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 in 2012
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 Kimberly I. Mazur
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) of land. You can find it in the beautiful, wooded Catoctin Mountain Park in Frederick County, Maryland. It's not far from the towns of Thurmont and Emmitsburg. This important place is about 62 miles (100 km) northwest of Washington, D.C., the nation's capital. Its secret code name is Naval Support Facility Thurmont. Even though it's a quiet retreat, it's actually a military base. It's run by the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps personnel, including the Seabees, who are experts in construction.

Camp David was first called Hi-Catoctin. It was built between 1935 and 1938 by the Works Progress Administration. This project created a peaceful getaway for government workers and their families. In 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt turned it into a presidential retreat. He gave it the magical name "Shangri-La", inspired by a fictional paradise in the Himalayas. Later, in 1953, President Dwight D. Eisenhower renamed it "Camp David." He did this to honor his father and his grandson, both named David.

For security reasons, maps of Catoctin Mountain Park do not show Camp David's exact location. However, you can see it using satellite images and online maps like Google Maps.

Presidents at Camp David

Camp David has been a secret meeting place for presidents and world leaders for many years. It's a quiet spot where important discussions can happen away from the busy capital.

Early Presidential Visits

Winston Churchill and Franklin D. Roosevelt at Shangri-La, May 1943

President Franklin D. Roosevelt was the first to use the retreat. He hosted Winston Churchill, the leader of the United Kingdom, there in May 1943 during World War II. President Dwight D. Eisenhower used Camp David for important meetings. In 1959, he met with Nikita Khrushchev, the leader of the Soviet Union, for two days of talks.

President Kennedy, John F. Kennedy Jr., Caroline Kennedy (riding "Tex") at Camp David, MD.

President John F. Kennedy and his family loved Camp David. They enjoyed horseback riding and other fun activities. Kennedy even let his staff use the retreat when his family wasn't there. President Lyndon B. Johnson met with his advisors and hosted leaders from Australia and Canada. President Richard Nixon visited often and added a swimming pool and other improvements.

Historic Peace Talks and Summits

U.S. President Ronald Reagan (left) and Mexican President José López Portillo (right) riding horses at Camp David, Maryland.

President Jimmy Carter once thought about closing Camp David to save money. But after visiting, he decided to keep it. In September 1978, Carter helped bring together Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin. They held important peace talks at Camp David, which led to the famous Camp David Accords.

President Ronald Reagan visited Camp David more than any other president. He hosted British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher there in 1984. Reagan also restored the nature trails that were paved over, so he could enjoy horseback riding. In 1992, President George H. W. Bush's daughter had her wedding at Camp David. This was the first wedding ever held there. President Bill Clinton and his family spent every Thanksgiving at the retreat. In July 2000, he hosted another important summit. This meeting involved Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and Palestinian Authority chairman Yasser Arafat.

Modern Presidential Use

President George W. Bush used Camp David for many important discussions. In 2001, he met with UK Prime Minister Tony Blair to talk about world issues. After the September 11 attacks, President Bush held a meeting there to plan a response. He visited Camp David 149 times during his presidency. He hosted many foreign leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin.

President Barack Obama chose Camp David to host the 38th G8 summit in 2012. This was a big meeting of leaders from eight major countries. He also hosted Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and leaders from the Gulf Cooperation Council in 2015.

President Donald Trump used Camp David for political discussions. He also planned a meeting with a group called the Taliban in 2019 to discuss peace, but it was cancelled after a tragic event. The 46th G7 summit, planned for Camp David in June 2020, was cancelled due to health concerns during a global health crisis.

In August 2023, President Joe Biden hosted a special summit at Camp David. He met with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol. This meeting led to the Camp David Principles, which are important agreements for cooperation between the three countries.

Presidential Visits: A Closer Look

This table shows how many times each president has visited Camp David:

Fun Facts About Camp David

Golfing at Camp David

President Eisenhower loved to play golf. So, he had a special practice golf area built at Camp David. Around 1954, a famous golf course designer, Robert Trent Jones, created one golf hole (a par 3) with four different starting points. President Eisenhower also added a 250-yard (229-meter) driving range near the helicopter landing spot.

Keeping Camp David Safe

An aviation chart showing restricted airspace near Washington D.C. Camp David is the light circle to the north.

Because Camp David is so important, security is very tight. Sometimes, planes flying too close cause security alerts. For example, in July 2011, an F-15 fighter jet had to intercept a civilian plane. This happened when President Barack Obama was at Camp David. The plane was not communicating by radio. It was safely escorted to a nearby airport. That same weekend, two more small planes were intercepted near the retreat.

See also

In Spanish: Camp David para niños

• List of residences of presidents of the United States
• Blair House, another official White House lodging for guests
• Chequers, the country house of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
• Harrington Lake, the retreat of the Prime Minister of Canada
• Official residence
• White House, official residence of the president of the United States since 1800