Type Military base Open to
the public No | Controlled by United States Navy Year built 1935 | |
 | ||
Built by Works Progress Administration Occupants President of the United States
First Lady of the United States Address Catoctin Mountain Park, 10, Hauvers, MD 21788, USA Owner Federal government of the United States Events Camp David Accords, The 38th G8 Summit Similar Catoctin Mountain Park, White House, Catoctin Mountain, Great Smoky Mountains, Catoctin Furnace | ||
Camp david tour
Camp David is the country retreat of the President of the United States. It is located in wooded hills of Catoctin Mountain Park near Thurmont, Maryland, about 62 miles (100 km) north-northwest of Washington, D.C.. It is officially known as the Naval Support Facility Thurmont, because it is technically a military installation, and staffing is primarily provided by the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Marine Corps.
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Originally known as Hi-Catoctin, Camp David was built as a camp for federal government agents and their families by the WPA. Construction started in 1935 and was completed in 1938. In 1942, Franklin D. Roosevelt converted it to a presidential retreat and renamed it "Shangri-La" (for the fictional Himalayan paradise in the 1933 novel Lost Horizon by British author James Hilton, which he had jokingly referenced as the source of the Doolittle Raid earlier that year). Camp David received its present name from Dwight D. Eisenhower, in honor of his father and grandson, both named David.
The Catoctin Mountain Park does not indicate the location of Camp David on park maps due to privacy and security concerns.
The presidential motorcade to camp david
Presidential use
Since it was built, every president up to and including Barack Obama has made use of the retreat.
Security issues
On July 2, 2011, an F-15 intercepted a small two-seat passenger plane flying near Camp David, when President Obama was in residence. The civilian aircraft, which was out of radio communication, was intercepted approximately 6 miles (10 km) from the presidential retreat. The F-15 escorted the aircraft out of the area, and it landed in nearby Hagerstown, Maryland, without incident. The civilian plane's occupants were flying between two Maryland towns and were released without charge.
On July 10, 2011, an F-15 intercepted another small two-seat passenger plane flying near Camp David when President Barack Obama was again in residence; a total of three planes were intercepted over that July 9 weekend.