|9 min read
Presidential Retreats Through History: A Comparison
From FDR's Shangri-La to Bush's Crawford Ranch and Trump's Mar-a-Lago — comparing how presidents have used personal retreats across American history.
Introduction
Every president needs a retreat — a place away from the intense pressures of the Oval Office where they can relax, think, and recharge. The specific retreats each president has chosen reveal much about their personality, priorities, and vision of the presidency. From Franklin Roosevelt's creation of Shangri-La (later Camp David) to Trump's rotation between Mar-a-Lago and Bedminster, the history of presidential retreats is a fascinating window into how the most powerful office in the world has been managed across different eras and different individuals. At LocateTrump.com, our tracking data adds a new quantitative dimension to this history, providing precise measurements of how much time the current president spends at his chosen retreats compared to the official White House.
Camp David: The Government Retreat
Camp David has served as the official presidential retreat since Franklin Roosevelt converted a federal work camp in Maryland's Catoctin Mountains into "Shangri-La" in 1942. Renamed by Eisenhower in honor of his grandson, Camp David has hosted some of the most consequential events in presidential history, including the Camp David Accords between Egypt and Israel. The retreat's appeal lies in its security (it is a military installation), its privacy (no public access), and its proximity to Washington (about 60 miles). However, its rustic aesthetic and lack of golf facilities have made it less appealing to some presidents, including Trump, who has visited far less frequently than predecessors like George W. Bush, who made approximately 149 visits during his two terms.
LBJ's Texas Ranch
President Lyndon B. Johnson retreated to his ranch in Stonewall, Texas, so frequently that it became known as the "Texas White House." The LBJ Ranch served as both a personal retreat and an active center of presidential operations, with Johnson hosting foreign leaders, cabinet meetings, and press conferences on the property. Johnson's deep personal connection to the Texas Hill Country meant the ranch was more than a vacation destination — it was an expression of his identity. The ranch featured its own runway for Air Force One, a helipad, and communications equipment that allowed Johnson to function as president without interruption. This model of a personalized, fully functional presidential retreat foreshadowed the approach Trump has taken with Mar-a-Lago and Bedminster.
Nixon's Western White House
Richard Nixon maintained a compound in San Clemente, California, that was dubbed the "Western White House." The oceanfront property, known as La Casa Pacifica, provided Nixon with a Pacific coast retreat far from Washington. Nixon also used a home on Key Biscayne, Florida, as a winter retreat, creating a two-property rotation that anticipated the Mar-a-Lago/Bedminster pattern decades later. Nixon's retreats were controversial due to government-funded security improvements that enhanced the value of his private properties, a debate that has echoes in modern discussions about Secret Service expenditures at Trump properties. The Nixon-era retreats established the precedent that presidential work could be conducted effectively from personal properties far from Washington.
Bush's Crawford Ranch
George W. Bush's Prairie Chapel Ranch in Crawford, Texas, served as his primary retreat throughout his eight-year presidency. Bush spent approximately 490 days at the ranch during his two terms, more time at a personal retreat than any other modern president at a single property. The 1,600-acre working ranch was equipped with a SCIF (Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility) for classified briefings, secure communications for military command, and helicopter landing facilities. Bush used Crawford as a genuine alternative White House, hosting foreign leaders including Russian President Vladimir Putin, Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah, and British Prime Minister Tony Blair in the rustic ranch setting. The Crawford model demonstrated that a personal property could serve virtually all presidential functions, establishing a precedent that Trump has expanded upon with his more luxurious properties.
Obama's Vacation Choices
Barack Obama took a different approach to presidential retreats, without a single fixed personal property that served as an alternative White House. Instead, Obama's vacation patterns included annual visits to Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts during the summer and trips to Hawaii during the Christmas holiday period. These destinations were rental properties rather than owned homes, creating a different dynamic than the proprietary retreats of Bush and Trump. Obama also made moderate use of Camp David, particularly for family weekends and small group retreats. The Obama model represented a more traditional vacation pattern, with distinct destinations chosen for their recreational qualities rather than as functional extensions of the White House.
Trump's Retreat Evolution
Trump's retreat pattern represents perhaps the most extensive use of personal properties in presidential history. The Mar-a-Lago-in-winter and Bedminster-in-summer rotation creates two fully functional alternative presidential bases, each equipped with permanent Secret Service infrastructure, secure communications, and the ability to host diplomatic events. Unlike Camp David, these properties reflect Trump's personal aesthetic preferences and include championship golf courses. Our tracking data shows that Trump spends a higher percentage of his time at personal properties than any recent president, reflecting both personal preference and the enhanced capability of modern communications to support remote presidential operations. Explore this data on our travel statistics dashboard or browse the complete location history to see how retreat time compares across the presidential calendar.
presidential retreatspresidential vacation homesCamp David historyBush Crawford RanchObama Martha VineyardLBJ RanchNixon Western White Housepresidential getaway comparison
LT
LocateTrump Research Team
An independent team of developers, data analysts, and researchers tracking presidential location and activity using publicly available information from 10+ major news sources. Operating continuously since January 20, 2025. All content follows our editorial standards for source verification and accuracy.
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