Camp David in the residence; a total of three planes were intercepted over that July 9 weekend. Camp David Camp David is the country retreat for the President of the United States. It is located in the wooded hills of Catoctin Mountain Park near Thurmont, Maryland, also near Emmitsburg, Maryland about 62 miles (100 km) north-northwest of Washington, D.C. It is officially known as the Naval Support Facility Thurmont, because it is technically a military installation, and staffing is primarily provided by the United States Navy and the United States Marine Corps. Originally known as Hi-Catoctin, Camp David was built as a
Camp Agawam peers." David Mason and his wife Peg founded the Main Idea program in 1971, a charitable project that sponsors attendance at the camp for disadvantaged boys from southern Maine towns. Mason states: "I wanted to do something for the boys living around here, who see out-of-state campers come and go each year, but think that camp is an experience that will never come their way." By 2005, the program had involved over 2,600 boys, and had gained local and national media coverage. Senator Susan Collins described the initiative in 2009 as "truly a meaningful investment in Maine's most precious resource—our