Air Force Base Locations

[billybarue]

Originally Posted by MiamiE

If you like to hunt. Eglin AFB is like your own personal lease. The whole property is a Florida WMA with some big Florida deer. And you got sunny weather and beaches!

Good point - I forgot to mention that. Eglin/Hurlburt has the largest Federal land reservation of any Air Force Base. And there are a few others that are very large as well (Wright-Patterson Ohio, Barksdale Louisiana) but Eglin is huge.

The downside of this is it can make finding housing a hassle. The federal land is so large that there isn't any/much in the way of private land for almost 20 miles north until you hit Crestview Florida. Obviously you can go East (toward Panama City) or West (toward Pensacola) and be closer to the beaches. Towns around Eglin (FW beach, Shalimar, Valparaiso, Niceville are small). I recommend Niceville - it's name suits it perfectly. It has good neighborhoods and schools. That's where I have my house - I'll let you know if my tenants leave anytime soon!

Eglin MWR (Morale Welfare and Recreation) runs a stretch of beach on the ocean that is federal land as well. You can only access it with military ID (just like the base). Rather nice when all the other beaches get overrun you can use "your own personal beach". I guarantee MWR has boats/RVs/etc for rental to take advantage of the area. There is also a site on Niceville Bay that has MWR cabins for rent. They are in high demand especially in the spring/summer/fall. Oddly, the MWR office up at Maxwell AFB (Montgomery, AL) is the office in charge of the cabins.

Good Luck

[DrDubzz]

Originally Posted by billybarue

Good point - I forgot to mention that. Eglin/Hurlburt has the largest Federal land reservation of any Air Force Base. And there are a few others that are very large as well (Wright-Patterson Ohio, Barksdale Louisiana) but Eglin is huge.

The downside of this is it can make finding housing a hassle. The federal land is so large that there isn't any/much in the way of private land for almost 20 miles north until you hit Crestview Florida. Obviously you can go East (toward Panama City) or West (toward Pensacola) and be closer to the beaches. Towns around Eglin (FW beach, Shalimar, Valparaiso, Niceville are small). I recommend Niceville - it's name suits it perfectly. It has good neighborhoods and schools. That's where I have my house - I'll let you know if my tenants leave anytime soon!

Eglin MWR (Morale Welfare and Recreation) runs a stretch of beach on the ocean that is federal land as well. You can only access it with military ID (just like the base). Rather nice when all the other beaches get overrun you can use "your own personal beach". I guarantee MWR has boats/RVs/etc for rental to take advantage of the area. There is also a site on Niceville Bay that has MWR cabins for rent. They are in high demand especially in the spring/summer/fall. Oddly, the MWR office up at Maxwell AFB (Montgomery, AL) is the office in charge of the cabins.

Good Luck

I will have my wife read this, thanks!