Camp Blanding is really two different trips. The World War II museum on State Road 16 is free and sits outside the main gate, so you don’t need a base pass. Just plan to arrive between noon and 4 p.m.

The wildlife management area behind the gate is another story. Since Sept. 1, 2026, anyone who wants to hike, fish, hunt or bird there needs a permit, a cleared background check for most adults and a weekday stop at the gate office.

For most civilians, general access costs $125.

Below is what each visit involves, what the new permit actually costs, how long the process takes and the catches you won’t spot right away on the official sites.

Camp Blanding Museum: free, and no base pass needed

• Address: 5629 SR 16 West, Building 3040, Starke, FL 32091
• Hours: Daily, noon to 4 p.m. The Florida National Guard lists it as closed Thanksgiving and Christmas, so call ahead around holidays.
• Cost: Free. Donations are welcome.
• Getting in: The museum is outside the main gate, according to Visit Florida, so you don’t need a permit or military ID.
• Phone: (904) 682-3196. Group tours before or after regular hours are available by appointment.

Camp Blanding opened as a Florida National Guard training site in 1939 and grew into a major Army training center during World War II. The museum covers that history through uniforms, equipment, vehicles, aircraft and other military artifacts.

Save time for Memorial Park outside. It holds the large pieces, from World War II through Vietnam and Desert Storm, plus monuments to the units that trained here. If your kids like tanks and planes, that’s probably the part they’ll remember.

Camp Blanding is really two different trips. The World War II museum on State Road 16 is free and sits outside the main gate, so you don’t need a base pass. Just plan to arrive between noon and 4 p.m.

The wildlife management area behind the gate is another story. Since Sept. 1, 2026, anyone who wants to hike, fish, hunt or bird there needs a permit, a cleared background check for most adults and a weekday stop at the gate office.

For most civilians, general access costs $125.

Below is what each visit involves, what the new permit actually costs, how long the process takes, and the catches you won’t spot right away on the official sites.