Touring Military Campgrounds in the Destin Area

(Destin, FL)  There are four military bases in the Emerald Coast area.  Yesterday we toured two of them and also one recreation area.  Our first stop was the Maxwell-Gunter Recreation Area (Air Force) in Niceville  (what a great name for a city).  We took the Mid-Bay toll bridge ($3) over to this area.  The road leading to the campground was in disrepair and very rough. The sites look over the Choctawhatchee Bay and are a good size.  However, the park looks run down and a lot of bridge and traffic noise could be heard  We were not very impressed and probably would not stay here in the future. 

Maxwell-Gunter Campsite

We drove further inland to the Eglin Air Force Base.  This is the largest Air Force Base in the world covering over 463,000 acres.  It is huge!  It prides itself on providing "war winning capabilities on time and on cost".   There are two very nice campgrounds on this base.  One (Camp Robbins) offers full hook ups, good size sites and some privacy.

Eglin Air Force Campground-Camp Robbins

The second campground (Postl Point) look over the bay and many sites are along the water.  There is 50 amp service and cable  However, no sewer service and very few trees or privacy.  It is next to the recreation center that rents all types of equipment including boats, canoes, kayaks, and even campers.  Neither campground accepts reservations and are on first come, first served basis. 

We did our grocery shopping at the commissary.  It was a very nice store with a lot of variety.  There also is a huge base exchange.  This is not surprising since the base employees over 22,000 people (civilian and military combined).  We are going to Orlando next and bought our Universal tickets at the ticket (ITT)office.  It is a full service travel agency and the staff were very helpful. 

Eglin also has their own beach in Destin for the military.  It is not open this time of year.  It only costs $2 per car load and is a great location. It would probably be about a 20 minute drive from the campground to the beach.  

Our last stop was Hurlburt Field.  This is the home of the Air Force Special Operation Command and the 16th Special Operation Wing.  They also have a very nice campground.  It is rustic with lots of privacy.  Each site offers  full hook with a concrete pad. Reservations are not accepted. We would definitely stay here in the future.  It is close to the Fort Walton Beach area. 



Hulbert Field Campground



All of these campgrounds are about $20 per night.  A monthly rate is also available.  Here is a map to show you where each one is located.  It was an interesting day trip.  Being able to see Eglin Air Force Base was a thrill. This trip today will certainly help us with planning our future trips to this wonderful area.

View Military Campgrounds-Destin Area in a larger map

Gulf Islands National Seashore and Fort Pickens

Traveling along the National Seashore was a treat.  There are long stretches of pristine beaches, sea grasses, and ocean.  Right now you could walk for miles and rarely see a soul.  Last  evening we were on Osaloosa Island and walked along the shore watching the sun set.  It certainlywas good for the soul.

We saw an interesting site.  A helicopter was followng this boat at a high rate of speed.  There was some amazing maneuvering done by the helicopter.  We thought maybe they were filming, but were not able to verify.  It was fun to watch.  They traveled back and forth across the coast for quite awhile.

The next day we decided to go further down the National Seashore to Fort Pikens.  It is a National Park and on Martin Luther King Day admission was free.  We luckily arrived in time to take a tour led by the ranger.  It was very informative.  Like Fort Sumpter, earlier seen in Charleston, this fort along with two others were built to protect Pensacola from invaders.   Unfortunately, the only battles held at this fort were with the North and South during the Civil War.  This fort was held by the North throughout the war.

It was a large fort and the ranger showed us many of the details about its architecture  There were over 24 million bricks made in Pensacola and transported here for its construction, 

This fort is also famous for being where the Apache warrior Geronimo was imprisoned along with 14 other warriors.  They became Pensacola's first tourist attraction and were imprisoned here for about 14 months. 

Afterwards we went to the state campground. It has recently been updated. There is a lack of trees and vegetation due to hurricane damage.  The sites are all level with water and electric and cost about $24/night,.  A spectacular beach is just down the street from the campground,.  It would be a nice stay for a few days. 

It was a very nice day trip and we had great weather.