Boondocking Military Reservations

Uncle Sam has a neat offer for its active duty personnel and retirees: Most of you already know that there's plenty of land--and a lot of it beautiful--tied up in military reservations. Some pretty nice campgrounds have been set aside for military folks, and that's a whole 'nother story.

But in some places, even civilians can take advantage of some of Sam's bounty. Take, for example, Eglin Air Force Base on the Florida panhandle. About 4o miles out of Pensacola, this huge (over 700 square mile) military reservation welcomes civilian RVers. For a $7 permit fee, you'll get a map showing you where you can--and can't--park your rig and recreate. Recreatin' includes fishing and seasonal hunting. Check out a story geared principally to military types, but that touches on civilian access to the base.

Is it safe to camp on a military reservation? You can be assured Uncle Sam doesn't want bad guys getting into things they shouldn't, so don't be surprised to see more security forces than you would when haunting BLM land. In the case of Eglin, the concern is more for you accidentally bumping into unexploded ordinance--read that very much oversized firecrackers. At Eglin you'll be required to watch a 10-minute video on identifying (and staying away from) those unexploded fireworks.

While civilians can't partake of military reservation "developed" campgrounds, in some locales they can take to the boonies. Tracking these opportunities down can be a bit frustrating. You might try giving a call to the base information line and making inquiries. It could pay off with a spot you'd never thought existed. Now all you need is the right rig . . .

Photo: Hadeez Razers RV--concept only