President Biden at Camp David

Aspen Lodge: President Biden's cabin at Camp David

In February 2021, President Biden spent his first weekend at Camp David with his family since his inauguration in January. Before leaving, he said that he planned to "just hang out with the family and do what we always do". On Saturday night, he played Mario Kart with his granddaughter Naomi. Below are pictures from that weekend visit.

President Biden showing off his new Camp David hat that his family gave him for Presidents' Day

Major and Charlie (Naomi's dog) guarding Dogwood Cabin (@NaomiBiden)

During President Biden's August 2021 visit to Camp David, the White House released the following photos of the President meeting with his national security team regarding the Afghanistan withdrawal.

August 13, 2021 (White House photo)

 

August 14, 2021 (White House photo)

August 15, 2021 (White House photo)

During his November visit to Camp David, President Biden video called the Irish Rugby team to congratulate them on their win over New Zealand. His brother Jimmy and sister Val were with him during the call.

Joe Biden and family congratulate the Ireland rugby team!#IRLvNZL pic.twitter.com/LqnS6x2OC9

— JJ Bowles (Limerick's Oldest Pub) (@jjbowlespub) November 14, 2021

In January 2022, President Biden met with his national security team to discuss the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

January 22, 2022 (White House photo)

In March 2022, the White House released a photo of President Biden signing H.J.Res. 75, the "Extension of Continuing Appropriations Act, 2022," at Camp David.

March 11, 2022 (White House photo)

 

In early February 2023, President Biden and his team gathered at Camp David to prepare for the State of the Union Address held on 2/7/2023

President Biden spoke to the "Tennessee Three" Reps Jones, Pearson, and Johnson during his visit to Camp David over Easter weekend in 2023.

April 7, 2023 (White House photo)

 

President Biden hosted his first Camp David summit on August 18, 2023 with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol.

August 18, 2023 (White House photo)

The President and First Lady answer phone calls on Christmas Eve from children calling the NORAD santa tracker hotline. 

December 24, 2023 (White House photo)

 

President Biden went to Camp David in early March 2024 to prepare for the annual State of the Union Address. While there, his team made a video where President Biden (sitting in Laurel Lodge at Camp David) gets advice from "movie Presidents" on his State of the Union Address. Here's the link for the video:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCUkDm47CpY

President Biden conducting a call with "movie Presidents" - March 2024

2025 VISITS

January 1-2

 

2024 VISITS

January 13-15, March 1-5, March 29-31, June 20-27, June 29 - July 2, July 26-28, August 16-18, Oct 4-7, Oct 18-20

 

2023 VISITS

January 27-29, February 4-6, April 6-9, April 21-23, May 26-28, June 24-25, June 30 - July 4, July 14-16, August 17-18, December 23-26

 

2022 VISITS

January 8-10, January 21-24, February 11-14, March 11-13, April 14-17, July 1-4, September 2-5, December 2-4

 

2021 VISITS

Feb 12-15, March 19-21, April 2-5, May 7-9, May 22-23, June 25-27, July 16-18, July 30 - August 2, August 13-17, September 24-26, November 12-14, December 3-5

 

Red Oak Cabin

Mitch McConnell outside the Red Oak cabin in 1992 (Photo: National Archives - Shawn T. Moore )

The Red Oak cabin is one of the "VIP guest cabins" along with Birch, Dogwood, and Maple.  It was one of the original cabins and was rebuilt in 1973. During the 1978 Camp David peace negotiations, Israeli Foreign Minister Moshe Dayan shared the two-bedroom cabin with three other Israeli officials.

In 2012, German Chancellor Angela Merkel stayed at the Red Oak cabin during the G8 Summit. Although the cabin assignments for the G8 Summit were never publicly announced, several months of online sleuthing and an FOIA request resulted in my blog post detailing the cabin assignments for all of the G8 leaders. 

The photos on this page were taken during a visit to Camp David in 1992 by the current Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao.

Bedroom inside Camp David cabin - 1992  (Photo: National Archives - Shawn T. Moore )

Interior of Camp David cabin - 1992  (Photo: National Archives - Shawn T. Moore )

Sources:
Baltimore Sun
New York Daily News 

President Trump at Camp David

Aspen Lodge: The President's Cabin at Camp David

 

2020 VISITS

May 1 - 3
President Trump met with Administration officials at Camp David.

May 15 - 17
President Trump holds meetings at Camp David. In attendance: Kevin McCarthy, Mark Meadows,  GOP Reps. Dan Crenshaw (Texas), Matt Gaetz (Fla.), Devin Nunes (Calif.), Jim Jordan (Ohio), Elise Stefanik (N.Y.) and Lee Zeldin (N.Y.).

November 27 - 29
President Trump spends Thanksgiving weekend at Camp David.

November 2020 - Laurel Lodge

 

November 2020 - Dinner at Laurel Lodge

 

2019 VISITS

January 6
President Trump met with White House senior staff to discuss the administration's priorities for 2019.

June 22-23
President Trump met with his aides at Camp David over the weekend.

August 30 - Sept 1
President Trump went to Camp David for the weekend.

October 25-26
President Trump went to Camp David for Jared and Ivanka's 10th wedding anniversary party.

President Trump and Senator Rick Scott - 8/31/19

  

President Trump, Senator Scott, and senior staff at Hurricane Dorian FEMA briefing in Laurel Lodge - 8/31/19

 

 

2018 VISITS

January 5-7
President Trump met with GOP congressional leaders and members of his Cabinet to discuss 2018 legislative priorities.

President Trump meeting with congressional leaders in the Laurel Lodge - 1/5/18

Waiting for dinner to be served in Laurel Lodge - 1/5/18

President Trump at a news conference held in the hangar at Camp David - 1/6/18

June 1-3
President Trump spent the weekend at Camp David with some of his family: Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner, Donald Trump Jr., and Tiffany Trump. Heavy rain in the Washington area forced the president to return to the White House on Sunday afternoon via a 90-minute motorcade ride.

2017 VISITS

June 17-18
On June 17, 2017, President Trump became the 14th president to visit Camp David. The president, first lady, and son Barron stayed overnight in the Aspen Lodge and returned to the White House on Sunday afternoon. Melania's parents accompanied the First Family on the Father's Day weekend trip.

Melania tweeted this photo of the Aspen Lodge:

Barron, @Potus and I enjoying beautiful Camp David! #family #sport #weekend pic.twitter.com/K20G8YpkKm

— Melania Trump (@FLOTUS) June 18, 2017

August 18
President Trump returned to the presidential retreat on August 18th for a national security meeting on the Afghanistan strategy.

President Trump and Vice President Pence outside Laurel Lodge.

National security meeting held in Laurel Lodge on Aug 18, 2017

August 25-27
On August 25th, President Trump's daughter Ivanka, son-in-law Jared Kushner and grandchildren Arabella, Theodore and Joseph joined the First Family for a weekend trip to Camp David.

President Trump receiving an update on Hurricane Harvey via video teleconference on August 26, 2017

President Trump in a follow-up videoconference on Hurricane Harvey on August 27, 2017 in Laurel Lodge

September 8-10
President Trump spent the weekend of Sept 8-10 at Camp David and hosted a full Cabinet meeting on Saturday, September 9th.

President Trump receives briefing on Hurricane Irma - Sept 10, 2017

December 16-17
President Trump spent the weekend of Dec 16-17 at Camp David and met with some members of his Cabinet: VP Pence, Sec. Shulkin, Dir. Mulvaney, Sec. Mnuchin, Sec. Carson, and Sec. Perdue.




DATES OF TRUMP TRIPS TO CAMP DAVID

2017:  June 17-18; August 18; August 25-27; September 8-10; December 16-17
2018:  January 5-7; June 1-3
2019:  January 6; June 22-23; August 30 - Sept 1; October 25-26
2020:  May 1-3; May 15-17; November 27-29

As of November 29, 2020
Total number of visits: 14
Total number of days at Camp David: 34



Sources:
The Latest: Trump family flies to Camp David
Trump offers his review of Camp David 
@realDonaldTrump
The White House
Trump to host full Cabinet at Camp David
@Scavino45
Public Pool

2015 Camp David Recruiting Video

There is a new Camp David recruiting video featuring NSF Thurmont Commander Jeff Deviney that was produced in 2015. The previous video featured Commander Russell Rang, who transferred to Naval Construction Group One as Chief Staff Officer in July 2015.

Learn more about working at Camp David

Source:

Commander, Navy Installations Command (CNIC)

President Nixon at Camp David

President Nixon looks out the window from inside the Aspen Lodge - Nov 22, 1972 (Nixon Library)

One of President Nixon's most notable contributions to Camp David is the swimming pool outside the Aspen Lodge. The existing swimming pool, which was built in the FDR era, was located on the other side of the retreat near the staff area. President Nixon wanted a new pool located in front of the Aspen terrace. This also happened to be the location of the underground bomb shelter which then had to be reinforced for an additional cost of $260K. The new pool cost around $240K, partly because the design called for matching the stone from the Aspen Lodge terrace, which required reopening the nearby quarry. The 40ft x 20ft pool was superheated so it could be used by President Nixon during the winter.

President Nixon added this swimming pool to Camp David 

President Nixon visited Camp David frequently and held many high-level meetings there. "I find that up there on top of the mountain, it is easier for me to get on top of the job" he once told reporters. Nixon visited the presidential retreat over 150 times. You can read about the details of his trips to Camp David in the Nixon Daily Diaries.

Under a 1970 master plan for Camp David, most of the FDR-era cabins were replaced and a new Laurel Lodge was built, which included a presidential office. A study was added to the Aspen Lodge and the screened porch was converted to a dining room. The Aspen bomb shelter was also redecorated with new beds, paint and furnishings.

President Nixon meets with his economic advisers in Augsut 1971 

President and First Lady Pat Nixon in Aspen Lodge at Christmas time in 1971 (Nixon Library)

Nativity scene at Camp David (Nixon Library)

Secretary of State Henry A. Kissinger, President Nixon, Maj. Gen. Alexander M. Haig Jr. discuss the Vietnam situation - 11/13/72

Nixon seated with Deputy Secy of Defense William P. Clements, Jr. in Aspen Lodge. 11/22/72 

President Nixon meets with his UN Ambassador George H.W. Bush in the Aspen Lodge in 1972

Nixon wearing his leather Camp David Jacket 12/11/71;    Nixon at Camp David 8/18/72  (White House photos)

In 1973, President Nixon invited Soviet President Leonid Brezhnev to Camp David as part of his first visit to the United States. Nixon gave the Soviet leader a 1973 Lincoln Continental as a welcome gift. According to Nixon's memoirs:

"He got behind the wheel and motioned me into the passenger seat. The head of my Secret Service detail went pale as I climbed in and we took off down one of the narrow roads that run around the perimeter of Camp David.... At one point there is a very steep slope with a sign at the top reading, 'Slow, dangerous curve'.... Brezhnev was driving more than 50 miles an hour as we approached the slope. I reached over and said, 'Slow down, slow down,' but he paid no attention. When we reached the bottom there was a squeal of rubber as he slammed on the breaks and made the turn.... 'You are an excellent driver,' I replied. 'I would never have been able to make that turn at the speed at which we were traveling.'" 

 View a short video clip of this event.

President Nixon with Soviet President Brezhnev next to the Aspen pond in June 1973

President Nixon presents Leonid Brezhnev with a 1973 Lincoln Continental in front of the Laurel Lodge

Former First Lady Mamie Eisenhower celebrates her 77th birthday at Camp David in the Aspen Lodge with Julie Nixon Eisenhower, David Eisenhower, and the President and First Lady - 11/10/73 (AP photo)

Sources:

Nixon Presidential Library; Richard Nixon Foundation; White House; Clements Papers Project; AP; Nixonomics; National Archives; The President is at Camp David (W. Dale Nelson); @NixonLibrary

Wye Oak Fitness Center

Wye Oak fitness center at Camp David

The Wye Oak fitness center offers a broad range of exercise equipment including cardiovascular machines and free weights for strength training. When President Obama hosted the G8 Summit at Camp David in 2012, he invited British Prime Minister David Cameron to work out with him at the gym where they reportedly chatted side-by-side on the treadmills.  In addition to the exercise equipment, the retreat's fitness center also has an indoor pool and basketball court.

President Reagan at the Wye Oak fitness Center  

Indoor pool at the Camp David fitness center

Captain's Cup Dodge Ball at Leatherwood Court at Camp David

Sources:

Obama opens up Camp David for rustic VIP sleepover
Seabees & President Reagan at Camp David
Commander, Navy Installations Command (CNIC)