Camp David is a 125-acre presidential retreat in Frederick County, Maryland, roughly 62 miles north-northwest of Washington, D.C. It sits within Catoctin Mountain Park, near the towns of Thurmont and Emmitsburg. The facility's official code name is Naval Support Facility Thurmont, and it is staffed by Seabees, Navy personnel, and Marines.
What was Camp David originally called before it was renamed?
Camp David was originally called Hi-Catoctin, a rest retreat built by the Works Progress Administration between 1935 and 1938. Franklin D. Roosevelt converted it to a presidential retreat in 1942 and renamed it Shangri-La. Dwight Eisenhower gave it its current name in 1953 to honor his father and his grandson, both named David.
What were the Camp David Accords and when did they happen?
The Camp David Accords were a peace agreement brokered by President Jimmy Carter in September 1978. Carter brought Egyptian president Anwar al-Sadat and Israeli prime minister Menachem Begin together at the Maryland retreat to negotiate the agreement.
Which president visited Camp David the most times?
Ronald Reagan visited Camp David 189 times during his two terms in office, more than any other president. Richard Nixon holds the second-highest count with 160 visits.
What happened at the 2000 Camp David Summit?
Bill Clinton convened the 2000 Camp David Summit in July 2000, bringing Israeli prime minister Ehud Barak and Palestinian Authority chairman Yasser Arafat to the retreat for direct negotiations. The talks were an effort to reach a peace agreement between the two parties.
Why does Camp David not appear on Catoctin Mountain Park maps?
Camp David is intentionally excluded from Catoctin Mountain Park's official maps due to privacy and security concerns. The compound is, however, visible through publicly accessible satellite images and on certain online mapping services, including Google Maps.