Camp David FAS | Nuke | Guide | USA | C3I |||| Index | Search | Camp David Presidential Retreat Site Located 70 miles from the White House in the Catoctin Mountains of Maryland, Camp David was established in 1942 as a place for the President to relax and entertain. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt wanted to escape the summer heat of Washington, D.C., and the higher altitude of the Camp provided cool breezes and good security. President Roosevelt called the Camp "Shangri-La" after the mountain kingdom in James Hilton's book Lost Horizon. It was renamed Camp David in 1953 by President Eisenhower in honor of his grandson. The Camp is operated by Navy personnel, and troops from the Marine Barracks in Washington, D.C., provide permanent security. Marine One carries the President during the half-hour helicopter ride from our Nation's capital. Guests at Camp David can enjoy a pool, putting green, driving range, tennis courts, gymnasium, and the many guest cabins -- Dogwood, Maple, Holly, Birch, and Rosebud, to name a few. The presidential cabin is called Aspen Lodge. Camp David has been the site of many historic international meetings.

It was there, during World War II, that President Franklin Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill planned the Allies' invasion of Europe. Many historical events have occurred at the Presidential Retreat; the planning of the Normandy invasion, Eisenhower-Khrushchev meetings, discussions of the Bay of Pigs, Vietnam War discussions, and many other meetings with foreign dignitaries and guests. President Jimmy Carter chose the site for the meeting of Middle East leaders that led to the Camp David Accords between Israel and Egypt. Camp David continues to serve as the Presidential Retreat. It is a private, secluded place for recreation, contemplation, rest, and relaxation. Maintaining the privacy and secluded atmosphere of the retreat is an important role for Catoctin Mountain Park. The Presidential Retreat still remains within park boundaries but is not open to the public. It is a place where presidents can relax, unwind, contemplate, entertain distinguished guests in an informal setting, and cope with the pressures of modern day society. The Presidential retreat is not open or accessible to the public, but the eastern hardwood forest of Catoctin Mountain Park has many other attractions for visitors: camping, picnicking, fishing, 25 miles of hiking trails, scenic mountain vistas, all await exploration.

Catoctin Mountain Park was originally submarginal land purchased by the government in 1936, to be developed into a recreational facility. The facility was to demonstrate how rough terrain and eroded soil could be turned into productive land again. The New Deal's Works Progress Administration, WPA, began the work in the newly created Catoctin Recreational Demonstration Area, joined by the Civilian Conservation Crops, CCC, in 1939. Camp Misty Mount was first used by the Maryland League for Crippled Children. After the first year, the League moved to a second camp in 1938, Camp Greentop, because Camp Misty Mount's terrain was difficult to negotiate in a wheelchair. A third camp, Camp Hi-Catoctin, was completed in the winter of 1938-1939 and was used for three years as a family camp for federal employees. President Franklin D. Roosevelt was accustomed to seeking relief from hot Washington, D.C. summers and relaxing on weekends, aboard the presidential yacht "Potomac" or at Hyde Park, NY. In 1942 the U.S.

Secret Service were very concerned about the President's continued use of the "Potomac." World War II had brought an attack on Pearl Harbor and German U boats close in Atlantic waters. Presidential safety was a concern and Presidential health was also a concern. The muggy climate of Washington, D.C., was considered detrimental to his health, affecting his sinuses. A new retreat, a place to relax, within a 100 mile radius of Washington, D.C. and in the cool mountain air was sought. Several sites were considered but Camp Hi-Catoctin in the Catoctin Recreational Demonstration Area was selected after the President's first visit on April 22, 1942. A camp was already built on the site and the estimated conversion cost was $18,650. It was also almost 10 degrees cooler than Washington. The camp for federal employee's families became the camp of one federal employee, the President of the United States. Roosevelt quickly renamed the camp to "Shangri-La" from James Hilton's 1933 novel, Lost Horizon.

Camp David | A History of the Presidential Retreat Presidential Factfile For more than 50 years now, when presidents have wanted privacy, they have sought the cool, secluded lodges and cabins of Camp David , the presidential retreat tucked away in Maryland's Catoctin Mountains. Presidents have entertained visiting heads of state, such a former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill , conducted cabinet meetings, and briefed Congressional leaders at the retreat. The 1978 Middle East peace talks concluded with what have become known as the Camp David Accords. Yet few Americans know much about the place, considering its prominence. Federal Summer Camp It all started in 1935, when the Work Projects Administration , WPA, began building the Catoctin Recreational Demonstration Area Project near Thurmont, Maryland, as an example of creating parks from worn-out agricultural land. Three years later, the area opened as a camp for federal government employees and their families. Known as Hi-Catoctin, the facility consisted of several small cabins, a dining hall, and a swimming pool. Covered with trees and 1,800 feet above sea level, the spot provided a cool respite from the near tropical humidity of the Washington, DC, area.

Meanwhile, immediately after America's entry into World War II, doctors for President Franklin Delano Roosevelt were urging the ailing president to find a place convenient to Washington, yet far enough away to escape the heat and political pressures of the city. The presidential yacht, USS Potomac, was out of the question because of heightened security considerations imposed by the war. After a search committee considered two other sites on Furnace Mountain on the Virginia side of the Potomac River below Harper's Ferry; and Shenandoah National Park, Virginia; Roosevelt toured two sites in the Catoctin Mountains. He picked Hi-Catoctin, issuing a set of instructions on how the buildings should be remodeled and asking for the construction of a main lodge, which resembled the Roosevelt winter vacation home in Warm Springs, Georgia. The initial work cost $25,000. The camp was renamed the USS Shangri La, to follow up on the nautical connection, since many workers involved with the Potomac worked on the camp. Popular Presidential Choice Since Roosevelt inaugurated Shangri-La with a three-day visit beginning July 18, 1942, all subsequent presidents have made extensive use of the mountain top retreat.

President Harry Truman did not visit Shangri-La often because Bess, his wife, felt it was dull. However, when they did visit, the Trumans enjoyed Shangri-La. Truman's favorite sport was walking and he spent long hours wandering the mountain trails with a secret service agent in tow. Renamed Camp David President Dwight Eisenhower changed the name of the retreat to Camp David in honor of his grandson, David Eisenhower. Although he and his wife, Mamie, tended to use Camp David for private relaxation, Eisenhower held the first cabinet meeting ever to take place there. He also hosted British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan and Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev at Camp David. President John Kennedy and his family visited the camp often, enjoying the horseback riding and other recreational opportunities. Kennedy also allowed White House staff and cabinet members to use Camp David when he was not there. President Lyndon Johnson held several important discussions with advisers on the Vietnam War, the crisis in the Dominican Republic, and other world events, at Camp David and hosted Prime Minister and Mrs. Harold Holt of Australia. Reconstruction and Improvements President Richard Nixon used Camp David as much as his five predecessors combined.

Nixon had several new buildings built in compatible architectural styles, but complete with modern conveniences. He held cabinet meetings, staff conferences, hosted foreign dignitaries, and family get togethers at Camp David. President Gerald Ford rode around Camp David on a snowmobile, and hosted President and Mrs. Suharto of Indonesia. President Jimmy Carter hosted the now famous Camp David Summit in 1978, between Egyptian President Anwar al-Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin, and resulted in what are now known as the Camp David Accords establishing peace between Egypt and Israel. Carter also enjoyed fly-fishing. President Ronald Reagan spent more time at Camp David than any other president. He liked horseback riding and working in the woodworking shop. Nancy Reagan worked on various landscaping improvements and updated decorating in some of the buildings. They also hosted British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. A Camp David Wedding President George Bush pitched horseshoes at Camp David, and welcomed Prince Charles to the retreat. In 1992, Bush's daughter, Dorothy "Doro" married Bobby Koch at Camp David, the first wedding ever performed there.

While President Bill Clinton visited Camp David infrequently in the early days of his administration, he did hold a week-long retreat on management with incoming administration officials in 1993. As his term progressed, however, Clinton spent more time at the retreat. President George W. Bush is a frequent visitor to Camp David, and has spent hundreds of days there. He has entertained numerous foreign leaders there as well as friends and family. Did you know? Presidential Retreat - Catoctin Mountain Park (U.S. National Park Service) Presidential Retreat Presidential Retreat Presidential Retreat Catoctin Mountain Park was originally submarginal land purchased by the government in 1936, to be developed into a recreational facility. The facility was to demonstrate how rough terrain and eroded soil could be turned into productive land again. The New Deal's Works Progress Administration, WPA, began the work in the newly created Catoctin Recreational Demonstration Area, joined by the Civilian Conservation Crops, CCC, in 1939. Camp Misty Mount was first used by the Maryland League for Crippled Children.

After the first year, the League moved to a second camp in 1938, Camp Greentop, because Camp Misty Mount's terrain was difficult to negotiate in a wheelchair. A third camp, Camp Hi-Catoctin, was completed in the winter of 1938-1939 and was used for three years as a family camp for federal employees. President Franklin D. Roosevelt was accustomed to seeking relief from hot Washington, D.C. summers and relaxing on weekends, aboard the presidential yacht "Potomac" or at Hyde Park, NY. In 1942, the U.S. Secret Service were very concerned about the President's continued use of the "Potomac." World War II had brought an attack on Pearl Harbor and German U-boats close in Atlantic waters. Presidential safety was a concern and Presidential health was also a concern. The muggy climate of Washington, D.C., was considered detrimental to his health, affecting his sinuses. A new retreat, a place to relax, within a 100 mile radius of Washington, D.C. and in the cool mountain air was sought.

Several sites were considered, but Camp Hi-Catoctin in the Catoctin Recreational Demonstration Area was selected after the President's first visit on April 22, 1942. A camp was already built on the site and the estimated conversion cost was $18,650. It was also almost 10 degrees cooler than in Washington, D.C. The camp for federal employee's families became the camp of one federal employee, the President of the United States. Roosevelt quickly renamed the camp to "Shangri-La" from James Hilton's 1933 novel, Lost Horizon. Dwight D. Eisenhower's oil painting of one of the cottages at Camp David (Oil, undated, by Dwight D. Eisenhower, David H. Marx, Shrewsbury, N.J.) At the close of World War II, there was some debate over the future of Shangri-La. Should it be returned to the National Park Service? Should it be maintained as a national shrine or monument? Should it be transferred to the Maryland State Forest and Park System, as was the original plan of the demonstration area? In a letter to Maryland Governor Herbert R.

O'Connor, President Truman wrote: "I have decided because of the historical events of national and international interest now associated with the Catoctin Recreation Area that this property should be retained by the National Park Service of the Department of the Interior. This action is in accord with the position expressed by the late President Roosevelt before his death." In 1952, Truman approved a compromise under which the land north of Maryland Route 77 would remain Catoctin Mountain Park operated by the National Park Service and the land south of Maryland Route 77 would become Cunningham Falls State Park. The official transfer took effect in 1954. President Eisenhower renamed the retreat, after he took office in 1953, "Camp David," after his grandson. Camp David continues to serve as the Presidential Retreat today. It is a private, secluded place for recreation, contemplation, rest, and relaxation. Many historical events have occurred at the Presidential Retreat; the planning of the Normandy invasion, Eisenhower-Khrushchev meetings, Camp David Accords with Menachem Begin of Israel and Anwar Sadat of Egypt, discussions of the Bay of Pigs, Vietnam War discussions, and many other meetings with foreign dignitaries and guests.

Maintaining the privacy and secluded atmosphere of the retreat is an important role for Catoctin Mountain Park. The Presidential Retreat still remains within park boundaries, but is not open to the public. It is a place where Presidents can relax, unwind, contemplate, entertain distinguished guests in an informal setting, and cope with the pressures of modern-day society. We hope that you will also understand the value of a place of privacy for the President and accept that the retreat is not open to visitors. National Park Service - The Presidents (Camp David) Catoctin Mountain Park Since the time of Franklin D. Roosevelt, when it was known as "Shangri-la," this isolated camp in the hills of western Maryland has served as an official Presidential retreat and has often been the site of conferences and decisions of national and international significance. Heavily guarded, it may not be visited by the public. In March 1942 President Roosevelt directed the National Park Service to investigate locations reasonably close to the Washington area for use as a Presidential retreat. One of his reasons for desiring to establish it was the wartime necessity to remain close to the Capital at all times and to limit visits to his home at Hyde Park, N.Y.

Also, for security reasons, naval officials had recommended that he discontinue weekend use of the Presidential yacht, the U.S.S. Potomac. Because of his aversion to air conditioning and the oppressive summer heat and humidity of Washington, his medical advisers recommended that he seek respite in a nearby region of high altitude. Dwight D. Eisenhower's oil painting of one of the cottages at Camp David. (Oil, undated, by Dwight D. Eisenhower, David H. Marx, Shrewsbury, N.J.) After studying several locations, the National Park Service selected three tentative sites: one in Shenandoah National Park, in Virginia, and the other two in the Catoctin Recreational Demonstration Area, in Maryland. The President chose one of the latter two sites, known as Camp Number Three or Camp Hi-Catoctin. By using the existing buildings there, the retreat could be completed in the shortest possible time and at minimum cost.

The camp also occupied a perfect location, atop Catoctin Mountain at an altitude of about 1,700 feet above sea level; experienced a consistently lower temperature than Washington; and was only about 70 miles, or a 2-hour drive, from the White House. The camp was one of three units the Federal Government had constructed between 1936 and 1939 as part of an experiment to establish public recreation facilities out of industrially depleted and worn-out lands. Although portions of the area had been opened to the public in 1937, the events leading up to World War II had ended the project prematurely. In April 1942 Roosevelt visited the camp and chose as its nucleus and his personal residence an existing cabin, a one-room frame structure with a huge stone fireplace, an open porch, and an outside kitchen. Rebuilt by local laborers and the crew of the U.S.S. Potomac, which was transferred to the retreat in June, the completed structure, or lodge, contained a living-dining room, probably the original room; an enlarged, screened-in porch; a bedroom wing to the south; and a kitchen wing to the north.

The exterior was constructed of local stone and hardwood; the interior, mainly of commercially obtained materials. A special feature of the lodge was a hinged wall that could be used as an emergency exit ramp for the crippled President. Furnishings consisted of various items from the White House attic and Navy storage. Above the main entrance of the lodge, which looked out over a small, trout-stocked pond, workmen hung the Presidential seal. Laborers also assembled a communications building out of three existing cabins; combined two others to form a guest lodge; altered another structure for use as servants' sleeping quarters; and constructed a log gatehouse to guard the access road. Landscaping included selective removal of trees and shrubbery to accommodate the eastward view; additional planting in the vicinity of the main lodge; some clearing to aid in construction; and the obliteration of old service roads. Labor in the swimming pool area involved landscaping, road improvement, and the erection of a frame platform and tent for use as a dressing room. Utility work included the installation of water, power, and telephone lines and an underground intercommunication system. On July 5 the President inspected the retreat, which he had named "Shangri-la" in April.

The secluded mountaintop setting of James Hilton's novel Lost Horizon, it had also been the code name for the secret starting point of James Doolittle's raid over Tokyo on April 18. Among the names Roosevelt applied to individual buildings were "The Bear's Den" (the main lodge), "The Soap Dish" (the laundry), "The Baker Street Urchins" (Secret Service building), and "Little Luzon" (Philippine stewards' cabin). Before his death in April 1945, he visited "Shangri-la" 22 more times. The most distinguished guests he entertained there were Prime Minister Winston Churchill of Great Britain on two occasions and the British Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden. Roosevelt's successor, Harry S Truman, used the retreat only a few times. President Eisenhower, however, was a frequent visitor and renamed it Camp David in honor of his grandson. He also redesignated the main lodge as "Aspen." The Eisenhowers not only repaired, repainted, and refurnished most of the cabins, but they also added a large flagstone terrace and picnic and outdoor cooking facility in the area of the main lodge. The President also installed a golf green and several tees.

Because they owned a farm near Gettysburg, Pa., only 20 miles to the north, the Eisenhowers found the retreat to be convenient, especially while they were erecting a residence at the farm. Their most famous guest, in 1959, was Premier Nikita Khrushchev of the Soviet Union. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION Historic Resource Study Presidents Kennedy and Johnson rarely utilized Camp David, though in 1965 the latter conferred there with Lester Pearson, Prime Minister of Canada. It was President Nixon's favorite retreat when he was in Washington, not only for relaxing and meeting with foreign dignitaries, but also for working. President Ford seldom visited the retreat. Extensive modernization of the facilities at the camp has occurred since Roosevelt's time, including installation of a helicopter pad, new figure-eight swimming pool, bowling alley, and skeet shooting range. There are now 11 residence cabins, including the main lodge, which is presently called "Laurel." The President utilizes a three-room cottage, named "Birch," as an office.

In 1954 the Federal Government created Catoctin Mountain Park, which surrounds Camp David, out of almost 6,000 acres of the old Catoctin Recreational Demonstration Area. The remainder of the area was transferred to the State of Maryland, which now operates it as Cunningham Falls State Park. Catoctin Mountain Park is primarily a wilderness and public recreational area that provides nature and hiking trails and picnicking and camping facilities. Camp David | whitehouse.gov Air Force One Camp David To every President since Franklin Roosevelt, Camp David has offered solitude, tranquility, and a place to host foreign leaders. Camp David, known formally as the Naval Support Facility Thurmont, is the President’s country residence. Located in Catoctin Mountain Park in Frederick County, Maryland, Camp David has offered Presidents an opportunity for solitude and tranquility, as well as an ideal place to host foreign leaders. Adapted from the federal employee retreat Hi-Catoctin, President Franklin Roosevelt established the residence as USS Shangri La, modeling the new main lodge after the Roosevelt winter vacation home in Warm Springs, Georgia. President Eisenhower subsequently renamed the institution in honor of his grandson David.

Camp David has been used extensively to host foreign dignitaries. Prime Minister Winston Churchill of Great Britain attended the first such meeting in May of 1943; the summit held at the residence in 1978 for Egyptian President Anwar al-Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin resulted in what are now known as the Camp David Accords. Camp David, from FDR through Obama - Photo 1 - Pictures - CBS News Camp David, from FDR through Obama Next President Richard Nixon looks out of a window November 22, 1972 at Camp David, Md. Camp David has been a weekend refuge for presidents since 1942, when Franklin D. Roosevelt decided he needed to stay close to the capital during wartime while still escaping Washington's oppressive summer heat. It has served as a vacation spot, a site for summits, and a political refuge. Credit: National Archive/Newsmakers Camp David is photographed in July 1959. Built in the 1930s about 70 miles from the White House in Catoctin Mountain Park near Thurmont, Md., the campground was originally for government agents and their families.

It is officially a military installation (Naval Support Facility Thurmont) operated and staffed by the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps. Credit: USN/Eisenhower Presidential Library A guest house at Camp David c. 1948. President Roosevelt named the retreat "Shangri-la," the fictional valley in James Hilton's novel "Lost Horizon." President Dwight Eisenhower later renamed it Camp David, after his grandson. Credit: Truman Presidential Library A view of the lower terrace of Aspen Lodge, the Presidential residence at Camp David in Frederick County, Md., in April 1961. Sassafras Cabin is visible in the background. Credit: Robert Knudsen/John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum A view of the lower terrace of Aspen Lodge, the Presidential residence at Camp David in Frederick County, Md., in April 1961. Maple Cabin is visible in the background. Credit: Robert Knudsen/John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum The "Witch Hazel" cabin at Camp David in winter. Credit: Robert Knudsen/John F.

Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum Bess Truman (second from right) is pictured at Shangri-La with her Independence, Mo., bridge club: Mary Bostian, Louise Duke and Adelaide Twyman, in April 1946. Over the years, presidents have had different attachments to the camp. President Harry Truman seldom went there. Margaret Truman found the place claustrophobic and gloomy, according to Dale Nelson's book, "The President Is at Camp David." But President Eisenhower was a frequent visitor. An avid golfer, he had a putting green installed with tees at four distances and locations, thus essentially creating a compact four-hole golf course. Credit: Truman Presidential Library President Eisenhower and Vice President Richard Nixon meet with the National Security Council at Camp David in November 1955. Credit: USN/Eisenhower Presidential Library President Eisenhower hosts Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev at Camp David, September 25, 1959. More than 50 heads of state have visited Camp David over the past seven decades, the first being British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, who met with FDR in 1943 to discuss the planned invasion of Normandy.

Credit: USN/Eisenhower Presidential Library President Dwight David Eisenhower is seen skeet shooting at Camp David, March 19, 1960. Credit: National Park Service President Eisenhower and First Lady Mamie Eisenhower relax with a game of Scrabble while vacationing at Camp David in July 1954. Credit: USN/Eisenhower Presidential Library President Eisenhower at a cookout for friends at Camp David, August 14, 1960. Credit: USN/Eisenhower Presidential Library President John F. Kennedy welcomes former President General Dwight D. Eisenhower at Camp David, April 22, 1961. Credit: Robert Knudsen/John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum Photographers gather to observe a meeting of President John F. Kennedy and former President Eisenhower at Camp David, Frederick County, Md. Credit: Abbie Rowe/John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum President John F. Kennedy and former president Dwight D. Eisenhower talk at Camp David, April 22, 1961.

Credit: National Archive/Newsmakers A view of Camp David, with dinner guests visible through windows, during an informal state visit by Australian Prime Minister Harold Holt and his wife, June 17, 1967. Credit: Yoichi Okamoto/LBJ Library President Richard Nixon and an adviser take a walk February 2, 1973 at Camp David, Md. Camp David was Nixon's favorite sanctuary when he was in Washington, retreating there to meet with foreign leaders or escape the pressures of Watergate. Credit: National Archive/Newsmakers President Richard M. Nixon meets at Camp David, Maryland, on November 13, 1972 to discuss the Vietnam war with Secretary of State Henry A. Kissinger (left) and Deputy Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs Maj. Gen. Alexander M. Haig Jr. Credit: AFP PHOTO/NATIONAL ARCHIVE/Getty Images President Gerald Ford holds a bottle for a young deer as Mrs. Ford, Steve Ford and Susan Ford look on at Camp David, Maryland in 1974.

Credit: Newsmakers/National Archives President Gerald Ford demonstrates his skill on a trampoline as his daughter Susan looks on at Camp David, Maryland in 1974. Credit: Newsmakers/National Archives Israeli Prime Minister Menahem Begin (left) chats with U.S. President Jimmy Carter (center) and Egyptian President Anwar Sadat during the Israeli-Egyptian peace talks at the presidential retreat of Camp David in Maryland, September 6, 1978. Begin reflected on the tight security during the talks, likening the camp to a "concentration camp deluxe." The summit led to an historic agreement, signed in March 1979, making Egypt the first Arab nation to recognize the Jewish state. Credit: Moshe Milner/GPO via Getty Images President Ronald Reagan and U.K. Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher wave after their arrival in Camp David, December 22, 1984. Credit: ARCHIVES UPI/AFP/Getty Images Pete Souza was a young White House staff photographer when he snapped President and Mrs. Reagan after a ride at Camp David in 1984. Credit: Pete Souza/Ronald Reagan Library Higher quality image available in hub. In this Jan.

6, 1985 file photo, President Reagan and first lady Nancy Reagan walk toward the White House in Washington, with their dog “Lucky,” shortly after returning from a weekend at the presidential retreat at Camp David, Md. Credit: AP Photo/Ron Edmonds Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev takes U.S. President George Bush for a ride in President Bush's golf cart on June 2, 1990, on their way to a waiting helicopter for the flight back to Washington after a day at the presidential retreat in Camp David. Credit: JEROME DELAY/AFP/Getty Images U.S. President George Bush points to a pair of Texas cowboy boots he gave to Russian President Boris Yeltsin (left) on his 61st birthday, while U.S. Ambassador to Russia Robert Strauss looks on at Camp David, Md., February 1, 1992. The boots are decorated with metal plates representing the maps and flags of the U.S. and Russia. Credit: DAVID VALDEZ/AFP/Getty Images President Bill Clinton meets with his new cabinet during a planning session at Camp David on January 30, 1993, on his first visit to the presidential retreat.

Among the cabinet members at the table in front of Clinton are Secretary of Transportation Federico Pena (left); Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisors Laura Tyson (center), and Secretary of Labor Robert Reich. Credit: OFFICIAL WHITE HOUSE/AFP/Getty Images A White House aide carries President Bill Clinton's golf clubs to the Presidential helicopter, Marine One, on the south lawn of the White House June 27, 1997, in Washington D.C. Credit: JAMAL A. WILSON/AFP/Getty Images During a weekend treat at Camp David, President Bill Clinton putts out on the 9th green as Tony Rodham, brother of Hillary Clinton, holds the President's dog Buddy during a round at nearby Maple Run Golf Club in Thurmont, Md., Jan. 31, 1998. Credit: TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP/Getty Images President Bill Clinton shows Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak (2nd left) and Nava Barak around his office at Camp David, Md., as First Lady Hillary Clinton looks on, July 15, 1999. The Baraks were overnight guests of the president at his mountain retreat.

Credit: SHARON FARMER/AFP/Getty Images President Bill Clinton meets with PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat (2nd right) and members of the Palestinian delegation during the Middle East Peace Summit at the Camp David presidential retreat in Thurmont, Md., July, 11, 2000. Credit: RALPH ALSWANG/AFP/Getty Images President Bill Clinton consults with senior Israeli negotiators (from left) Shlomo Ben-Ami, Shlomo Yanai and Gelad Sher, during the Middle East Peace Summit at the Camp David presidential retreat in Thurmont, Maryland, July 13, 2000. Credit: RALPH ALSWANG/AFP/Getty Images Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and National Security Advisor Sandy Berger confer during the Middle East Peace Summit at the Camp David presidential retreat in Thurmont, Md., July 11, 2000.

Credit: RALPH ALSWANG/AFP/Getty Images Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak (left), Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat (center), and President Bill Clinton walk towards Laurel Cabin, the site where former Egyptian President Anwar Sadat, former Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin, and President Jimmy Carter conducted peace talks in 1978, during the Middle East Peace Summit July 11, 2000 at Camp David, Maryland. Credit: STEPHEN JAFFE/AFP/Getty Images President Bill Clinton walks with PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat and members of the Palestinian delegation, Nabil Abu Rudeina (left) and Gamal Helal (right), during the Middle East Peace Summit at the Camp David presidential retreat in Thurmont, Maryland, July 12, 2000. Credit: SHARON FARMER/AFP/Getty Images Sigal Megidish, from Israel, protests in the rain outside Thurmont Elementary School in Thurmont, Md., against the Middle East Peace Summit being held at the nearby Camp David presidential retreat, July 13, 2000. Credit: PAUL J.

RICHARDS/AFP/Getty Images President Bill Clinton walks with First Lady Hillary Clinton (partly hidden), their daughter Chelsea, mother-in-law Dorothy Rodham and Clinton's stepfather Dick Kelly over the South Lawn of the White House as they leave for a weekend Thanksgiving retreat at Camp David, Md., November 22, 2000. Credit: MANNY CENETA/AFP/Getty Images President Bill Clinton delivers his weekly radio address from Camp David, November 25, 2000. Credit: White House/Newsmakers U.S. President George W. Bush walks with British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Bush's dog Spot at the Camp David presidential retreat in Maryland, February 23, 2001. Credit: LUKE FRAZZA/AFP/Getty Images President George W. Bush receives a briefing from National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice, left, and CIA Director George Tenet at the presidential retreat at Camp David, Md., April 7, 2001. Credit: Eric Draper/White House/Newsmakers Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi tosses a baseball to U.S. President George W.

Bush during his visit to Camp David, Md., June 20, 2001. Credit: PAUL J. RICHARDS/AFP/Getty Images President Bush, left, and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown walk to a joint press availability at Camp David, Md., Monday, July 30, 2007. Credit: AP Photo/Charles Dharapak President Bush, left, and Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai participate in a joint press availability, Monday, Aug. 6, 2007, at Camp David, Md. Credit: AP Photo/Charles Dharapak President Bush, left, walks with Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Sheik Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan during an arrival at Camp David, Thursday, June 26, 2008. Credit: AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais President Bush, right, in his golf cart with Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Sheik Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, during an arrival at Camp David, Thursday, June 26, 2008.

Credit: AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais President Barack Obama, and his daughters Sasha, right, and Malia, second from right, walk across the South Lawn of the White House after stepping off of Marine One in Washington, Sunday, Oct. 3, 2010, as they return from Camp David. As of May 2012, President Obama has visited Camp David 22 times, spending all of part of 54 days there, according to CBS News' Mark Knoller - a far less frequent visitor than his predecessor, George W. Bush, who by the same point in his presidency had made 81 visits to Camp David, spanning all or part of 256 days. Credit: AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster The Marine One helicopter carrying President Obama takes off from the South Lawn of the White House in Washington July 1, 2011, for Camp David, Md. Credit: AP Photo A National Park Service officer stands guard as a Buddhist monk demonstrates for world peace outside one of the entrances to Camp David on May 18, 2012 near Thurmont, Maryland. The small town of Thurmont will help host world leaders this weekend as U.S.

President Barack Obama holds the G-8 summit at the nearby presidential retreat. Although many foreign leaders have visited the retreat over the span of 13 presidential administrations, the May 2012 G-8 meeting represents the first time more than two foreign leaders have gathered there at one time. By CBSNews.com senior editor David Morgan The Associated Press contributed to this report. Credit: Win McNamee/Getty Images Presidential Vacations Presidential Vacations Posted on August 28, 2014 | Updated on December 23, 2015 Q: Is it true that George W. Bush took more vacation days than Barack Obama? A: Yes. Before his two-week trip to Martha’s Vineyard in August, Obama’s count was 125 full or partial days and Bush’s total at the same point in his presidency was 407. FULL ANSWER Our inbox is chock full of questions about who took more vacation days, Obama or Bush. (The short answer: Bush.

The long answer: There’s no such thing as a true non-working vacation for the president.) The recent barrage from our readers coincides with Obama’s 15-day family vacation on Martha’s Vineyard — he returned to the White House on Aug. 24 — which occurred during major news events including the beheading of a U.S. journalist by Islamic militants and protests in Ferguson, Missouri, after a police officer shot and killed an unarmed 18-year-old black man. The vacation also occurred during the funeral of Maj. Gen. Harold J. Greene , the only general officer killed in Afghanistan. Obama faced criticism for being on vacation during these times, but those types of complaints are nothing new — either to Obama or presidents in general. Readers may recall the criticism directed at Bush for the August weeks spent at his ranch in Crawford, Texas. Others may remember Democrats chastising President Dwight Eisenhower for spending time on the golf course . We last dealt with the who-took-more-vacation question in January 2010 , at which point Obama had spent 26 days on “vacation” during his first year in office, fewer than the first year totals for Presidents Bush, George H.W. Bush or Ronald Reagan.

Our numbers are all courtesy of CBS News White House Correspondent Mark Knoller, who has covered every president since Gerald Ford and tracks the commander in chief’s travel. But, as we noted then, presidents never fully escape from the job. Knoller told us he doesn’t consider these days away from the White House real “vacation” days. He said then in an email: “I have long held the view that a US president is never really on vacation. The job — and its awesome powers and responsibilities — is his wherever he is and whatever he’s doing.” Bush officials called the Crawford ranch the “Western White House” to emphasize the days there involved plenty of official business, and Obama’s recent Martha’s Vineyard break included several presidential statements and two days spent back at the White House in the middle of the “vacation.” Presidents may clear brush or hit the links, but they are never actually off the clock. Still, much is made of these presidential vacation days — and how to count them. Knoller doesn’t include visits to Camp David , the presidential retreat in Maryland often used to host foreign leaders. On Aug.

8, the day before Obama left for Martha’s Vineyard , Knoller tweeted that Obama had spent 125 full or partial days on vacation , and at the same point in Bush’s presidency, he had spent 381 days at his Texas ranch plus 26 days at his parents’ home in Kennebunkport, Maine, for a total of 407. When we emailed Knoller on Aug. 26, Obama was up to 140 days by his count. Bush’s total for his two terms in office is 533 days, which includes 490 at the ranch and the rest at Kennebunkport. For comparison’s sake, President Bill Clinton’s total is 174 days, and Reagan hit 390 (349 at his ranch and 41 in Palm Springs), according to Knoller. Adding in Camp David visits would bring Obama’s total to date to 223 (that’s 83 days at Camp David) and Bush’s total for his entire time in office to 1,024 (491 days at the presidential retreat). Note that Obama still has more than two years in office to narrow the gap.

Deciding how to count these “vacation” days can create some confusion. CNN recently listed a count of 879 days for Bush and 150 for Obama, numbers that came from a Washington Post “Outlook” piece on “Five myths on presidential vacations.” (Myth No. 1: “Presidents get vacations.”) The 879 figure, it turns out, is from March 3, 2008, at which point Bush had spent that many days at the ranch and Camp David (but it doesn’t include days in Kennebunkport). The numbers are in a 2008 Washington Post piece and attributed to Knoller. If readers want to make an apples-to-apples comparison, the best solution is to use Knoller’s figures as of August 8, cited above: Bush, 407; Obama, 125. But the numbers say more about how many days the presidents spent away from the White House than they do about how much time the presidents spent not working. Updated, Dec. 23, 2015: As he has in past years, the president is vacationing in Hawaii for the holidays.

So we thought we would check in with Knoller, the CBS reporter who keeps track of presidential vacations, for an update. Knoller tells us in an email that Obama has taken “24 vacation trips of varying lengths totaling all or part of 182 days as of today.” This means that Obama as president now has taken more vacation days than Bill Clinton, but less than George W. Bush. — Lori Robertson Knoller, Mark. Email interview with FactCheck.org. 26 Aug 2014. Knoller, Mark. Twitter feed . 8 Aug 2014. Farris, Scott. “ Five myths about presidential vacations .” Washington Post. 15 Aug 2014. Froomkin, Dan. White House Watch . Washington Post. 4 Mar 2008.

Question: What is the name of the U.S. Presidential retreat?
Answer: Camp David