I sympathise with you 'RLM' but I have to agree with 'Gilda'. KOA seems to attract so much negativity that it is only fair to give people the chance to discuss the reasons for it or to have the chance to disagree. There are too many new people coming along all the time to just make gross generalizations and expect them to put it into some kind of perspective. I feel pressured to have a bad opinion of KOA by the RV community, in general, but I'm, in fact, indifferent. I just try to stick to RV parks that work for _me_. If they happen to be KOAs, I'm okay with that.
Well, I hope I will enjoy my upcoming trip. I just found this site, AFTER reserving quite a few KOA sites for my Dec. trip. I printed off plenty of review sheets and will give feedback on each site I stay at. So far at least, the sites I reserved from KAO all had decent reviews Love this forum and will update when I get back in January B)
QUOTE(hirschy @ Nov 17 2007, 06:05 PM) [snapback]9176[/snapback] So far at least, the sites I reserved from KAO all had decent reviews Then you should be fine. Treat them all as you would any other CG. Just because they are a "chain" doesn't mean that they're all identical.
I've got KOA's that I rave about. I've got Good Sam Parks that I rave about. And soon, I'll be checking out some of the Escapee Parks, if Uncle Sam ever decides the rate of my war wounds. I've got private parks that I rave about. I've also got KOAs and Good Sam Parks that were the best I've ever seen except for the people running them. Great park...horrible people. If I like a park, I'll stay there every chance I get. If I don't like a park, I'll sleep in a road side rest area before I give them any of my money. You pays your money and you takes your chances...or you spend a lot of time on the internet.
While I know that I'm running the risk of starting up the "For or Against KOA Jihad" again, I assure you that this is just for informational purposes for those who are interested: http://koa.com/valuekard/vkrewards.htm
Wow, a thread that started in 2004!!! Ok, I'll throw in my two cents. I'm an "anti junk mail" freak. I don't like my name and address spread around. Never had a problem with NON KOA parks. However, when I stayed at a KOA park, I got put on a junk mail list! I will never ever stay at a KOA park again! The one I did stay at was in Kent, WA (near Seattle), and it wasn't bad, but wasn't the best place, either. JJ
QUOTE Ok, I'll throw in my two cents. I'm an "anti junk mail" freak. I don't like my name and address spread around. Never had a problem with NON KOA parks. However, when I stayed at a KOA park, I got put on a junk mail list! I will never ever stay at a KOA park again! Why cut yourself off from KOAs at _this_ point ? Isn't the damage already done ??? Also, do you still pay taxes and go to National Parks or have you cut them off, too ? 'Cause I'm _sure_ your Federal and State governments have been selling "your information" all over the place {grin!}.
Hey there! I agree with the the sentiment that each must stand on their own merit, or lack there of as the case may be. I have experienced the great, the good, the Oh well, the bad and the "never again"! It is unfortunate that the KOA corp. does not do more to keep standards at a better premium for each member campground in their system. As a Scouting supporter, I appreciate their efforts to provide advancement programs for scouts, but I do find it difficult to bring myself to seeing a really good "Scout" campout at a KOA. These campgrounds are much too crowded and provide too much distraction. I must say that my perception at least from the corporate-side seems to be a sincere desire to improve the franchise and I do appreciate that. I look forward to seeing if they are successful in their endeavor. It would be nice on trips with multiple stops to able to expect a certain level of continuity considering the ease of reservation effort with their website.
My husband and I worked at a KOA in NW GA (Ringgold). It was the worst workamping experience we had ever had! Not all KOA are the same. Most of them are privately owned, so it depends on what type of people the owners are. So whether your a camper or a worker, steer clear of the KOA in Ringgold, GA - read the reviews and find out why. God Bless!
QUOTE(Testudo @ Mar 9 2008, 09:29 PM) [snapback]10624[/snapback] Why cut yourself off from KOAs at _this_ point ? Isn't the damage already done ??? Also, do you still pay taxes and go to National Parks or have you cut them off, too ? 'Cause I'm _sure_ your Federal and State governments have been selling "your information" all over the place {grin!}. I take measures (file opt outs, etc), and register with DMA for "no junk" and everything else. Also, Federal and State parks have "self registration." I just register with my name and don't even bother to give my address. I scratch through my address on the check. Never been hassled about doing this. JJ
I am not going to engage in any heated debate over KOA. Just offer my opinion based on several years experience. They are pretty consistent, at least far more so than "independents." But they have priced themselves too high IMO. I still go to them when they are convenient and I require "full services," i.e., showers, laundromat. Most times I prefer state campgrounds. Much prettier and generally cheaper. But, of course, the services available vary widely.
QUOTE(Beastdriver @ Dec 7 2005, 08:13 AM) [snapback]3045[/snapback] 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! I dont know if this is an accurate view of all KOA's. I stayed at the Flagstaff KOA recently and I asked them being that they are over 40 ears old if they still thought of doing upgrades and the manager told me that they spend $125,000.00 in 2008 alone they upgraded something like 30 sites with 50 amp serivce and cable, added stronger wi-fi, cut 30 trees and repaved and widened roads and threw events every weekend. I was surprised that a park so old would do so much but you could see the roads and fresh cut tree stumps that had been ground down. Im sure it is more expensive at KOA's becuase they offer more. State parks are $20.00 without hook ups. I stayed at most KOA's for just around $30.00 and they have great bathrooms, free wi-fi, some even have coffee in the morning...that can be expensive to offer. so I would say I am a very happy KOA Vale Kard camper.
Ok I too will throw my two cents in here. I have stayed at many rv parks thru the years and probably seen as many bad as I have good. I have found a lot of KOAs a heck of a lot cheaper than places in states like florida and calif. I have been a member of KOA on and off for many years. Right now I am not a member again only cuz I am not using them enough to justify buying another membership. I have also been a member of Passport America who a lot of people swear by but I refuse to be a member again having found more dumps and fewer places to stay than with KOA. Sometimes I think if every rv park were part of some organization there would be complaints about those organizations. Only because you will always have bad with the good. For now I will be happy with any park that is clean and has 50 amp hookups, including KOA.
Last summer we boycotted KOA simply based on the inflated prices. It was a good move, we found a lot of nice reasonably priced campgrounds that we wouldn't have bothered looking for otherwise.
Last summer we drove from Michigan to California and back again, making 14 CG stops over a one month period, ALL KOA's, in a rental RV. We were brand-new to rv-ing so that's why we stuck to KOA's. The website is super easy to use, and we found the campgrounds predictable in that they were for the most part clean and the hook-ups were in pretty good repair in most cases, also every one we encountered was dog friendly (we have 2) and kid friendly (also 2)(pools/playgound) and none of them were "party campgrounds." We never had a problem with noise or rowdiness. Most of the owners were very friendly and helpful. These were all very important to us because we were brand-new to camping, and doing such a long trip as our FIRST outing was a huge endeavor. Well, the trip went fabulously, we learned alot along the way, and now we have had many many more camping experiences since, in our own camper that we have since purchased. Having said all that, there IS a wide range of quality in KOA CG's. Some were glorified parking lots, while some were incredibly beautiful and fun. My favorite was the KOA in Hill City, SD near Mount Rushmore. Another one we loved was the one in Pahrump, NV. So just do your research before going to a KOA or any CG really, especially if it's intended as a "destination" and not just a stopover. Now we have branched out to try all different kinds of CG's, not just KOA's, but I do believe KOA gave us the confidence to try camping and come to love it. I stand by them 100%.
I have to agree with you. I tend to stay away from KOA simply because they only give you a discount if you have "THEIR" membership which they charge extra for. I already pay for a AAA and Good Sam membership, I really don't need another. I can usually find a good independent campground in the same area with similar amenities at a lower price. Why pay KOA's inflated price and membership? Just my 2 bits... QUOTE(Oregon Ms @ Dec 1 2008, 02:57 AM) [snapback]14247[/snapback] Last summer we boycotted KOA simply based on the inflated prices. It was a good move, we found a lot of nice reasonably priced campgrounds that we wouldn't have bothered looking for otherwise.
Hi All, My wife and I took a cross country trip in June with my parents. We were in a 42 foot 5th wheel.We stayed at a variety of campgrounds including KOA. We only had 1 experience that I found irritating at a KOA in North Little Rock AR. They put us on a space that was not level with no shade. We asked to be moved and the attendant acted like it would be a major pain to move us. The spaces are crammed so close together that we could not open our awning without hitting the camper next to us. The other KOA campgrounds were great. We really liked the KOA in Denver CO. They had all the usual accommodations you would expect. They even had pizza they delivered to your camper. That was really cool. You cannot judge the whole chain by 1 bad experience.\ Just my$.02 Harry
QUOTE(easyrider65_01 @ Sep 30 2004, 02:22 AM) [snapback]1367[/snapback] 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 ? Study the campground prices in Woodall's or Trailer Life. Notice that in almost every instance the KOA's charge 20-30% more than better-than-comparable campgrounds in the same area? THere are exceptions, of course, but generally staying at a KOA is our last resort. Use the forementioned campground books, or, better yet, this RVPARKREVIEWS to guide you in your search.
My experience has been KOAs have many activities for children but take a pocket full of money. Other campgrounds offer these activities without the pricing. Also if you are looking for a quieter crowd with out SO many children try to avoid them all together
I agree with the fact they vary dramatically. Some are destinations in themselves (with great amenities, events, etc), others are dirt patches next to the highway. For either type, I just like a clean restroom (!) and have only found one that wasn't up to standards. The original KOA in Billings, MT was terrific. We stopped there for propane and I wished we could have stayed as one could have eaten off the roads it was so impeccably clean and visually appealing. I would suggest going to the website for a specific KOA that you are considering and look at the amenities. Then come back to this site and ask. I know that KOA has been known to drop some campgrounds that weren't meeting the standards. Good luck.
