Military Park Fort Fisher Air Force Recreation Area (Seymour Johnson AFB)

Stephanie Hodge

We absolutely loved Blakeslee and will be coming back very soon! For reference: we visited in a camper/RV, though we will also be recommending the cottages to our family. It's 1 rental per military ID (you can sponsor). Pros: - Spacious sites with full hook ups (including sewer). - Very affordable for the location. - Short walk to the beach. Or, if you don't want to walk... - Big parking area in the field at the entrance next to a public access. It looks like there use to be buildings there, but they were gone when we went. (you have to cross the street, but it's not bad). - Beach is clean and charming. - Laundry, shower, and toilet facilities. - The Riverview Restaurant was very nice and the food was well made. Though they are only open Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings. They had a nice selection of beers on tap too and the view is spectacular. - Close proximity to Wilmington, which has Everything else you might need. - Kure and Carolina Beach has a super cute vibe. Like if Emerald Isle and SoCal had a baby. - Very quiet at night and kids loved playing on the street. No one really "partied" super loud or hard. - Only a couple miles from the Aquarium and Fort Fisher Museum. - Big pier on inlet side for fishing and a boat launch. - We really want to try the river side pull through sites next because they were gorgeous, new, and the views were amazing (sites 36-41) - Restaurants on island were only a short drive up the street. - The sites with poured slabs were nicely done. - The staff at the check in office and restaurant are all very nice. Cons: - Tight parking for on-island restaurants. (Not including 'Riverview Restaurant', theirs was spacious) - No-See-Ums (sand flies) came out at dawn and dusk. We didn't have a problem with mosquitos, but those buggers sting. - Bath houses are a little on the old side and could use an update. - Depending on when you visit (Holidays, etc.) it can book up quick. This isn't abnormal for a beach town, but worth mentioning. - The sites are angled a little strange in some cases and can be hard to park in. Some of the overflow are tucked next to a building, in the woods, or pointed at another site, soooo... Tips: - Make sure you have a good idea of where your site is and which direction it's pointed before booking. (Google satellite and older maps aren't very accurate so I attached the map they gave me) We were in site 8 and liked it a lot, but our picnic area pointed to our neighbors picnic area and they had to pull straight in. - If the wind was blowing, the No-see-ums weren't bad. But you may want to hang out inside when the sun is low, or the air is still. - Book your aquarium tickets online. It was busy. - Be patient in regards to the check in office and park your camper first. They are going through renovations and the lot is not suitable for a camper to drive through. - Bring shade. HAPPY CAMPING!

ABNSTNGR 87

Only Active Duty, Retired Military or Disabled Veterans (100%) with a VA card can book space here. You must use the online reservation request system format and someone will call to confirm your request and provide a reservation number. We stayed here for 3 nights from 26-29 Dec 24. We had a one bedroom cottage and it was nice and cozy for my wife and I. Check-in was quick and easy. Sarah was very professional, helpful and very informative about the local area. Unfortunately, the weather was hit and miss...cold and rainy or cold and windy but we enjoyed each day. The room is nice and clean, but do not expect a Hilton or Westin experience. Our cottage seemed to be a freshly painted, but the furniture was a bit dated and worn. The kitchenette has dish soap, dish towels, dishes and silverware, but I opted to buy disposables to prevent washing dishes everyday. The bathroom is tight and has one sink, so plan accordingly. It had two bath towels and wash cloths. Be advised, they are basic training quality...one step above scouring pad, but they would do the job. I read previous reviews, and we brought our own, so it wasn't an issue for us. The bedroom was nice and comfy. The bedding was nice and the mattress was medium comfort. Pillows are thin, so you may want to bring your own as well. The room was very clean and tidy. You will have to clean your space daily or before you leave. There was no exchange of towels during our visit, so bring your own or wash what you have. The laundry is coin operated $0.75 to wash and $0.75 to dry. I recommend a credit card or NFC payment for these machines. The ice maker is located on the laundry room but was inoperable while we were there. Beach access is across the street (NE corner of cottage area) with a crosswalk and lighting system to notify vehicle operators. Fort Fisher State Park and the beach are close to the aquarium. Riverfront restaurant was closed for the season, so we ate in the Carolina/ Kure Beach area. It wasn't congested at all and the atmosphere was nice. Overall, it was a good stay, and I would recommend this to anyone coming to Kure Beach area. Pros: Cost, location, atmosphere, employees Cons: On-stie laundry ( update payment options)

Katharine Bayer

We loved our stay at Blakeslee and were very impressed with the accommodations and location! This Air Force Recreation Area (AFRA) is open to military ID card holders (active, retired, DOD, etc). Our family friends recommended it after they visited with their RV. My mom made the reservation via the main office and there were very accommodating and helpful with all of the information. We booked a "cottage" and they have various ones to pick from (1, 2 and 3-4 bedroom). We stayed in a 2 bedroom cottage and it was all one story, had queen beds and twin beds in the layout, a common area, fully stocked kitchen and multiple bathrooms. The floors are cement so we took the advice of others and brought padded mats for our toddler and baby. We were also surprised with all of the kitchen items- utensils, pots, pans, toaster, microwave. There is no dishwasher so bring your own dish soap. There is also a washer and dryer. Sheets and bedding are provided. The wifi was the only thing that was a bit spotty and no strong signal. We loved the outdoor seating area overlooking the courtyard and watching the sunrises and sunsets. You can walk or drive over to the museum and check-in area. There is also a restaurant open to the public called Riverview. Next to the restaurant is a pier where we say people fishing and a sign that said watch out for alligators. We walked, enjoyed the scenery and spent time at the beach. You just cross the street and there is a public beach access walkway very close to the property. We also took the ferry from Fort Fisher to Southport which was a fun experience. The aquarium is also really close and of course Carolina and Kure Beach. We had a great stay! Thank you!

Kayla Linke

Great place! Can someone let me know the schedule for the restaurant as of July 2022? It doesn't seem to match up with Google. We camped here July of 2021 and had a spectacular time. The camp store has lots of goodies and you can rent bikes, surf boards and other outdoor recreation toys, the staff are very friendly and accommodating, you can walk to the beach as well as to the Cape Fear River where there is a boat slip and a pier with great fishing to be had.

Bonnie Harris

Fort Fisher is for military so you must have a military ID to book. We had the whole family for spring break staying in 2 of the 4 BR cottages and had an RV in the RV campground. We had stayed here 25 years ago and the cottages have been upgraded substantially. The biggest plus are the beautiful beaches of Kure Beach which can be accessed by crossing the highway at one of the two access points. Its an easy walk but with all our beach gear we needed a wagon. There are 10 to 15 wooden steps however to get down to the beach. The beach drops off where the water meets it so it is over your head very quickly and the waves were very strong so it could be scary for young children. We went the second week of April and it was cool and windy. We did swim every day however....cold but fun! There is also access to the Cape Fear River for fishing from the dock on Ft. Fisher. The restaurant there is currently closed and the hours of the check in location are limited but they have a way to check in after hours. Golf carts can be rented on Ft Fisher but can only be used on the rec. area. We rented from SUNFUN rentals so that we could go on the road. Their rules are electric carts only in Kure Beach and only on roads with speed limits of 35 mph or less. Our 6 person cart would only go 10 mph so we were a little nervous driving on the 35 mph roads which were pretty busy even in April. The RV park is very nice. Spots are spacious but there are few trees and very little shade so could be hot in the summer....it was perfect in April. They seemed to have many other places you could park your RV with no hook ups and spots for tents but I am not sure of the rules for those. The houses had nice front porches and and many of the larger units were in a circular common area with a sidewalks and lots of room for playing and flying kites. This was great for watching little kids. There were quite a few kids there and they had fun playing in this large common area. There were also basic grills and picnic tables in this area. The cottages were nice enough....typical institutional furniture. Beds were comfortable but the kitchens were not well appointed. If there is a must have you need for cooking, you should bring your own. The floors were polished cement so kind of a cold feeling but very practical for beach living. Internet was terrible but they had some TV channels. Apparently you could check out a cable box but I don't know what that was about. These cottages were all you needed for a fun beach vacation. We loved the NC Aquarium but you must book in advance. We also enjoyed the Venus Flytrap trail, the Fort Fisher State Historic Site (be sure to see the film), the Arcade and Pier at Kure Beach and the donuts from Wake n Bake.