I am relatively new to owning an RV and I was wondering if KOAs as a whole are nice or if it better to stay non-franchise cg s. I f have stayed a few KOAs and I get the feeling that KOA does not monitor the cgs that are not in the more tourist areas. I plan on doing a lot of traveling and KOA has a great website to locate a cg. I hope that my poor experiences have been the exception rather than the norm. So, as a whole are KOAs to be avoided :angry: or enjoyed ?
We have stayed at some very nice KOAs and some very bad ones. I think this website is the best to use to locate a good campground. Just click on the map of the state that you want to visit (on the front page - http://campgroundreviews.com/ ) and you will be able to view honest opinions on a lot of different campgrounds, opinions posted by "regular" people just like yourself.
Its like any other campground chain, as Cheryl says, with some good ones and some bad ones. The ONLY campground information site I know that is generally dependable in telling like it is about a specific campground is this one. Check here before you make a reservation.
We've been fulltiming since 1999. At first we also thought of KOA as the Holiday Inn of campgrounds.....predictable....reasonably priced place to stay. We don't regard them that way now due to experience. There are some nice ones, but as a whole we have found them to be overpriced for the facilities they offer, and many in poor repair, especially older ones that haven't upgraded in years. As a rule KOA's are now our last choice and the reviews on this site have helped us make better, more informed and economical choices as we travel. The variety and condition of campgrounds varies widely across private and public campgrounds. Opinions directly from other campers is your best guide.
We use our MH to travel and put on many more miles than the average RVer and stay at lots of CG where we have no choice but to stay close to where we need to be. I will say that as a rule most KOAs are higher priced and lower quality than others. I will say as a rule most Jellystones are high priced and nice so it is not that I am against franchises. I beleive KOA does not ck or if they do their standards are so low that I specifically exclude them from my search unless there is nothing else there or this site says that they are ok. Nost are older parks with smaller roads and sites and on the east coast livin gon the reputations of the brand for a little while longer. I was talking to an owner of a park that was going to be a jellystone park and he had to rip out the old pool and put in a whole new area and update a nice CG to super status before he could be a Jellystone.
One KOA that I would stay at when in the area is the one closest to Mount Rushmore. It has beautiful views, lots of activities, pools, waterslide, etc. It lives up to what the KOA name used to be.
We camp in a pop-up, so the cleanliness of the showers and bathrooms is very important to us. We've found that with a few exceptions, the KOA bathrooms are always clean and in good repair. We've also found that most KOAs are pretty well run--certainly better than the average independent CG. Our biggest complaint is the small site size in most KOAs. We usually just stop at a KOA for an overnight while on the road. Once we get where we're going, we look for a nice state or national park campground. Yes, there are bad KOAs, but a relatively small percentage.
We also used to stay at KOA's but they priced them selves too high & let many of their facilities run down. Also the attitude seems to be that because they are KOA they don't need to "try harder". We stay at one now only when nothing else is available in the area.
Some good, some bad. Most overpriced. KOA was sold and new owners are trying to weed out the bad ones and clean up the rest. There standards are a little higher now.
We've had mixed experiences with Koa's. We just stayed at a great one in Jackson Hole. Great staff,trees, Teton views & convenient location. We extended our stay to 4 nights from 2. Another nice one in Polson, Mt. They do tend to be a little overpriced even with the %10 discount. Mt. Home Idaho was mediocre.
I have stayed at a few KOA campgrounds. They are generally higher priced but I have found their restrooms worth the extra money. A few that I can speak for is the Littleton, MA, Twin Mountain KOA in NH, and Brattleboro, VT KOA. They were very nice, CLEAN, organized, and friendly. I'm sure there is a wide range of quality in the KOA's but these three are dependable.
I stay at KOA as a last resort. They are over priced and most time full of "Live ins" Transit workers and in most cases, run down. I joined Passport America and find the parks in this system to be for the most part good. Just my .02$
There are good and bad KOA's... but I have always thought the majority of them were over priced! RVman
KOA seem to be trying to improve their image. 25 years ago when we were tent camping we always stayed in KOAs and found them to be as someone mentioned - The Holiday Inns - of the camping world. Last summer we wanted to go to Myrtle Beach and did not book into the KOA because a friend had stayed there about 3 or 4 years ago and found the place really run down - we stayed at Ocean Lakes instead and had to deal with the kids in golf carts trying to run you down and the fireworks debris in my camp site. We later found out the KOA in Myrtle Beach has evidently changed hands and looks very well kept up and clean. Since we got the TT, 3 years ago, we have not had much good luck with Good Sam recommended sites. The biggest problem seems to be data about site width, hookups etc is either very very outdated or recorded incorrectly. The KOA in West Chester PA is kind out of the way but a real nice place and quite centrally located if you want to hit Philadelphia and Lancaster from the site base camp. We stayed there for a few days last fall when we had to go to PA on family business. It was a pleasant susprise. Most of the time when we go out we are only looking for a base camp - nice level sites, reasonable width (more than 20 feet) quiet place, with good facility maintenance. We don't require or use the 'resort' features of lot of the newer places and so far (keep your fingers crossed) we have found that the KOAs have satisfied our needs.
I consider KOA as an overnight stop that you can reserve. I've stayed at two so far. One was fair to good and one was good to better.
We have stayed at a few KOA's and some were good and some not. I don't think you can group them all together. It really depends on the mangement, like any other campground. I don't really find them over priced.....I have been finding a lot of campgrounds are raising their rates.
If you get a chance...stop at the KOA in Carlsbad, New Mexico. Nice layout, friendly owners, and a deliver-it-to-your site chuckwagon.
If you're just going to be there overnight, why not just find a Wal-Mart? If you buy a Rand McNally Road Atlas at Wal-Mart, it has all of the Wal-Mart lots that invite you to stay overnite for nothing. And just think, the wife get's to shop. What a deal. When it come's to KOA, some are good and some are bad, but they all suck. Just my opinion.
I'm just getting started as an RVer too. I've stayed at 2 different KOAs and both seemed consistently predictable - clean restrooms & clean showers. The sites seem small but have been adequate to my needs. The staff at both sites were friendly and helpful to this newbie. I stayed at a National Forest campground a week ago... no services other than a restroom and some water down the street. I was spoiled on my KOA experiences... I wanted a shorter walk to the toilet, a shower, and some staff assistance when needed. The NF campground was very shady, private, large site, and quiet, almost spooky. I hardly ever saw anyone walking around - at least anyone as friendly as you do at a KOA. So far, I'm satisfied with KOA until I see/experience something negative.
KOAs are just like any other chain of campgrounds--some are good, some are mediocre, and some are bad. I have noticed, however, many KOAs that are improving their facilities, cleaning up, and so forth. Your best best has been, and continues to be, checking this site for the experience of others.
