The Camp Lejeune guide

• Fly into Albert J. Ellis Airport (OAJ) in Richlands, served by American Eagle and Delta Connection; it is about 30 miles and 35 to 45 minutes to the Holcomb Boulevard main gate via NC-111 and US-17, and rental cars are on site.
• Wilmington (ILM) is about an hour south on US-17 and usually has more flight options; Raleigh-Durham (RDU) is about two and a half hours and often the cheapest fare for a long stay.
• The Holcomb Boulevard main gate, Wilson Gate, and the Sneads Ferry gate on NC-172 are open 24 hours; the Midway Park, Camp Johnson, and Stone Bay gates were also listed as 24-hour as of early 2026. Confirm current status on the base Gate Hours page before an early-morning report.
• Piney Green Gate runs weekdays only, roughly 5:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. inbound and to 6 p.m. outbound, and is closed on weekends and holiday liberty periods; the TOP Gate has operated on reduced hours since 2024.
• The Visitor Center and Pass and Registration office is at 812 Holcomb Boulevard just outside the main gate, open weekdays from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. and closed weekends and holidays; visitors without a CAC need a background check and, if driving, license, registration, and proof of insurance.
• Expect stacked-up traffic on Western Boulevard, Lejeune Boulevard, and Holcomb Boulevard between 0600 and 0800 and again from 1500 to 1730, and watch for rolling gate closures for maintenance that the base announces on its website and Facebook page.

• Children living on base attend DoDEA Camp Lejeune Schools: seven schools including Lejeune High School, Brewster Middle School, a primary and an intermediate school, and three elementary schools spread across the housing areas.
• Off-base families are zoned to Onslow County Schools, one of the largest districts in eastern North Carolina; Jacksonville High, Northside, Southwest, Swansboro, Richlands, White Oak, and Dixon are the high schools most military families end up in depending on address.
• MCCS Child and Youth Programs run several Child Development Centers on the main base and at New River, plus school-age care and youth centers; wait lists are real, so register on MilitaryChildCare.com as soon as orders are in hand.
• The School Liaison Program at Marine and Family Programs helps with transfers, DoDEA-to-county transitions, and special-education records; Coastal Carolina Community College in Jacksonville is the closest college campus and offers evening and online programs used by many active-duty students.

• Naval Medical Center Camp Lejeune at 100 Brewster Boulevard is a full hospital with a 24-hour emergency department, inpatient care, surgery, labor and delivery, and specialty clinics, serving more than 150,000 beneficiaries; branch health clinics at Camp Geiger, Camp Johnson, Courthouse Bay, and New River handle routine care for students and units.
• Camp Lejeune is in the TRICARE East Region, administered by Humana Military; TDY travelers on Prime should use the hospital or a branch clinic for routine needs and call the Nurse Advice Line before seeking urgent care off base.
• The nearest civilian hospital is Onslow Memorial Hospital on Western Boulevard in Jacksonville; the region's Level I trauma centers are New Hanover Regional Medical Center (Novant Health) in Wilmington and ECU Health Medical Center in Greenville, both about an hour or more away.
• The main hospital pharmacy handles new prescriptions and activations, with additional pharmacy windows at the branch clinics and an Exchange pharmacy option; TRICARE network retail pharmacies around Jacksonville fill the gaps after hours.

Commissary & Exchange

Main Exchange and the commissary sit together off Holcomb Boulevard near the Lejeune Inn, with a food court, Marine Mart convenience stores at each satellite camp, and a separate Exchange and commissary at MCAS New River.

Fitness

MCCS runs a network of fitness centers including the Wallace Creek Fitness Center, the Area 2 gym at Camp Geiger, and facilities at Camp Johnson, Courthouse Bay, Stone Bay, and New River, plus outdoor pools and the Paradise Point golf course.

Outdoor recreation

Onslow Beach is the base's own Atlantic beach with a campground, cabins, and rentals, and MCCS Outdoor Adventures rents kayaks, boats, and camping gear; Gottschalk Marina on the New River handles boat storage and launches.

Dining

Unit mess halls feed students and single Marines at each camp, while the Exchange food court, the Paradise Point clubhouse, and a long strip of chain and local restaurants on Western Boulevard and Lejeune Boulevard cover everything else.

Legal & finance

The Legal Services Support Section handles wills, powers of attorney, and notaries; the Personal Financial Management Program at Marine and Family Programs offers counseling, and Marine Federal Credit Union and Navy Federal both have branches on and around the base.

Chapel & pets

Base chapels on mainside, at Camp Geiger, Camp Johnson, and Courthouse Bay run Catholic and Protestant services; the Veterinary Treatment Facility offers vaccinations and health certificates, and the Lejeune Inn's pet policy should be confirmed before you arrive with an animal.

1. 01Figure out which camp your course meets at before you book lodging: Camp Geiger and Camp Johnson are on the north side by New River, while Courthouse Bay and Stone Bay are 30 to 40 minutes south near Sneads Ferry.
2. 02Use the Sneads Ferry gate on NC-172 for anything on the south side; it is 24 hours and skips the Western Boulevard traffic entirely.
3. 03Piney Green Gate closes on weekends and holiday liberty periods, so do not plan a Saturday arrival through it.
4. 04Book the Lejeune Inn the day your orders hit and get the non-availability confirmation number in writing if they are full; DTS reviewers here ask for it.
5. 05Rolling gate closures for maintenance are announced on the base website and Facebook page a few days ahead; check the night before a 0500 report.
6. 06Per diem is the flat $110 standard rate year-round, so a summer beach-house listing that jumps in June will not be covered; lock in a monthly crashpad rate instead.
7. 07Keep a hurricane plan: from August through October know your evacuation route (US-17 and NC-24 west) and where your unit posts destructive-weather conditions.
8. 08The Beirut Memorial observance each October 23 is a big deal in Jacksonville; if you are on base that week, go.

More North Carolina guides

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