KOA Campgrounds

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I've been staying at KOA'S since 1989 and have never had a problem. Kids really love them. The quality of service and the facilities has always been consistant. I especially like that things don't fall apart during holiday weekends.
 
We have stayed at many KOA's over the years.  But I do note that they are  ususally more expensive than other parks we may choose.  Some call the  KOA for Keep On Adding to the price as ammemities increase.  But as has been said they are well run and  ususlly have lots of facilities.  Sometimes more than we may need just for an overnight stop.

 
We have stayed at KOAs and not had any problems.  They are not typically a "destination" for us, but use them frequently when traveling some distance.  I like to visit their web site (http://www.koa.com/where/) and look at their maps that show where all of the campgrounds are along our route.  I can then pick where I will be stopping along the route, make reservations and be ready to go.

If you go to Las Vegas there is one right on the strip near Circus Circus.  It isn't a beautiful park, but is clean and very convenient.

Happy trails.... :)
 
We've used many KOAs if they're on our route.  Not a destination for us either.  Sometimes they're the closest to a reunion or visit with family.  We've stayed at several on this trip and have another booked near family when we get up their way.  Like any other campground, some are better than others but they're generally reliable.  As mentioned previously, they often are more expensive than nearby competitors, unless the competitor is a "resort" with lots of amenities.  They're usually in pleasant places but sometimes off the beaten track because they are a family destination with playgrounds, pools, sometimes game rooms, and other activities for the kids.  I'd certainly stay there if it's convenient.  One year we needed to stay at quite a few KOAs and buying the annual membership was worth it because of the discounts.

ArdraF
 
Well, we have not stayed at a KOA, although we've visited them a couple of times to consider it. Each time, we've been put off by diffident and sometimes unkempt workers, misinformation about site size and clearances, and a plethora of extra charges awaiting the unwary traveler. Also, we like kids but crowds of kids late in the evening aren't our thing. Your mileage may vary.
 
Betty Brewer said:
We have stayed at many KOA's over the years.  But I do note that they are  ususally more expensive than other parks we may choose.  Some call the  KOA for Keep On Adding to the price as ammemities increase.  But as has been said they are well run and  ususlly have lots of facilities.  Sometimes more than we may need just for an overnight stop.
Click to expand...

I will have to second what Betty says.....  I have stayed at KOA's from New York (Grand Island) to Utah, Nevada and Arizona (never hit a KOA in CA at least not yet) 

Most of them are very similar,  They USUALLY have sites free, most offer internet (Sometimes it is free, sometimes fee sometimes dial up) and corporate sends folks out from time to time to make sure they are clean and properly run. so they are consistent.

They do tend to slightly overcharge though and often will nickle and dime the rate up even higher.

But... If you are looking for parking and having issues.. check the local KOA. Odds are good they can accept you at least for the night.
 
Funny this thread should come up today.  We have been talking about (well since last night) making a trip to the KOA near Omaha, NE.  In all the years I have been camping, I have never stayed at a KOA.  It would be a short trip for us, but several of our friends have stayed there and say they really like it.  I  was looking at reservations online, and it seems to be a little hefty on the price, but if it is a nice place, I don't mind paying a little more.
 
We stayed in one at Petaluma CA last week, it was nice enough but in our opinion overpriced. Great facilities for kids but too busy for our tastes with younger folk on bikes, scooters, roller blades, what have you.
 
Thanks for all the input, they were just the first to come to mind when thinking about where to camp. Internet accessibility is a must for me, and the place being pet friendly. We don't mind kids either, but a whole herd of them is totally different. Any suggestions as to alternatives?

Thanks!
 
The centrally located KOA in Salt Lake City is the only one I really like.
 
Hi

We have stayed at a few KOAs - they are never our first choice! Reasons:
- they are always expensive
- they charge for everything (add ons +++)
- they are noisy (lots of kids)
- very crowded

the reason we ended up staying is that they are well located (e.g. the KOA in Petaluma is conveniently located to San Fran)

regards, peter
 
There is no need to choose a chain of campgrounds in advance. Get yourself a Trailer Life Campground Guide (print or CD) or use their online directory. http://www.trailerlifedirectory.com/

The directory will list the available amenities, campsite sizes, directions to the place, etc. for thousands of campgrounds, state by state. Has maps too.
 
We are not commercial campgrounds fans.  Our preference is NTL, state, county, or even city parks.  We are not looking for any of the amenities.  We like water and sewer hook-ups, but that is not a absolute requirement.  The quieter the better. 

When I first looked at this thread I went out and looked up some KOAs to see what the rates were.  A bit higher than we are accustomed to.  We frequently pay anywhere from $7 to $20.  The Golden Access pass provides for some very reasonable rates in NTL Parks.  Streets and Trips is an excellent way to find these parks.
 
I feel exactly like George does. I have only stayed in one commercial campground in years. They are way over priced and I am not going to use their amenities.

The National Parks and National Forest campgrounds are way cheaper as George noticed. However, most all of them do not have hookups so it is an apples to oranges thing.
 
We use to stay in KOA's but found them more money. Then in 2005 we found out that KOA's support laws that keep us from camping overnight in places other than "Camp Grounds". We do not go to KOA's any more.
We are thankful for "Camp Wal-Mart" and others at the end of a long day.
 
We'll have to go with KOA. In most cases, you get what you pay for; especially if booking from 1,000 mi. away. I will concede that there is a difference in attitude in many cases. We love the KOA in South Padre Island TX, but can't say as much for the one in Mystic CT, but both are clean and w/o problems for short stays. We've stayed at a number of Resort's and there is more variation there than with KOA's and at a much higher price. State parks, especially in Texas are great, but no hot tubs!
Ernie
 
We're not anti-KOA nor pro-KOA, we don't intentionally seek them out. Like others here, we prefer national, state, city, county parks. Having electricity is nice but we also enjoy boondocking - that's why we have solar panels and a generator. We also like swimming pools and hot tubs but those aren't at the top of our list....scenery and peace-and-quiet are at the top.

Enjoy your travels, wherever they take you
Wendy
 
geodrake said:
We are not commercial campgrounds fans.  Our preference is NTL, state, county, or even city parks.  We are not looking for any of the amenities.  We like water and sewer hook-ups, but that is not a absolute requirement.
Click to expand...

x2 for us too.  KOA's are like the McDonald's of camping.  Big chain, even non-campers recognize the name, they get lots of business, but it doesn't mean it's the best place to stop.  We've only stayed at one KOA (Granite City, IL) and it was not very enjoyable.  Price was too high ($44/night although we were there at half price that weekend), sites were flooded (insufficient drainage from an earlier rain), it was sandwiched in between noisy industrial complexes, and there were NO CAMPFIRES allowed!  What's camping without a campfire?!  I was blown away by that policy.  I don't want to generalize the entire chain, and I'm sure other locations are nicer.  But the less publicized CG's are often the gems.  There are several directories available as Gary mentioned to help you find another place close to where you are traveling.
 
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