Community Forums

RoadEyePie · 02-10-2019, 09:09 PM

Of those of you who are not strickly boondockers, what is the opinion about KOA's? They seem to have the largest network of campgrounds. I have obviously never stayed in any, but I'm getting the sense that they all tend to be on the pricier side, but for some folks they may be willing to pay a litter more for consistency (if it's there). I expect to hear the range of opinions from, I hate them to I love them, but I'm interested in what it is about them that you love or hate.

road dogs · 02-10-2019, 09:21 PM

About 7 years ago we stayed in a few KOAs and were not impressed. However, on a trip last year we needed to stay in places that were close to people places we were visiting and I was pleasantly surprised at how nice, clean and friendly they were. I guess it's just like anything else, some are good and some, not so much. Our recent KOA stays were in Meridian, ID, 2 miles from our grandkids and Silt, Colorado, (near Glenwood Springs) a perfect place close to several numerous places we were visiting and very nice sites, especially the Premier sites on the river. Would/will stay in both of those KOAs again!

Graybyrd · 02-10-2019, 09:22 PM

KOA is a franchise operation, been around for many years. Park owners and sites vary, some good, some not so good. There's a KOA near Seattle that gets reviews suggesting one might rate a night at the city dump more highly; others said it was 'ok'. Reviews of others vary; best advice is to check for yourself.

CyrusL · 02-10-2019, 09:50 PM

We generally like KOA campgrounds, though I suspect we're in the minority on these boards. They're generally clean and have a lot of family amenities which is important to us (we have a 3-year-old and an 8-year-old). They are priced a little higher than some other places, but we like them.

Tightwadted · 02-11-2019, 06:42 AM

We generally don't like commercial campgrounds including KOA's. Too pricey, Too crowded together, Too crowded together, (notice I said that twice). however, that being said, just like real estate, location is key, if we are traveling and a choice between driving 15 miles off the interstate (or whatever direct route hiway) or staying right close to the road in a koa we'll probably do the koa. We much prefer COE's, State Parks, USFS, County Parks, etc. We have never stayed in a WalMart, although that could change on our trip to Alaska this summer. Just MHO.

sbleiweiss · 02-11-2019, 07:06 AM

Use them along with all others. Need to check the reviews of each one individually. the only constant is that they tend to be more expensive than the comparable non-KOA.

rvethereyet · 02-11-2019, 07:11 AM

Decent parks...but very pricey. As much as 6 x as much as COE NP. Now that I have a senior pass its like 12 x as much. Gee where will I decide to go

bigchick · 02-11-2019, 07:23 AM

the only consistent thing about them is that they are inconsistent. as mentioned they are franchises and you need to judge them based upon how the franchisee maintains and operates the property. some try very hard and others don't care a bit. i view them the same as the independently owned and operated parks that are part of the good sam network. i do not see how the koa organization or affiliation has any impact upon how the park is operated and maintained. so just compare them to all other parks and make your decision accordingly.

koa is trying to rebrand their parks with new designations such as destination parks, journey parks, and something else. i don't see this having any impact other than marketing image.

Webz · 02-11-2019, 07:50 AM

Some are better than others. The best one I have stayed at is in Livingston TX.
It is on Lake Livingston and has some of the best sunsets I've seen.

UTTransplant · 02-11-2019, 10:12 AM

We used KOAs most of the time when traveling with kids. They had playgrounds and pools in almost all their locations, a real plus after having kids in a car for 8-10 hours. Destinations we usually stayed in NPS or FS campgrounds. Now that our kids are all grown, we still use them occasionally. I like that most of them are more than parking lots. There are a few exceptions, but most have grass and at least a few trees, though they may be newly planted. They are generally convenient to a highway, though that makes them a bit noisier. Just check reviews for the individual campgrounds.

stepside454 · 02-11-2019, 10:29 AM

We workamp at some KOAs.
Some are better than others .

winniman · 02-11-2019, 10:43 AM

We found the same as others have stated. Slightly higher priced than other rv parks in the area. They had more stuff geared to family like pools and play grounds which were no use to us. In general they are well kept, but we did hit a few that were not anything special. We did find that a lot of the rv parks we found through passport America were former KOA's. You could tell by the A framed office.

BigD629 · 02-11-2019, 10:46 AM

What we like most about KOA is there Locations. Usually right off the highway with Fuel. Also most have big pull through sites. Very convenient. Amenities are not a huge priority for us as it’s usually just overnight while traveling.

Big Dude · 02-11-2019, 10:49 AM

Like others have said they vary quite a bit. We are at the very nice Lazy Days KOA in Tucson right now but have stayed in others we will avoid. KOA's are generally more expensive than similar private campgrounds.