Camp David facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Camp David Naval Support Facility Thurmont
Catoctin Mountain Park Frederick County, Maryland in the United States
The main lodge during February 1971
Camp David Show map of Maryland Camp David Show map of the United States Location in Maryland##Location in the United States
Coordinates	39°38′54″N 77°27′54″W / 39.64833°N 77.46500°W / 39.64833; -77.46500
Type	Presidential country retreat
Site information
Owner	Department of Defense
Operator	US Navy
Controlled by	Naval District Washington
Open to the public	No
Site history
Built	1935 (1935)–1938
Built by	Works Progress Administration
In use	1938–present
Events	Camp David Accords (1978) Camp David Summit (2000) 38th G8 summit (2012) 46th G7 summit (2020, cancelled)
Garrison information
Current commander	Commander Catherine Eyrich
Occupants	President of the United States and the First Family

Camp David is a special country retreat for the president of the United States. It covers about 125 acres (51 hectares). This private spot is hidden in the wooded hills of Catoctin Mountain Park in Frederick County, Maryland. It is near the towns of Thurmont and Emmitsburg. Camp David is about 62 miles (100 km) northwest of Washington, D.C.. Its secret code name is Naval Support Facility Thurmont.

Even though it's a military base, its staff are mostly from the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps. Special Navy construction teams, called Seabees, help build and fix things at Camp David.

Camp David was first called Hi-Catoctin. It was built between 1935 and 1938. It was a place for government workers and their families to relax. In 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt made it a presidential retreat. He renamed it "Shangri-La", after a famous fictional paradise. In 1953, President Dwight D. Eisenhower gave it its current name, "Camp David". He named it after his father and his grandson, both named David.

You won't find Camp David on maps of Catoctin Mountain Park. This is to keep it private and safe. However, you can see it using satellite images online.

Presidents at Camp David

Winston Churchill and President Roosevelt at Shangri-La in May 1943.

Camp David has been a secret meeting place for presidents and world leaders for a long time. It has hosted important diplomatic talks since World War II.

• Franklin D. Roosevelt invited British Prime Minister Winston Churchill to Shangri-La in 1943.
• Dwight D. Eisenhower held his first cabinet meeting there in 1955. He also met with Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev for talks in 1959.
• John F. Kennedy and his family loved riding horses and doing other fun activities there. He often let his staff use the retreat too.
• Lyndon B. Johnson met with his advisors at Camp David. He also hosted leaders like Australian Prime Minister Harold Holt.
• Richard Nixon visited Camp David often. He even had a swimming pool built there.
• Gerald Ford hosted Indonesian President Suharto at the retreat.
• Jimmy Carter first thought about closing Camp David to save money. But after visiting, he decided to keep it. He helped make the famous Camp David Accords there in 1978. This was a peace agreement between Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin.
• Ronald Reagan visited Camp David more than any other president. He hosted British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher there in 1984. He also fixed up the nature trails for horseback riding.
• George H. W. Bush had his daughter's wedding at Camp David in 1992. It was the first wedding held there.
• Bill Clinton spent every Thanksgiving at Camp David with his family. In 2000, he hosted important peace talks between Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.
• George W. Bush held his first meeting with a European leader, UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, at Camp David in 2001. After the September 11 attacks, he held a Cabinet meeting there to plan the response. President Bush visited Camp David 149 times during his time in office. He hosted many world leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin.
• Barack Obama chose Camp David to host the 38th G8 summit in 2012. He also hosted Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and leaders from the Gulf Cooperation Council in 2015.
• Donald Trump hosted important meetings with U.S. political leaders. The 46th G7 summit was planned for Camp David in 2020 but was cancelled due to health concerns.
• Joe Biden hosted a special meeting with the leaders of Japan and South Korea in August 2023. This meeting led to the "Camp David Principles" for better relations between the three countries.

How Many Times Each President Visited

Golf at Camp David

President Eisenhower loved to play golf. So, he had a special practice golf area built at Camp David. Around 1954, a golf course designer created one golf hole with four different starting spots. Eisenhower also added a 250-yard (229-meter) driving range. This was near the helicopter landing area.

Security Around Camp David

This aviation chart shows restricted airspace near Washington DC. Camp David is the light circle to the north.

Because the President stays at Camp David, security is very tight. Airplanes are not allowed to fly too close.

• In July 2011, an F-15 fighter jet stopped a small civilian plane. The plane was about 6 miles (10 km) from Camp David. President Obama was there at the time. The plane was not talking to air traffic control. It was safely guided to a nearby airport.
• Later that same month, another small plane was stopped near Camp David. President Obama was there again. In total, three planes were stopped that weekend.

See also

In Spanish: Camp David para niños