RE: KOA Kampgrounds - Good?Bad?Ugly?

[JonesFamilyJayco]

 
I just returned from a great KOA campground in Boone NC.   In my post for Mid-Atlantic States, I wrote how pleased I was with the whole campground.  The staff was very nice & professional, The bathrooms were clean (even with a full Labor Day campground & rain to supply muddy feet) and the sites very nice.  We did not feel cramped even with the full campground.  I liked it much better than the " RV Resorts"  we have stayed at.  They catered to seasonal campers, so things like the short stay sites & bathrooms left alot to be improved.
 
 
 I want to plan trips farther from home & so I have considered KOA s for their advertised consistancy/high standards.  Is this true or just a myth?
 
 Please let me know your experiences with KOA.
 
 Thanks!
 jonesfamilyjayco

[Tim5055]

 JonesFamilyJayco

 

ORIGINAL:  JonesFamilyJayco
 I want to plan trips farther from home & so I have considered KOA s for their advertised consistancy/high standards.  Is this true or just a myth?
 
 Please let me know your experiences with KOA.
 
 Thanks!
 jonesfamilyjayco
 

 I think you will find that may KOAs are nothing more than parking lots for RVs traveling through. They are close to an interstate and cater to the big rigs that don t usually use many of the facilities. From what I have seen, they do inspect to maintain their standards, but I think they are willing to overlook some things to keep a campground paying the franchise fees. An exapmle of this is the KOA in Enfield, NC (Rocky Mount), right next to I-95. It is basically a large field (there are a few trees) with full hook ups. Around 4pm the big rigs start filling the place and around 8am they pull out.
 
 Now, some KOAs try to maintain a " resort"  atmosphere with actifities and other stuff.
 
 
 As KOA is a franchise operation I think every property is going to be a little different.

[Campinfools]

 JonesFamilyJayco
We just returned from the KOA in Bar Harbor, ME.  Went there last year too.  Extremely clean and the staff were friendly and helpful.  They don t have lots of activities, which is fine by us because we don t have kids.  The campground is very nicely landscaped and they have nice new propane grills set out in a common area on the waterfront for anyone to use - the grills were very spotless too.  I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a clean, quiet campground on the ocean.  We ll go back next year.

[CampG]

 JonesFamilyJayco
That Boone KOA is a nice one.  You will come across other such gems within the KOA franchise.  Alma, Arkansas is another.  
 But, as mentioned, a lot of the KOA franchise are hugging an interstate and layed out in a fashion to pack as many campers as possible onto a spot between a truckstop and a bingo parlor.
 I will usually stay at a KOA if it is just a quick overnight stay, anything longer I like to find a good state park (which in some states is not possible).
 It would really be unfair to say that all KOA s are _____, since they are all owned by different folks, all laid out different, etc.  Kinda like trying to say all state parks are _____.
 
 JR

[angelsmom10]

 JonesFamilyJayco
I personally have only camped at Dayton Tall Timbers KOA and personally loved it.  I felt the price was fair (can t remember it was 2 yrs ago), but the CG was very clean, nice, bath house was spotless.  JUst have never been to another KOA to compare.

[fivegonefishing]

 JonesFamilyJayco
I have yet to camp at a KOA, but my inlaws stayed at one west of Toronto for two nights this summer and it cost them just over $100[]  They said it was a nice park, well for that price, it better well be.

[mikewilley]

 JonesFamilyJayco
We have stayed in several KOA s.  Although it is true that the ones close to the interstate are not great for anything but an overnight stop, we found that most of them are very nice.
 
 I suggest going to the KOA web site when doing your planning.  They have photos and descriptions of the amenities at every KOA in the country.  We found these to be accurate, in in the case of a few in Virginia, Tennesse, and Maryland they actually understated how nice they were.
 
 We are spoiled here in Texas, we have wonderful state parks with great facilities that are, generally, kept very clean.  So we have never stayed at one of the local KOAs.
 
 Happy camping.

[forestwalker]

 JonesFamilyJayco
We like the KOA near Santa Cruz,Ca.  Friendly,helpful staff.Clean.Lots of activities throught the year,and much to see nearby.Quiet,family oriented park.Most State Park spaces are larger,but we have been very happy with the spaces that we got the three times that we camped there.Cost varried with season,but was much less than motels in the area.We paid more per night than the local State Parks charge.Two thumbs up for this one !

[abbear]

 JonesFamilyJayco
I used KOA s extensively as a tent camper and was usually satisfied with value for the price.  Since acquiring the pu we have stayed in 4 KOAs and have been very disappointed in 3 of those (see reviews in campground section).  My recent experience is that KOA wants more money for for less quality.  
 
 Don t get me wrong - you will always find flush toilets and showers at a KOA.  My experience has led me to expect to pay a premium for the name and not much else.  Get a Woodall s campground guide, AAA campbooks (if a member), and do some research. You ll find a lot of very nice places for less.
 
 

[CajunCamper]

 JonesFamilyJayco
I guess it s what you like and expect out of a campground. For us we have never stayed in a KOA or Jellystone that we even remotely liked. It s not that they were dirty or anything, we just don t feel like we re camping when we re in one of those places. Feels more like a fake campground to me if you know what I mean. But hey that s me. I can also say I know lots of folks that enjoy those type of campgrounds, they re just not for us.