and many kinds of birds. Of course there is Mt. Rushmore, Crazy Horse Monument and many other attractions that are well worth while, but they will be much more enjoyable when you stay at a less expensive RV park with better amenities and closer access to these attractions. Jim
Labels: Ellsworth AFB
2 Comments:
after retiring from the marines i went to work at MWR camp pendleton. MWR is run by and controled by civilians and all that matters is the all mighty dollar. del mar beach at camp pendleton is $30.00. young marines can not afford to take their family to camp at the beach. money talks and b.s. walks at MWR and money is all they care about. more annual profit means larger end of year bonus for the directors of MWR.
By David, at June 16, 2007 6:36 AM
One of the most beautiful MWR Famcamps in the country is Camp Murray Famcamp just outside Tacoma, WA. It's right on the beach on American Lake, just about 1/2 mile down the lake from where we used to live.
Yes, you have to get through a maze to get in (that's true at all military bases, now) but it's right off I-5 and convenient to all the sights in the Puget Sound Area. This is by far the nicest Famcamp we've stayed in. It is operated by the County or State Parks system, but you must be military-connected to stay there.
It was unclear who should be called in case of a problem: the military police or the parks department. No one would take responsibility for a sweet stray giant Mastiff, so a camper finally contacted Mastiff Rescue, and through them, reunited the dog with its owners. I shudder to think what would happen if there was an emergency in the park.
We stayed for a few months and had to pay at the Credit Union, but it was near the Famcamp. If the park is full, Ft. Lewis is next door and on the lake, and McChord AFB is across the freeway in the woods.
Another nice Famcamp is in Cheyenne, WY at Francis E. Warren AFB, where the antelopes wander right through the campsites during hunting season. They're safe on base.
This one had the tightest maze to go through that we've seen, and there was some question about whether big equipment would have to be called to remove a couple of the barriers for us, but we managed to (barely) make it.
By KAY KENNEDY, at June 16, 2007 8:07 AM
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