By Nanci Dixon
Ever wonder what a $198-a-night RV site looks like? I didn’t want to ever find out but here we are, booked at the West Glacier KOA Resort. Not planning ahead and booking spur of the moment to go to Glacier National Park, we were lucky to find one site for three days at the end of the season. KOAs are usually not my first choice, but it was five miles from the entrance to Glacier National Park and it was available. It was also $198 a night.
I had to start looking at the $198-a-night campground site as about the same dollars that I last paid for an overpriced Choice Hotel during a local weekend baseball tournament.
Irritated and not even there yet!
But we are not even there and I am already a little irritated. I had wanted to send our mail there but nobody returned my call. Today, when we needed better directions than the GPS, we called the KOA. No answer and no reply to the voicemail. Super 8 motels at least return phone calls! I later found out that they answer texts almost immediately—but how was I to know?
Luxury resort
Later, we pulled into the KOA, still grumbling—but WOW, was I surprised! It really was a resort and it was better than any luxury motel I had ever been to.
- Impeccably landscaped
West Glacier Montana KOA Resort. Photo credit: Nanci Dixon - Patio with real chairs
Photo credit: Nanci Dixon - Fire pit with benches
Photo credit: Nanci Dixon - 4 burner grill with propane
Photo credit: Nanci Dixon - Close to neighbors but with bushes and small trees separating the sites
- Two swimming pools: one adult, one family
Photo credit: Nanci Dixon - Hot tub
- Two restaurants
- Ice cream shop
- Community seating area with propane fire pit
Photo credit: Nanci Dixon - Playground
- Well-stocked camp store (Found a hard-to-find 4-foot short water hose there.)
- Cabins and tent camping
Is the West Glacier KOA Resort worth the price tag?
Was it worth it? Maybe or maybe not. We were gone most of the days hiking at Glacier National Park, so we didn’t take advantage of the restaurants or pools or even the nature trail. We grilled, sat in the sun in chairs (which were much more comfortable than our camp chairs) and texted for firewood to be delivered. Deluxe!
So, yes. For a splurge, yes, it’s worth it. It is one of the few RV parks touting the name “Resort” that lives up to the name. Would I do it again? Maybe. Maybe not.
For more details check out their website.
And, for more affordable Montana camping (much, much more affordable) check out my article about Downstream Campground, where we also stayed for a few days.
##RVT1072
We stayed at that KOA when it first changed ownership back in 1997. It was overpriced then as the sites weren’t level and the facilities ordinary. I’m glad to know they eventually renovated it to a luxury resort, but yikes! $198 per night? I’ll pass.
This is our favorite RV park in the country. They had live music there last time we were there and the nature trails are really nice. Being so close to Glacier Park is a bonus too.
We wish there were more around like this.
They do not let you in your spot until they check to see that it is 100% cleaned up. I have been to many other RV parks where I have spent the fist 15 min cleaning up and washing the picnic table,…….Not here.
Never say never – but – nope. We purchase one month in central FL for what you paid 3 days near Glacier. OK. It’s not a luxury RV Park. No gas fired gathering place for a few folks. No Hot tub. What we get is fellowship, friendship, a sense of belonging to a community of like-minded snowbirds escaping an otherwise harsh, cold, snow & ice covered road winter. ONE MONTH of bliss for your THREE DAYS. Again, NOPE. We’ll take the month.
Now Glacier is on our bucket list. So is the Pacific NW and the Redwoods along the Oregon/California coast. But not $198/night. I’ll park the RV and find the nearest hotel/motel thank you very much.
Have you checked your favorite park this year? We live in Holiday RV Village in Leesburg, FL and their rates just increased quite a bit this month.
The nearest hotel/motel? Motel prices may just surprise you. I will guarantee you that hotel prices will.
A fool and his money are soon parted.
We loved our 5 day stay at West Glacier KOA. Fabulous facilities and outstanding staff. It’s not for everyone but was a refreshing 5 days.
It’s not overpriced if people are paying to stay there. My question is why in the world would they be a KOA franchise and give away whatever it is KOA takes from the operation’s revenues? That’s crazy!
Do they allow bikers in tents?
Surely you jest!
As long as we the RV community pay this type of ridiculous price it will continue.
Good article Nancy,to me the question is not just the price but the demand for this high end rv park,Nancy did not mention if park was full,kinda reminds me of what people are paying to go to sporting events…..
You get what you pay for. It looks like you got your money’s worth.
You git what you pay for!
I would gladly pay $198/night for a campsite this nice this close to Glacier at this time of year.
BARGAIN!
The one question I have that the author did not address in their review is this:
What was the per night price at the other Local Yocal Glacier POS campgrounds in and around Glacier at this time of year AND were there any available sites at those campgrounds at this time?
The answer to this question MAY change some of the responders below opinions of the per night price at this KOA!
Nanci,
Nice, free ad for KOA.
$198 a night? O well, I guess if your rich and stupid, this is the place for you.
It really wasn’t necessary to get ugly and say rich. Lol
And it also wasn’t necessary to say stupid! No Lol from me.
Sometimes the truth hurts
Rich and Stupid NEVER go together.
Broke and Stupid ALWAYS goes together!
Which one are YOU?
Bull 🙂
I found this so very interesting. From the looks of it and the description of it, I don’t think it is overpriced. Pretty fabulous. Perhaps just for a special occasion, but all the amenities they have were anything but inexpensive to put in and maintain.
Ridiculous price. And because of that, there are often vacancies. I avoid KOAs, but 3 times when plan A, B and C all blew up, KOA was there, with an actual person answering the phone and getting me into a site for the night, overpriced of course. Kind of like those old fire alarms ‘in emergency, break glass’; in an emergency, either park on the side of the road, or break the budget and find the KOA!
Having visited Glacier NP this past June, both sides, I can safely say that we stayed in the most expensive parks of our RVing experience. We stayed in the east side KOA that was OK, very tight spacing, no privacy, and not nearly the amenities as Nancy described. About 1.5 miles to the park entrance. On the west side, we stayed at West Glacier RV park, again about a mile to the front gate. This park is only a couple years old, what trees there were were very small and no privacy between sites but it had a walking trail into the town of W Glacier and was easy to get around. As we were away from our site most days, we didn’t use whatever amenities were available. We booked these parks because of their proximity to the park and the quality of their utilities, not because of the furniture or the gas grill. Both parks were half the price that Nanci paid and we were on pull thrus in each. Our price was probably lower as we were there in early season.
I’ll second that we also stayed at both those parks and they were as you said half the price and decent enough. We chose then primarily for their convenient location to the park entrances close enough to ride our e bikes over and take the free shuttles through out the park. We weren’t there to visit the rv park (which were of good standard) we were their to see the park. Although we are koa members we only stay at koas about 10 % of the time usually paying $50-$90. The only time we’ve paid close to $200 was at blue water resort just north of Key West and it was well worth it with amazing amenities, our space was waterfront was totally private with a private dock, large screened tiki hut with comfortable couches, kitchen, and large flat screen TV . Definitely worth the $$$.
We stayed at this KOA last summer and paid $130.00 a night for the luxury patio site. We were told that the park had sold the previous year so my guess that’s why the large increase. The RV park is absolutely beautiful!
We LOVED the adult only pool and hot tub!!! The ice cream parlor was a huge hit and I found lots of goodies in the store.
Sitting outside on a concrete patio at a patio set and using the BBQ was awesome. Not sure if I’d pay $198.00 the $130.00 was high but it’s well worth it.
The park was full last year and I’m sure it was full this year.
By far the best KOA!
Old saying. I want it, you got it,I pay or I got it you want it, you pay. I’d be looking to boondock for that kind of money. I’ve taken a motel for that. And parked the rig in hotel parking lot. More than once and free breakfast.
Nice…but I still think the price is asinine. But hey- its your choice! Certainly not mine.
$50-$60 is what I expect…and I think even THAT is high. But that’s me.
If RVing goes this way, I’ll sell mine and take car/hotel trips- a LOT less hassle and work…and might even be cheaper.
A couple of rude remarks here in the comment section, apparently these people have very poor reading comprehension skills…
This KOA is beautiful! I have always used KOA’s for journey only, just an overnighter from one place to another. I never realized they have destination parks like this. I’d pay 200 a night for a setup like this, and I’d use every amenity it offered! Especially the adult only pool! I’ve paid double that for hotel rooms and never had a grill right outside my room.
Count yourself blessed that the price is no problem for you. For many people, it is either out of reach, or seems like gouging. Point of view is everything.
Interesting you use their corporate buzzwords ‘journey’ and ‘destination’. Hmm.
Thank you for your reply wanderer but I never said price is no problem for me, I complain all the time about price gouging. But I will suck it up sometimes and pay more than I usually would when it’s worth it, just like the ARTICLE was trying to point out! I used the buzzwords because that’s how KOA designates their CG’s. And I do thank God every day for His blessings. I understand and acknowledge there are a LOT of people in our country that are hurting right now. I pray for better times.
I have also realized the poor reading and comprehension skills. After all, Comprehension is a big word.
Thank you!
My question is, how much time do you spend at the KOA while at one of the most beautiful National Parks? We won’t pay that just to basically use some water, electric, and to sleep in OUR rig. Elks Lodge in Kalispell works for us!
You got ripped off , but there will always be people with more dollars than sense
Well, I’m not rich and maybe don’t have no sense, I just figure that the people with a lot of dollars must have had more sense than me. I just live with what I got and and am happy that I got the cents I got .
Well sometimes it’s good to splurge, you can’t take your money with you. If Nanci enjoyed it, that’s all that counts.
I’m glad there are options for lots of different tastes. That’d be like a cruise vacation.
I haven’t found a campground worth $100 a night. Let alone one for $198.00!
From some of the comments, it appears that the RV Community, really isn’t that much of a community. Evidently there are RVers that want and feel it is worth it to visit high end parks or they wouldn’t exist. I don’t want to be parked next to a fellow RVer that thinks “fool” and “stupid” and “ripped off” is a way to talk to me.
Totally agree
Our 16 year old would love it, especially the pool and hot tub.
We stayed at the West Glacier KOA in August of 2018 for $59.89 a night with our 21′ trailer. The larger sites were much more expensive even then. We reserved our site at least a couple of months before we went. It’s certainly a very nice KOA! I just went to their reservation site and for August 2023 it would cost us $120 per night! About the same for a nice RV park in West Yellowstone (Grizzly RV Park). It’s certainly expensive near the major national parks now.
Thanks for the article and review, Nanci! I’m sorry that you and hubby could not take advantage of more of the amenities. But you did get to see the park and hike trails. 🙂 Safe travels!
For $198.00 a night I would expect someone to come in wash The sheets daily remake the bed and leave a mint on my pillow.
Thank you, Nanci. Wow! That certainly was nice. Too bad that you couldn’t add an additional 12 hours to each day. That might allow to both do all you wanted at Glacier NP AND enjoy all the bells and whistles of the resort, or at least those of your site. Safe travels! 🙂
Obviously these so called “resorts” have resorted to catering to the rich. America is fast becoming a division of haves and have nots.
One’s outlook is either half empty or half full.
You can definitely tell where your money goes when you stay here, right back into the resort. I’ve done tons of camping and im kinda tired of hard work camping, lol. This place is great. She said 5 miles to Glacier but more like 1.5 to 2 miles. Within biking distance. However the East Glacier KOA is half as nice. Cheaper but you can definitely tell.
It’s good we have choices and can decide what is important to us as we ali share the common thread of being outside enjoying this great country.
We stayed at Glacier KOA in August of 22. Stayed 4 days did the RTS & lake Mary boat ride. The restaurant,laundry & ice cream shop were great. Will go again but make reservations a lot earlier so as to get a nicer spot.