We've stayed at a couple of KOA's and I think what's been said in previous posts is generally true--some are good, some are not. We found a nice one in Hot Springs SD--management helped us a lot when we stayed there recently since we had some propane problems. The CG itself was very nice as well--but what most folks will say about KOA's is that the sites are really close together (KOA=Keep On Adding). I've been a little disappointed in Woodall's and Good Sam park reccomendations, and have found that the very BEST site for reviews is this one! Again, because the reviews are written from a camper/rver perspective. I always check this site out first before making any reservation decisions.
Like most, I find KOA's to be generally over-priced. All that we have stayed at, have either been right alongside a busy highway or next to a train track so always very noisy at night. The nicest one we have stayed at was in Colorado Springs, CO. Had hayrides, bicycle rentals and a very nice store. As a rule, the stores at KOA's offer a greater variety than most campgrounds. We usually look for something else in the area, staying at KOA only as a last resort. Even with the discount card, they are higher than most campgrounds. If someone would come up with a nice chain of parks that you could stay at with full hook-ups for around $20, they would probably make a fortune.
We stayed at 21 different KOA's on a cross country trip last fall. They are very much a mixed bag. Some were great and I'd go back there again. Some were terrible. The Mt Rushmore one mentioned was very nice as was the one outside of the Mall of America in Woodbury. So was the one north of Carlsbad Caverns. I would NOT recommend the one between Bryce and Zion NP. Lousy sites, facilities and unfriendly staff. I'd check a Woodall's or this site for specific campground reviews. We have the 15% discount which helps with the price. KOA's seem to have become just places to give you access to nearby attractions and less of a place for a real camping experience IMO.
Navigator64, Could you elaborate a little more on the KOA "between Bryce & Zion"? Is that the one in Glendale? There are only 4 KOA's in the area and we will be in that area next month. Thanks - Gene
Thanks to everyone who created this site and to those who spend their time reviewing and passing information along to those of us who really expect to have a great camping experience everytime we go. We had a "night and day" experience with KOA's in Michigan....Petoskey was incredible but Newberry (UP) was poor. The costs were the same..we won't be going back to Newberry again. This site will help us pick the best....my thanks to you all!
We agree that there's some good and some bad KOA's (Just like other camping sites). We have stayed at the Mt. Rushmore KOA and found that for cable TV, the daily $10 extra was a bit much for the few channels offered. Since, we installed Satilite! Having just retrned from the Cape Hatteras KOA, we weren't impressed with the non-existant WiFi (HotSpotzz) support and low voltage. The 50amp units get power first before it's trickled down to the 30amp sites. However, both CG's where extremely hospitable. I'd check here first before I frequented any CG, as Woodalls and Trailer Life reviews aren't always accurate or forthright. I know of one CG operator that was presured to purchase an item is they wished a higher evaluation.
Yep, it was the Glendale one. Skip it. Lousy sites and unavailable staff. When we pulled in there was nobody around and when she did show up it was like we were inconveniencing her.
Like private campgrounds, KOA's can be good and bad - but to paint the whole system with a brush is silly. We've noticed a trend over past few years with KOA to "filter" the bad places out of the system - and that overall KOA's are pretty good places to camp.
My wife likes to make reservations and we have relied on KOA in the past. However, I have told her that we will no longer reserve at a KOA without an initial inspection. We were tent campers at first and used the KOAs every 3 days or so to have showers. Now the KOA system has become very unreliable - and still prices above the alternatives - so I prefer that we seek any alterative first. In fact, some of the campgrounds that we have enjoyed were probably KOAs in the past because they had the traditional A-frame KOA building. I just started on this review forum and intend to submit and refer to the rankings before making any plans for a campground.
QUOTE I just started on this review forum and intend to submit and refer to the rankings before making any plans for a campground. Smart move, oh yeah, welcome to the forum. :lol:
:huh: As most reviewers have noted, KOA's are a mixed bag -- some good, some bad. We have come to rely on them when we are in an unknown area and have to choose between a KOA and another campground with similar ratings in Trailer Life. Now that we have discovered rvparkreviews, we have another good resource for recommendations, and we will be consulting it frequently. KOA's right off the interstate have been our best bets for quick overnights in a pull through site so that we don't have to disconnect our towed vehicle. As we are two adults with no children in tow, some of the recreational amenities in KOA's just don't matter. But several have offered some of our favorite options: cable TV, WI-FI (free at some), good satellite reception and good cell phone reception. We love the technology perks and never use the pools or game rooms.
Over the past years we have only found two KOA's in US that we like. The other KOA campgrounds were very poor to me. Most need a lot of rework to get up to 2005 standards. You find sites that only have 30 amps if it works, bad water, very small sites, poor WiFi that is good in the office only, very old buildings, pot holes, next to interstate for noise, and dust every place. Couple were so bad we drove in and out the other side and left. KOA was very good in the tent days. You did not receive much and they did not charge you much. That is over, now you pay for everything. We only use site to sleep in and $50 per night is high. I dropped our KOA card and will not renew it. People need to read the write up from Carol Linde owner of Billings KOA over the "RV road trash" who park free in Billings. We will never return to her campgrounds or Billings again. What a joke!
Our experiences with KOA campgrounds run the full gamut from good to very poor. As a gold card camper, we stay in KOA frequently. The best one we have found is the KOA at Wilmington/Lake placid, in the Adirondack Mountains of New York State. But this campground also has it's problems. I'll list a few: lack of escort to assigned site, as the layout of the campground can be confusing to the first timer. Lack of rule enforcement unless it is to the owners benefit. Enforcement is required to protect all users of the property, as to safety, and the assurance to provide a positive & enjoyable stay. The reservation policy is now (fall of 2005) out of hand. The owners are now accepting reservation for the 2007 camping season. The reservations were being accepted during the 2005 camping season. This is nonsense, almost two years in advance. We have used this establishment five to six times a year for the last ten years, but has reached the point where we are looking for another campground. The KOA at Cooperstown NY leaves a lot to be desired, water dirty and discolored, pull through sites short, overhead branches need trimming, some of the sites are not level, would only stay here again only in a pinch. The KOA at Saugerties/Woodstock (New York) is about in the same category, sites short, poorly drained, water pressure is very low, but does have a small pool. The KOA at Canaan/Skowhegan Maine, is not to bad, but has some unlevel short sites, also has a pool. I do feel they are all over priced but that is KOA for you!!
We are new Rver's, sold everything and went full time right off since June 2005 - left Las Vegas, NV and our first stop not knowing where to stay, but thanks to the highway sign was at Flagstaff, AZ KOA: a large park very much more of a CG to us than the RV Parks. They signed us up as KOA members. Showed us how to use their book and web site - we woke the next morning to the most refreshing quiet, cool temps., clean air and we were sold on using KOA's - - We are wintering right now at Starke, FL KOA & it is Super Fantastic - We have a Class C 30 ft. and have already traveled 19 states. We have stayed in 21 different KOA's returning to several as we went back through. With the exception of one all were well maintained, clean, quiet, convienent with friendly staffs. We also along the way have stayed at non-franchise rated by Good Sams, Wheelers, Trailer Life and info from different RV forums. Both times I used Wheelers we ran into dirty trashy parks that did not deserve the ratings they had listed, made me wonder who gave Wheelers the info as I don't think Wheelers would just print anything. Much better luck with Good Sams, Trailer Life and forums. I keep a file with the map/info from each RV park we stay at and make notes on them as to what we liked, names of staff and other campers we meet. As for price I research each park along the highways we are traveling & use their listed rates (not necessarily what we have paid, usually less) as my quideline for laying out our driving schedule - rates compaired to motels/hotels/eating all meals out and the KOA's are within line of all other CG's and RV parks. I found if we stay just outside the cities the rates are lower and we are still within the area. Nothing in life is perfect and when we travel we can now have our home with us and what few little things along the way that are just not as nice as we think they should be are not that earth shattering - enjoy the view!!
jensjems: Welcome to this site and welcome to the world of RV'ing. I found your comments about KOAs most interesting. We've been doing this for several years and, during that time, have had literally hundreds of conversations about KOA with full-timers and almost full-timers. Most, but not all, feel that many KOAs, and the KOA chain as a whole, is analagous to K-Mart. Tired, outdated, not much spent to modernize, overpriced in relation to other "discount" stores, being poorly lighted and poorly stocked, and, in general, not a good place to go anymore, although it used to be. We have stayed at a few KOAs that are excellent (Petoskey, Michigan, for example), but most of those where we have stayed are second rate with ridiculously high prices for what you get. Perhaps you've just been very lucky in your choice of places, and we've been very unlucky. Still, I find that, almost without fail, this site will forewarn me of KOAs to avoid (most of them) and, whenever I get a real KOA dump, it's because I didn't pay heed to those comments on this site. Anyway, again, welcome!
Beastdriver, Since you seemed to take great delight in correcting my spelling error, I thought I would return the favor - it's analogous, not analagous.
Cheryl: Thank you for the correction. May I quote your post of four days ago? "And I'll say it again. I NEVER corrected anyone's spelling but my own. I don't deliberately launch attacks against other posters."---Cheryl Ain't total computer recall grand? Have a nice day.
We like the KOA's for the cleanliness of the facilities. It seems to be consistent for us from KOA to KOA. Not all KOA's are as equipped as others. The ones that have the "Kamping Kottages" (marked in blue on their map) seem to have more amenities. http://www.koa.com/where/usa.htm
At that point in time, I hadn't corrected anyone's mistake. And I still haven't launched any personal attacks, as I said, I was just returning the favor. Can you say the same?
