Maxwell Air Force Base FamCamp (U.S. Military FamCamp) - Montgomery, Alabama (May 2004)

HOA rules prohibit us keeping Rosie, our Airstream trailer, at our home. That means we pull up to our home after a camping trip and unload the refrigerator, cupboards and laundry in the hot sun. Then we clean Rosie’s interior and wash the exterior before we pull Rosie to the storage facility we use. We end up completely exhausted by the end of the day.

Many of our recent conversations focused on the how to spread the unloading of Rosie over two days. We knew that wasn't practical because of the HOA rules. Then we came up with an idea of how to arrive home very early in the morning while the temperatures were still cool. That would require us to camp very near our home. 

There were three possibilities we thought of. One was a COE campground, but is was about 45 minutes away from our house. The second was a private campground that was expensive and looked similar to a parking lot. The third option was camping in Maxwell Air Force Base's FamCamp. We called the FamCamp as we left Foley RV/Airstream of Mississippi and they told us that we could make reservations for the night. 

We were relieved as we approached Maxwell's gate for military ID checks. The barriers we normally have to drive around when going on military bases were not deployed. 

Rosie in Maxwell AFB's FamCamp

We must have misunderstood the campground directions we were told on the phone because we had to hunt for our site. It was a pull-thru and we didn't unhook so that we could leave early the next morning. 

We were able to unload Rosie at our home during the cooler morning hours, so we classify this experiment as a success. By the way, we were glad we were not exhausted because parking Rosie on Gunter Air Force Base's RV Parking area was very stressful. 

Gunter has a small storage area and all RVs parked there are supposed to be smaller than 30 feet in length. We knew something was wrong when arrived at the storage area's gate. There was a huge fifth-wheel (40+ feet) near Rosie's spot.

Rosie in Gunter AFB's RV Storage Area

Parked directly across from us was a 30 foot trailer and that made it extremely difficult to park Rosie in our space. We were confused because the fifth-wheel was in the space assigned to our friends to park their Airstream trailer in. 

We called the office that manages the RV Storage Area on Gunter to find out what was going on with the huge fifth-wheel. They told us that the fifth-wheel was not assigned any space in that facility and it appeared to them that the owner found out the gate code and self-assigned a storage spot. They also said that they were taking steps to evict the apparent squatter. 

We could not help be think of our friends who probably arrived on a Sunday afternoon and found that fifth-wheel in their spot. The spots on either side of Rosie were empty so our friends must have picked one then called the office when it opened on Monday. 

After talking to the office that manages RV storage spaces on both Gunter and Maxwell AFBs, they suggested that we look at some of the open spaces on Maxwell. We dropped off Rosie and picked out a site on Maxwell. The office allowed us to stay in Gunter's RV storage area until our next trip. 

Here are some specifics about this campground:

• There were multiple loops in the campground
• Our site was a pull-through 
• Most sites could be classified as "full sun" as trees were few and far apart
• Most sites had very little space on both sides
• Our site was paved with asphalt and had a concrete pad for Rosie 
• Our site was level
• Our site had 20, 30 and 50 amp electrical service 
• Our site had a water connection
• Our site had a sewer connection 
• The trash dumpsters were near the bathhouses 
• There were two bathhouses in the campground 
• The park did not provide WiFi service 
• AT&T provided 2 bars of 5G voice and data service over our campsite 
• We were able to watch ABC, CBS, CW, FOX, NBC and PBS using Rosie’s TV antenna. Digital channels seen were Antenna-TV, Bounce, Buzzr, Charge, Comet, Grit, H&I, LAFF, ME-TV, Movies and Outlaw
• There were restaurants and shopping nearby
• This was a pet friendly park 

Gunter Hill COE Campground - Montgomery, Alabama (October 2021)

We were tired and the time was getting too close to sunset. We were heading home after being on a Rosie adventure for a month. (Rosie is the name of our Airstream trailer.) The thought of unpacking and parking Rosie in the dark wasn’t appealing, so we decided to extend our trip another night.

Our go-to place when we want to camp near home is Gunter Hill Corp of Engineers (COE) Campground.We called the campground volunteer's office and space was available, but we were told we needed to call Reserve America to reserve a site. 

If you have never called Reserve America, your call is quickly answered by a computerized voice who asks a series of questions. The detailed instructions and examples spewed out by the computer tends to drag on the pseudo conversation. The starter questions included what campground you want to reserve, when your plan to arrive there, how long you will stay, what type of camper you have, it’s length, the number of people in your party and if you need utilities. Eventually, the computer responds by saying this call is being transferred to an agent to complete the reservation. 

The “real person” agent starts off asking the same questions you spent the last 15 minutes responding to with the computerized voice. It is as if the computer portion of the call is to test your patience and to see if you really, really, really, really want to make a reservation. 

Sadly, information sharing between the computer voicemail system and the agent wasn’t the only problem. The agent was convinced that the campground we wanted reservations in was either closed or full. After multiple attempts to tell the agent we called the volunteer at the park before getting ensnared in the Reserve America phone tree and we were told the park had plenty of open sites for the night, the agent said that he removed his computer filters and suddenly discovered that Gunter Hill existed and had open campsites. He could book us in for one night. Finally!

I think we will use the app next time and save ourselves from more than 30 minutes of annoying conversation with a computer that doesn’t share information or an agent who couldn’t find an opening in a park that was half full. 

One of a half-dozen deer seen in this park

We arrived a few minutes before 5 p.m. and noticed the volunteer looked through a stack of check-in cards to find our information. When asked about what appeared to be a large number of late check-ins, the camp host said those were for the Halloween campers who reserve early to make sure they get reservations and he expected them to show up over the weekend, put their decorations up and enjoy camping there over the holiday. 

We camped in Gunter Hill several years ago over Halloween and it was fun. Many of the sites were decorated and children in costumes were going site-to-site trick-or-treating. It appears that this year will be well attended as some sites were already decorated.

Here are some specifics about this campground:

• There were two main loops in the campground. The Antioch loop is older, has only electric and water connections and sites were paved with dirt. The Catoma loop had paved roads, concrete site pads and full hook-ups
• Our site was a back in
• Our site had shade
• Most sites had ample space on both sides
• Our site was paved with concrete and level
• Our site had 20, 30 and 50 amp electrical service 
• Our site had a water connection
• Our site had a sewer connection 
• There was a dump station in this park 
• The trash dumpsters were at the entrance of each campground loop. It was easy to walk there with your trash
• There were several bathhouses in the campground. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, we did not check on their conditions
• The park did not provide WiFi service 
• AT&T provided 2 bars of 4G voice and data service over our campsites 
• We were able to watch ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC and PBS using Rosie’s TV antenna. More than 40 digital channels were seen including Antenna-TV, Buzzr, Circle, CW, Decades, Ion, Get, Grit, Justice, LAFF and ME-TV
• Restaurants and shopping are a 10 minute drive from the campground 
• This was a pet friendly park 

Unloading and cleaning Rosie after a trip is always tiring. We were glad we decided to spend another night in Rosie and unload in the morning. 

Gunter Hill COE Campground - Montgomery, Alabama (September 2020)

If you looked at our calendar in January 2020, you would have seen that we planned to go on two WBCCI Caravans that year with Rosie, our Airstream trailer.  (The WBCCI is the Airstream Owners club.) The first was a six week tour through New England and the Atlantic coastal provinces of Canada. The second was five weeks exploring Texas. These were two very popular and hard to get on caravans. We were looking forward to discovering the sights on those caravans. 

Well, that was the plan and if 2020 was a normal year, we would have already visited more than 20 campgrounds in nine states and three Canadian provinces. But nothing was normal during 2020. Between the global COVID-19 pandemic and a series of  “stay home” and “safer at home” mandates from our state and local governments, we parked Rosie, our Airstream trailer, for more than six months and stayed home. 

During that time, we continued talking to our Airstream friends via email and reading news reports about coping with the mandatory COVID restrictions. A growing number of trusted experts were saying that camping in campgrounds with large sites was considered safe as long as social distancing and masks were used. 

After discussing the pros and cons, we decided to venture out to a Corps of Engineers campground because most COE parks feature well-spaced, large sites. We also wanted to camp in a COE campground with full hook-ups and the closest park to our location meeting those requirements was Gunter Hill. 

Sign at Gunter Hill COE Campground

Most campers in this park were “reasonable” about respecting social distancing concerns. The campers flaunting the protocols were easy to spot and avoid.  

Rosie in our site at Gunter Hill COE Campground

It is amazing how quickly you forget the steps involved in packing and hooking up your trailer after parking it for six months. We packed things we learned over the years should be left home. We left some things at home we missed in the campground. It didn’t take long to get back in the groove of camping in Rosie and remember how to better prepare for our next trip. 

Next trip? We are anxious about going out again in Rosie. 

Riding bikes in Gunter Hill COE Campground

Looking out at the waterway feeding into the Alabama River

The weather was perfect for camping. The high temperature was in the low 80s only one day. The highs were in the low to mid 70s the rest of the time. Nightly lows were in the mid 50s to the high 40s. 

The campground was busier during the weekend when young families with children started to arrive. It was nice to hear the happy sounds of children playing in the campground. It was also nice that those youngsters observed social distancing norms when around other campers. 

We noticed three brand-new RVs in the campground. It was obvious that those families were making the normal first-time mistakes that all RVers seem to fall into. There were news reports about record RV sales during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our simple observations while at this campground seemed to suggest that there was a bumper crop of new RV owners being introduced to camping. 

Here are some specifics about this campground:

• There are two loops in the campground. The Antioch loop is more rustic and has only water and electric hook-ups. The Catoma loop has larger sites, water, electric and sewer connections. We camped in the Catoma loop
• Our site was paved with concrete and was level. Sites in the Antioch loop are grass or gravel and mostly unlevel
• Our site had 20, 30 and 50 amp electrical service 
• Our site had a water connection
• Our site had a sewer connection 
• There were two dump stations in this park, one for each loop
• There were two bathhouses in the Catoma loop. The volunteer at the gate suggested we use the bathroom in our trailer since the number of COVID-19 cases in Alabama were increasing during that time span and the park's public restrooms were cleaned once a day Monday through Friday and not cleaned over the weekends
• The park did not provide WiFi service 
• AT&T provided marginal 4G voice and data service over our campsite 
• We were able to watch ABC, CBS, FOX, PBS and NBC using Rosie’s TV antenna. We also received digital channels Antenna, Buzzr, Decades, Escape, Get, Grit, ME, THiS and multiple Spanish-speaking stations
• This was a pet friendly park 

We brought our bikes to this park. We enjoyed our adventure in this quiet and beautiful campground. 

Paved roads in the Catoma Loop

Becky and Suzy in the group pavilion

Selfie at Gunter Hill

Bridge in the Catoma Loop

Walkway next to boat ramp

Gunter Hill COE Campground- Montgomery, Alabama (January 2020)

Shakedown!

You can almost hear Deputy Barney Fife yelling “shakedown” as we started talking about a short camping trip to help us figure out where things should go in our new Rosie. (Rosie is what we call our Airstream trailer.)

We didn’t want to stray too far from home in case we discovered a big problem with Rosie. For the record, we found a few things Airstream needs to fix and we went ahead and made our reservations for some Airstream factory warranty service. 

This was our sixth visit to Gunter Hill COE Campground. As with most U.S. Army Corps of Engineer Campgrounds, this is a great place. The sites are large and the Catoma loop offered full hookups. The older Antioch loop wasn't open this time, but it didn’t have sewer connections the last time we camped there.

Sign at Gunter Hill COE Campground

The temperatures were pleasant during the day and close to freezing at night. This allowed us to test the heat pumps in Rosie along with the furnace. As expected, the heat pumps worked well until the temperature dropped too low, then the furnace took over and made sure that Rosie was very cozy.

Rosie in Gunter Hill COE Campground

Roads in the Catoma loop were paved and that made it nicer to walk Suzy, our long-haired Yorkie dog. On one of our walks, we talked with a retired U.S. Army soldier. He said that this was the first COE campground that he and his wife had camped in and he was surprised at how nice COE parks were. We told him that there were a few “rustic” parks out there, but most COE campgrounds were very nice.

Paved roads and the bridge in the Catoma Loop

One of the things we didn’t understand was the reservation system. My estimate was that only one-third of the campsites were occupied. We went in as a walk-in because the online reservation system showed the park as full. This wasn’t an isolated event because we experienced the “ignore the empty sites because the online reservation system says the park is full” syndrome at other COE and state parks. 

There is what appeared to be a river behind the campground. There wasn’t a convenient path to the shore.

Along the shore at Gunter Hill

Here are some specifics about this campground:

• Our site had 20, 30 and 50 amp electrical service 
• Our site had a water connection
• Our site had a sewer connection 
• There were two dump stations in this park, one for each loop
• Sites in the Catoma loop had concrete pads
• The Antioch loop was closed so we were unable to note the condition of those sites. They were dirt and gravel two years ago 
• Our site in the Catoma loop was level
• There were two bathhouses in the Catoma loop. Both were modern, well maintained and clean
• The park did not provide WiFi service 
• AT&T provided marginal 4G voice and data service over our campsite 
• We were able to watch ABC, CBS, FOX, PBS and NBC using Rosie’s TV antenna. We also received digital channels Antenna, Buzz, Decades, Escape, Get, Grit, H&I, ME, Movies and THiS 
• This was a pet friendly park 

A selfie

Rosie's campsite

Gunter Hill - Winter Camping

Our fourth visit to Gunter Hill COE Campground could only be described as different from the others. True, all visits are different, but this one was very different. This was our first time camping in the dead of winter. We need to put the emphasis on the word "dead."
We have been in parks when the leaves were off the trees before. We have camped in cold weather before. We have camped when the park wasn't full before. This was our first visit to Gunter Hills when things were dead.
While the park wasn't full, there were campers there and you could see several campfires at night. There were a few brave souls out walking during the days and we saw a couple riding there bicycles around the park.
So, why was the park dead?
There were no children in the park this time. While some people would welcome the peace and quiet hanging in the air, we missed the sounds of young voices as they played in the park. We also missed the sounds of excitement as families enjoyed the park. We missed the subtle signs that said the park was alive with families enjoying the camping experience.
As the temperatures warm up during the next couple of months, the leaves will return to the trees, the grass will turn green again and the campground will fill with families. As families de-winterize their RVs, the sounds of children playing will return to the park. While some may see this commotion as noise, we see it as part of the pleasant sounds found at many campgrounds.

Gunter Hill COE Campground - Third Visit - Halloween

We left Gunter Hill COE Campground from our second visit wondering what happens at the park during Halloween weekend that makes people talk excitedly about it. By the time we parked our trailer at Fort Rosie, we decided to make reservations for Halloween weekend. We were surprised that both loops were nearly full. The Catoma loop, the one recently reopened after renovations, was full. There were about a dozen sites open in the older Antioch loop.

Surprisingly, site 101 was open so we booked it. This was the second time we were able to reserve this premium space and this would have been impossible in previous years because this site was typically reserved months in advance.

Since we figured that this was going to be a festive weekend, we decided to buy some decorations for Rosie, our Airstream trailer. We found some orange Christmas-type lights at Home Depot plus we bought some awning lights at Camping World. We knew that we would be able to fit in with families camping over Halloween at Gunter Hill Campground.

As we were checking in, the park attendant said that he just had a cancellation in the Catoma loop. He also said that there were only seven open sites in the entire park for the weekend. For the second time, we switched from site 101 to an unknown one in the new loop.

The park attendant described Catoma as the "festive" loop. We understood what he meant when we turned into the campground area. There were lots of Halloween decorations and lights everywhere in the park. Suddenly, we knew what the camper meant three weeks ago when he excitedly asked if we were planning to return for Halloween. It was apparent that this was going to be a fun weekend.

You have to keep in mind that Gunter Hill is, in my opinion, one of the top Corp of Engineers parks in our region. They have great sites, full hook-ups and the park is well maintained.

Rosie, our Airstream trailer, with Halloween lights

We have already talked about this park in previous posts. This posting is about being in the park during Halloween weekend.

Some of the festive lights at Gunter Hill's Halloween weekend

The Trick-or-Treat Parade at Gunter Hill COE Campground

Autumn colors at Gunter Hill Campground

Fall at Gunter Hill Campground

Annie getting very involved in a game of Sorry

We learned that a number of other parks have "holiday specials." The obvious dates are the 4th of July, Labor Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving and New Years. We found that Gunter Hill's Halloween celebration was great fun and well worth the trip.

This was also a time when the park was filled with families and small children. It also seemed that most people in the park knew each other. We were in the Catoma loop because of a cancellation. It appears that the family that cancelled was probably related to the campers all around us. Fortunately, the family was very nice and we enjoyed camping next to them.

We plan to return next year for Halloween at Gunter Hill Campground.

Gunter Hill COE Campground - Second Visit

Our second visit to Gunter Hill COE Campground was very different from the first. There are two loops at Gunter Hill and we stayed in the Antioch loop the first time. Actually, the Catoma loop wasn't an option since it was closed and being renovated.

Gunter Hill COE Campground - Catoma Loop

We enjoyed being in the Antioch loop during our last visit. It had some sites with great views of the creek. (It seems silly to call Catoma Creek a creek. It is wider than some rivers.) The loop was also alive with lots of campers, children playing and the smell of camp foods being cooked.

We learned on our second visit that the Catoma loop was open, the Antioch loop was about to be closed for renovation and that only three or four campers were in the Antioch loop. We thought we were very lucky to have site 101, a premium waterfront site, reserved in the Antioch loop, but we quickly decided to give up this site for an unknown one in the Catoma loop.

The bridge in the Catoma Loop

Armed with a new campground map, we started looking for our site. First impressions were very positive. Camp sites were very spacious and your neighbors were not right next to your trailer. Each site had a concrete pad, water, electric and sewage hook up. In short, it was easy to see why the campers moved over to the Catoma loop.

Another view of our camp site

The Catoma loop has wide sites and is well maintained. It doesn't have as many water view sites as the Antioch loop, but you substitute the feeling that you are in the woods and you end up with a reasonable trade.

The newly paved roads were great for riding our bicycles. They were also good for taking walks.

Sunset at Gunter Hill COE Campground

What about the Antioch loop? We rode our bikes over to look at this area. It was sad to see this mostly empty area, which was full of campers a few months earlier. We didn't notice the first time we stayed in Gunter Hill how close the sites were to each other. We didn't notice how cramped the sites were. We didn't notice how many ruts were in the road. We did notice this time how sad we felt about this good camping area as it was clearly reaching it final moments before being closed for renovations.

The bottom line is that the Catoma loop is one of the best Corp of Engineers parks near Montgomery. It is nice to be less than 15 minutes away from Alabama's capital city and to be in a relaxing country setting.

Annie enjoying Gunter Hill COE Campground

On our last day in the park, a fellow camper asked if we were planning to return on Halloween weekend. We asked what happens on Halloween. His response was that they really do Halloween right.

Not knowing how to do Halloween right, we decided that we needed to return to Gunter Hill COE Campground in three weeks for Halloween.

For the record, the campsites in Gunter Hill's COE Campground Catoma Loop has:

• 30 and 50 amp electrical service
• Concrete pads
• Full hook-ups (water, electric sewage)
• One dump station
• There are some great roads for riding your bicycles
• We were able to watch ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC in this park via antenna
• Campers said that it was a challenge to capture either Dish or Direct satellite TV
• There isn't wi-fi in the park, but AT&T's 3G and 4G service is adequate
• The restrooms and showers in this park are modern, functional and clean.

Gunter Hill Campground - Alabama

Gunter Hill is an Army Corp of Engineers recreation park approximately 10 miles west of Montgomery, Ala.

According to the recreation.gov Web site, Gunter Hill Campground offers a peaceful scene of trees and nature on the backwaters of the Alabama River.

Rosie at Gunter Hill Campground

The campground is on Catoma Creek. When I think of "creek," I think of a small waterway. This creek is wider than many rivers.

Catoma Creek

 Some of the campsites have great views of the creek. Other sites are simply in the woods without views.

View of the creek from our site

 Many of the campers in this park seemed to be there for the fishing opportunities in the creek. There was limited hiking around the park because half was closed for renovations. I had the feeling that many of the campers were "regulars" and frequently stay in that park.

Camping at Gunter Hill

Some points about this park are:

• Many sites have both 30 and 50 amp electrical service
• Sites also have water hookups
• There is one dump station
• The campground is pet-friendly
• Most sites allow up to 50' RVs. Some are rated as 80'
• Expect to pay $20/night

Our view of the creek

Don't expect to use your cell phone here. Our iPhones (AT&T) were basically useless because of the marginal and spotty service. We didn't find a good WiFi hotspot near the campground we could use to load our iPads.

We had strong signals from ABC, CBS and NBC TV stations. There were a few independent TV stations also placing a good signal over this campground.

There was one bath house/shower faculty serving our loop of the campground. We assume the loop currently closed for renovations also has a restroom and shower facility. Camper speculation was that once the renovated loop reopens, the loop we camped in will be closed for renovations. I hope that is true because the restroom/shower facility in our loop is overdue for an update. Sure, it was clean and maintained, but it was easy to see it needed to be included in the next cycle of renovations.

One other point that needs to be brought up is to remind you to bring your mosquito repellant and lots of it. There was a bumper crop of these pests at the the park. We had to learn how to enter and exit Rosie (the name we call our camper) without letting too many of these little guys in.

We were at this campground with 50 or 60 cub scouts on a weekend camp out. The parents and scout masters were great because the kids were well-behaved and good campers. We had to admit that their camp food smelled great!