Camp David on Google Maps and Google Earth

All of the major search providers - Google, Bing, and Yahoo - have map applications that allow you to view satellite images of any location in the world.  Google Maps has a separate program that you can install called Google Earth, which has some additional features.  My favorite feature of Google Earth is the Historical Imagery, which allows you to travel back in time to see how places have changed over the years.

Using Google Earth to See How Camp David Has Changed Over Time
I viewed all of the available historical maps of Camp David and found two areas within the Presidential Retreat that have undergone changes that are visible from Google Earth.  The most obvious change I discovered is in the general area of the Skeet Range.  This area also contains the landing zone for the Presidential helicopter Marine One.

Here is the first map from 1988.  The skeet range, field house and helicopter pad are in the lower left corner.

Camp David map -  April 4, 1988   (Click on photo to enlarge)

Here is the same view almost 20 years later.  Notice the additional buildings and parking lot to the right of the field house.  You can also see where an additional sand trap was added to the Aspen Lodge golf practice area on the far right of the map.  This 2007 version is the one that is currently live on Google Maps. 

Camp David map - February 28, 2007

Here is the same view only two years later.  The field house has disappeared and a new structure has been built in the field area.  I found a recent solicitation on a federal procurement website for equipment to be installed in a "new hangar" with a 38 foot ceiling at Camp David .  So, maybe they built the new hangar there.

Camp David map - May 29, 2009

Updated 3/18/2012:  I occasionally check the online maps to see if any satellite imagery has changed. I found the satellite view below from Bing Maps. You can see the building near the skeet range that appeared in the 2009 Google map has disappeared and what is most likely the new hangar has been built in the area that was under construction in 2009.

Bing Maps satellite view of Camp David skeet range and helicopter hangar

The other area where I noticed a change is where the staff pool and rec center is located.  

Outdoor pool in the staff area of the camp - February 28, 2007

Here is the same area two year later in 2009. The resolution of the map is lower but you can make out what appears to be a new structure to the right of the pool.  Of course, it could also just be a shadow.  Hence the problem with comparing hi-res images with low-res ones! 

Outdoor pool  - May 29, 2009

Updated 3/18/2012: I found this satellite image of the pool on Bing Maps. It looks like they may have put a roof or some sort of enclosure over the pool. Although given the image was obviously taken during the Fall, it might also just be a seasonal cover.

Staff pool - Bing Maps

The buildings in the maps above are all located inside the perimeter fence of Camp David. I also found an interesting area located just outside the back gate at Camp David and wrote about it in another post.

Path leading from the Camp David back gate - Click here to read the blog post about this

Additional maps of Camp David can be viewed on the Camp David Maps page of this blog.

Full view of Camp David from Google Maps - February 2007

View the high-resolution version of the above labeled Camp David map

Camp David Satellite Images
Here are some satellite images of Camp David:

Aspen Lodge - The President's Cabin

Laurel Lodge and nearby cabins 

Hickory Lodge

 Evergreen Chapel 

Camp David barracks, staff pool, and rec center (Bing Maps)

Aerial view of Camp David on Bing Maps

View Camp David on Google Maps
I found the Presidential Retreat by searching for "Camp David Maryland" on Google Maps. The map below is linked to Google Maps and you can zoom in or pan to see other parts of the retreat. The map data is from 2007. You can also view the Bing Maps version by visiting my Maps page.


View Larger Map 


I also created this video tour of Camp David using Google Earth:





Source:  Google Maps; Google Earth; Bing Maps

Camp David Museum

You may not be able to visit Camp David, but if you happen to be in the Thurmont Maryland area, you can visit the next best thing: The Camp David museum at the Cozy Restaurant and Country Inn.  The museum contains Camp David photos and artifacts from the Hoover administration on up given to them by members of the media, White House staff, and Camp David visitors.  There is even a gift shop that features Camp David clothing items and accessories.

Here are some photos from the 2005 Camp David museum opening.

Click on the above photo to access the Camp David museum video page

The Frederick News-Post published a story in 2009 reporting that the museum was being updated to include numerous photos from the time when President George W. Bush was in office.





Source: The Cozy Restaurant and Country Inn; Frederick News-Post; Picasaweb

Easter at Camp David

President and Mrs. Ford attend an Easter Service in Thurmont, MD in 1976

A quick search of the Google News Archive found a number of Camp David Easter visits over the years. President Johnson went to Camp David over Easter weekend in 1967 with the First Lady and daughter Lynda .  They attended a church service at a nearby Episcopal church.  The White House reported that Mrs. Johnson wore a mimosa yellow silken wool coat with a yellow dress.

Former First Lady Mamie Eisenhower joined the Nixons for an Easter celebration at Camp David in 1971.  They attended a service at the nearby Thurmont United Methodist Church.  It was reported that Mrs. Nixon and Mrs. Eisenhower wore lavender outfits and Nixon daughters Julie and Tricia wore blue.  After the service, the group returned to Camp David for an Easter dinner.

The Nixons also returned to Camp David for Easter the following year. The weekend included a party on Saturday night in the Aspen Lodge to celebrate David Eisenhower's 24th birthday. In 1973, President Nixon  gave his aides John Ehrlichman and Bob Haldeman the use of Camp David over Easter Weekend while he went to Florida instead.

The Clintons attend the Easter Service - April 16, 1995

President Ford and First Lady Betty attended an Easter service in 1976 at the Episcopal Harriet Chapel in Thurmont. The weekend's Camp David activities also included swimming in the outdoor pool, tennis, and watching the new Hitchcock movie "The Family Plot".

In 1978, an ice storm forced President Carter to cancel his plans to attend a sunrise service at nearby Fort Ritchie. The army chaplain there braved the icy roads to perform the Easter service at Camp David instead under lights powered by an emergency generator.

President Bush and First Lady Barbara celebrated Easter at Camp David with some of their children and grandchildren in 1989.  They attended an Easter service on Sunday morning followed by an Easter Egg Hunt for the grandchildren. The menu for their Easter dinner included roast turkey, sweet potatoes with marshmallows, green beans, cranberry sauce and blueberry and pecan pies. First Dog Millie and her six newborn puppies also came along for the weekend.

The Clintons spent their first Easter at Camp David in 1993. They attended mass at the Evergreen Chapel and then shared an Easter dinner with family and friends.  They also went to Camp David at Easter in 1995 and 1998.

President George W. Bush usually spent Easter at his ranch in Texas except in 2006 and 2008 when he celebrated Easter at Camp David.  Below are photos from the 2006 Easter service at the Evergreen Chapel and the Easter lunch menu.

Sources: GPO Access; St. Petersburg Times; Lodi News-Sentinel; Herald-Journal; The Windsor Star; The Victoria Advocate; Milwaukee Sentinel; Philly.com; Living History; Time Will Tell; The White House

Fishing

Fishing at Shangri-La - May 1943

President Roosevelt took Winston Churchill fishing during a weekend at Shangri-La in 1943.  Churchill described the outing with President Roosevelt in his War Memoirs:

"On Sunday the President wanted to fish in a stream which flowed through lovely woods. He was placed with great care by the side of a pool, and sought to entice the nimble and wily fish. I tried for some time myself at other spots.  No fish were caught, but he seemed to enjoy it very much, and was in great spirits for the rest of the day."

Although the FDR Library indicated in their caption that the photo at left was taken at Shangri-La, it was actually taken at nearby Hunting Creek.

The President is at Camp David describes the Hunting Creek area where the two of them went fishing:

"a mountain stream that crossed the road to Shangi-La about  two miles west of the camp entrance. The six-mile stretch of the stream between its source near Foxville and the Thurmont municipal dam had been heavily stocked with brook trout and set aside for fly fishing."

Heading off to go fishing - 1960

President Eisenhower went fishing on several occasions while he was at Camp David.  This 1953 newspaper article describes a Fourth of July weekend at Camp David where he caught four trout when he went fishing "near his cabin headquarters".

This 1958 article reported on a weekend Camp David trip where he got in two hours of fishing and caught five trout.

President Carter - August 12, 1980

The UPI caption for this photo of President Carter states that President Carter is fishing in a stream near Camp David on August 12, 1980.  The Jimmy Carter Presidential Library website has a comprehensive list of every trip that President Carter took that included fishing.  On August 12, 1980, it listed Camp Peniel as the location. The Maryland DNR site references a parking lot near the Camp Peniel bridge which provides access to fishing in Big Hunting Creek.


In his autobiography Sharing Good Times, President Carter wrote about his attempts to get his wife Rosalynn interested in fly fishing:

"Rosalynn later practiced for hours, casting into the swimming pool at Camp David. She had a natural talent and soon developed precise control and proper placement of the fly."

President Carter practicing his technique outside Aspen Lodge - November 1980

Despite the fact that there is no fishing available inside Camp David, the close proximity to nearby Hunting Creek allows our First Anglers to pursue their favorite pastime while visiting the Presidential Retreat.

Google Earth view of Hunting Creek and nearby Camp David

Sources:  Life; Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum; Eisenhower Presidential Library; Jimmy Carter Library; The President is at Camp David; Sarasota Herald-Tribune; The Times-News; UPI; Ocala Star-Banner; Sharing Good Times

A Camp David Wedding

On June 27 1992, Dorothy Bush LeBlond and Bobby Koch exchanged wedding vows during a ceremony held at the Evergreen Chapel at Camp David.  It was the first wedding ever performed at the chapel.

The wedding festivities began at 4PM when arriving guests gathered at Laurel Lodge for refreshments while waiting for the ceremony to begin.

The Evergreen Chapel was decorated with peach roses. Music played above in the balcony and the bride came down the aisle escorted by her father President George H.W. Bush.  The bride wore a wedding dress designed by Arnold Scaasi with salmon chiffon and lace.

The reception was held behind the Aspen Lodge. Tables were set up for 130 guests on the terraces and around the pool. The White House chefs made a cake and cooked a buffet dinner which included fresh salmon that Senator Ted Stevens sent from Alaska. The Marine Band played country music.

Some White House staff members volunteered on the day of the event.  Off-duty White House butlers helped with serving the guests and some staff from the florist shop decorated the chapel and the reception tables.





Sources:  My Father, My President: A Personal Account of the Life of George H.W. Bush;  Barbara Bush: A Memoir; The Baltimore Sun; The New York Times; White House

Sledding

President Bush goes sledding at Camp David with his daughter Doro in January 1991

Because of the hilly terrain, sledding is a popular winter activity at Camp David.

In 1991, President Bush went tobogganing with Arnold Schwarzenegger at Camp David.  Barbara Bush joined in the fun by riding down the hill in a saucer.

When it became clear that the First Lady was headed for a tree, the President's urgent call to  "Bail out! Bail out!" went unheeded. Unfortunately, she hit the tree and broke her leg.

This 1991 New York Times story describes the incident.

President Eisenhower watches his grandchildren sledding down the Aspen Lodge hill - March 1960

Children sledding down the hill behind the Aspen Lodge in 1962

President Carter sledding with daughter Amy and a friend at Camp David in February 1978

Sources: George Bush Library; Jimmy Carter Library; Eisenhower Presidential Library; John F. Kennedy Presidential Library; White House; Barbara Bush: Matriarch of a Dynasty; New York Times

New Year's Eve letter from Pres George H.W. Bush to his Children

The following letter was typewritten by President George H.W. Bush on New Year's Eve in 1990 and addressed to his five children - George, Jeb, Neil, Marvin, and Doro.

In the letter, he writes about the family time spent at Camp David over Christmas and his feelings about going to war with Iraq.

Source: National Archives; George Bush Presidential Library

Christmas at Camp David

President Nixon and First Lady Pat Nixon celebrated Christmas in the Aspen Lodge in 1971

President George W. Bush celebrated Christmas at Camp David a total of twelve times - eight while he was in office and four while his father was in office.  In 2003, First Lady Laura Bush was asked in the whitehouse.gov online forum "Ask the White House" about why they like to go to Camp David for Christmas.  Her reply:

"We choose to spend Christmas at Camp David because it is such a beautiful snow-covered spot for Christmas. And also it is our sentimental favorite place to be at Christmas because we spent the years 1989 - 1992 there with all of the Bush family. And once again this year we will be joined by President Bush, Barbara Bush, our girls, my mother, the President's sister and her family and one of his brothers. "

President Bush reading Christmas stories to his grandchildren at Camp David in 1991

Bush family Christmas tree at Camp David - 1990

President Bush calling troops overseas to wish them a Merry Christmas 

Laura Bush described plans for Christmas at Camp David in an interview with CBS in 2005 as follows:

"We'll spend Christmas there with all of our family -- President Bush and Barbara Bush; my mother; our girls, of course; George's brothers and sister and their families; their children. I think there will be about 30 of us. It's a very big family. And because Camp David has these little cabins, each family can have their own little cabin; they can have their own Christmas tree when they wake up in the morning. And then, of course, we'll meet for Christmas dinner on Christmas day. We'll go to church together on Christmas morning. They'll be with us for the famous Christmas pageant on one night, and then we'll have Christmas Eve services, as well."

President George W. Bush and his family at Camp David on Christmas Day in 2008

2008 Camp David Christmas menu from whitehouse.gov

A selection of Camp David Christmas cards from over the years 

Camp David Christmas Ornaments

2011 Camp David Christmas card

Sources:  whitehouse.gov; George Bush Presidential Library; CBS; Nixon Library

Camp David Underground Bomb Shelter

According the the Eisenhower Presidential Library, President Eisenhower had a bomb shelter built at Camp David. President Eisenhower met with British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan in 1959 and showed him the new bomb shelter.  The book The President is at Camp David contains an excerpt from the Prime Minister's diary describing the underground shelter:

"a sort of Presidential Command Post in the event of atomic war. It holds fifty of the President's staff in one place and one hundred and fifty Defence staff in another. The fortress is underneath the innocent looking huts in which we lived, hewn out of the rock. It cost 10 million dollars."

 This 1959 Owosso Argus-Press article describes the Macmillan visit to Camp David.

The 8th & I Reunion Association website, which contains items of interest for those who served at the  Marine Barracks at 8th & I St SE in Washington DC (including marines formerly stationed at Camp David), has a section where members contribute stories from their duty at Camp David.

Some former marines who served under President Eisenhower describe an incident in 1957 when President Eisenhower relocated to the secure bunker at Camp David during a war rehearsal.  They describe a Command Center that was accessible via elevator from different locations within the Aspen Lodge, including the President's bedroom.  The Command Center was equipped to allow his image to be televised to various locations around the world.  There was also a War Room, which allowed him to communicate with the military in the event of a war.

When President Nixon decided to add a swimming pool outside the Aspen Lodge, the location he selected was directly over the bomb shelter. "Orange One", as it was called, had to be reinforced for a cost of $261,000.

According to the book "President Nixon: Alone in the White House", the money for this came from secret military funds.  The interior of the underground shelter was also redone with new beds, bedspreads, pictures, paint, and office furnishings.

This 1980 newspaper article reviews a book written by the former Director of the White House Military Office Bill Gulley.  When President Carter expressed concerns to him about the cost of Camp David and considered shutting it down,  he asked the President if he knew what was there.  President Carter replied "cabins".  Then Gulley "explained to him about the bomb shelter, the emergency communications center, and other facilities."

A 1994 article in Mother Jones Magazine describes the preparations required to conceal the work on the underground command center when Soviet Leader Nikita Khrushchev was scheduled to visit Camp David:

"Laborers worked night and day to haul truckloads of dirt and stone, making sure to hide every trace of their excavations before Khrushchev's arrival. A large deck was constructed to conceal the cavernous hole. Little did Khrushchev know, as he stood smiling on the deck posing for photographers, that he was atop a presidential relocation site."

The above article describes one of the entrances to the underground facility as being "concealed within a phony water tower".  This water tower is described on a blog about Presidential emergency facility sites.  The code name for the emergency relocation site at Camp David is "Cactus". Some of the other sites were Crown (White House), Crystal (Mt. Weather), and Creed (Raven Rock Mountain Complex).  A related "Cartwheel" site in northwest Washington, DC is still in use by the FAA.

Each of these sites had a communication tower equipped with antennas, transmitters, and receivers.  They were 100 feet tall and had multiple floors underground to house supplies and living quarters for the staff.

To disguise the existence of the communication tower, an observation deck and signs were added for the Khrushchev visit to make it appear like an ordinary water tower.  The tower has since been torn down, but the underground command center remains in place.

Aerial view of Camp David in December 1961.  Note the green "water tower " in the background

Underground bunker location near Aspen Lodge - President Kennedy and President Eisenhower - April 1961

Sources: Eisenhower Presidential Library; President Nixon: Alone in the White House; The President is at Camp David; The 8th & I Reunion Association; Life.com; Owosso Argus-Press; The Daily Reporter; Mother Jones Magazine; Historian for Hire; John F. Kennedy Presidential Library; coldwarcomms; Early Presidential Emergency Facilities