NOTE: SUNY Empire has resumed in-person student services and supports. Students are encouraged to schedule appointments in advance, wherever possible.

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Fort Drum Directions

SUNY Empire State College serves both civilian and military students and is located in the Robert C. McEwen Library and Education Complex on the Fort Drum military installation.

Note: The physical address, 4300 Camp Hale Rd., may not work well in GPS systems.

Visitors, follow the steps below, and enter the post through the main gate.

STEP 1: Travel to the Fort Drum Main Gate Visitor’s Center

(Fort Drum Visitor Control Center, Iraqi Freedom Dr., Fort Drum, NY 13603)

  • From Interstate 81, take exit 48A (just north of Watertown) to 781 East. This is the connector road from I-81 to Ft. Drum. It’s about 5 miles from I-81 to the main gate. Or from Rt. 11, follow the signs to turn onto the short road to get to Fort Drum.
  • Please note: There are multiple gates onto the Fort Drum installation, and visitors without a DoD ID card MUST get their day pass from the main gate. If traveling from the southeast, the main gate is not the closest one to you, so you should put the specific address above into your GPS or map planner and you will travel to the opposite side of post in order to get in.
  • Pull into the Visitor’s Center to the right, just before the main gate, and park your car.
  • Take your driver’s license (or photo ID) and car info into the Visitor’s Center. If you are driving your own car, bring in up-to-date car registration and car insurance documents. If you are driving a rental car, bring in the car rental agreement or whatever you have with you. Everyone in the car will need to show an ID.
  • The Visitor’s Center staff will do a quick background check and then give you a day pass to allow you to go through the gate. But if there’s a line of others waiting to be processed, it can get backed up in the Visitor’s Center. To be safe, you should leave ½ hour between the time you arrive at the Visitor’s Center and the time you arrive at the Fort Drum office.

STEP 2: Travel to the SUNY Empire State College Fort Drum location in the Education Center

(Note: the physical address of the SUNY Empire Fort Drum location, 4300 Camp Hale Road, may not work well in GPS systems)

  • Pull out of the Visitor’s Center, turn right and stop at the gate. Show your day pass.
  • After going through the gate, go approximately 0.7 miles to the second traffic light and turn right on Mt. Belvedere Road.
  • Continue about 2 miles. At the fourth traffic light, turn left onto Po Valley Road.
  • Drive almost a mile. At the first traffic light, turn right onto Conway Road.
  • The Education Center and McEwen Library will be the second driveway on your left. There are two parking lots, one on either side of the building – you can park in either one.
  • When you come into the building, the library will be on one side of the hallway and the Education Center and the SUNY Empire State College offices will be on the other side.
  • For questions, call the Fort Drum Empire State College office at 315-773-6139.