Kampgrounds of America, better known as KOA, is the largest campground chain in North America with more than 500 locations. It was founded in 1962 in Billings, Montana, and has been a staple for campers for decades.
With its signature yellow signs and a wide range of amenities, KOAs are often a go-to choice for travelers seeking convenience, family-friendly activities, and dependable facilities.
KOA locations cater to every style of camper. Many of its properties also include perks like pools, dog parks, and planned activities for kids, making them an excellent choice for families on the road.
For those looking for extra comfort, KOA Holiday and KOA Resort locations often feature enhanced amenities like upgraded cabins, deluxe RV sites, and full-service cafes. But you’ll pay the price!
When you travel, how often do you stay at KOA campgrounds? Are you drawn to their consistent quality, or do you seek out independent or state park campgrounds for a different experience?
Do you have any favorite KOA locations you can recommend to others? Some RVers rave about the KOA in Bar Harbor, Maine, for its ocean views, while others love the KOA near Mount Rushmore for its proximity to iconic landmarks.
Check out Nanci Dixon’s past experience at the very nice West Glacier KOA Resort. You might want to stay here… but you’ll pay the price (and it’s probably gone up since then)!
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RVDT2822
I am not a fan of KOA (Kamping On Asphalt/Kids Of America). Too many “amenities” are not necessarily a good thing. However, I choose the campgrounds wherever I travel based upon their location and proximity to attractions and other services like grocery stores, etc. So while not my first choice, I do stay at KOAs once in a while.
We have a couple of KOAs that we use as destination campgrounds because of their location. I highly recommend both of them. Fancy Gap KOA and Pigeon Forge KOA. We have visited both multiple times.
We use them often for overnight stops. They are usually near major highway exits and are mostly the KOA Journey’s. Not a lot of amenities, which doesn’t matter.
One we use often is the Wytheville KOA in northern Virginia. It has 20 pull throughs right next to the office and bathhouse.
The times we stayed there, these were normally used by overnighters. It is right off I77 and there is a Flying J at the exit.
It is a KOA Holiday, but the rate is $77/night.
Worth it for the convenience to the interstate.
Really nice campground and friendly staff.
KOA was our go to 30-40 years ago. Never say never, but they are now one of the last places we seek to spend night(s) with our trailer. They are consistently overpriced for what they offer compared to most other RV parks. And of late, their revenues seem to be increasingly going into glamping rather than maintenance for RV sites.
I pretty much quit staying a KOAs years ago when they started charging additional fees for kids. Their rates were based upon 2 where most other campgrounds base rate was for a “family of 4”. Add to this that their sites were much smaller than most others at the time.
All these years I have never stayed at a KOA.
KOA and their current pricing – they can keep it. Charging for amenities that do not function.
The last KOA we stayed at was by accident. It was late; we were looking for a different RV Park; we misidentified the KOA and it cost us bigtime.
We usually end up at a KOA once or twice a year when our first, second, and third choices don’t pan out.
We use KOA mostly for one night stops because of their proximity to the interstates. We do have some we like and have stayed in repeatedly. The one in Mount Pleasant, SC (Charleston) good size lots, very well maintained, lots of space to walk.
Overpriced and overrated. At least that’s what we have found. Last choice if nothing else around for us, and it’s only happened once.
I answered once in a while, but it really depends on the year. We routinely stop at the Flagstaff KOA for overnights, sometimes longer, as we make our annual trip to Grand Canyon. We will spend Thanksgiving week at the Tucson KOA, as we visit friends, this year (some years we meet elsewhere). We have no issues with KOAs in general, for the way we use them, although there have been some we would not return to. Funnily enough, often by the next season or so, they were no longer a KOA.
Like Jim, we used to stay at KOAs many years ago. Was even a Klub member. Now it’s never.
It’s a myth that they have “consistent quality.” They are too expensive…usually well above others in the area and are nothing special. Plus, I see KOA as one of the “agitators” constantly promoting the industry to go to all the separate fees and demand pricing models. IMO, they are the enemy of what I have enjoyed in camping. Certainly no friend of the campground consumer.
KOA is a known quantity, but it is also one of the most expensive RV parks, especially for a one night stay, that you will find.
I like their online reservation system.
We’ve stayed a few times when no other choice. We found with a small trailer we are assigned the smallest cramped site while other much nicer sites are open – waiting for a bigger rig.
It’s been years since I’ve been able to RV but I stayed at KOA before I got mine. We’d stay in their Kamping Kabins at many places. With an electric skillet & kettle we were able to cook both dinner & breakfast. Once we got the RV our fave place to stay became the North Jacksonville/St Marys GA koa. Close to the Interstate, some trees to block traffic noise, and free breakfast starting at 8 am.
KOA’s are almost always overpriced. In addition, they are becoming mobile home parks with parks becoming homes for permanent residents.
Only if I absolutely have to.
Too many are too crowded, too expensive, and run down.
Once and done! A real junkyard
swing set no swing. Pool green with Alger, just a real bad experience. And higher than I care to pay for what it was( somewhere near ocular fl)
Outrageously over priced! Dropped our membership years ago. Pretty soon, I expect they’ll be charging extra for their air that you’re breathing. Oh, and most of their locations are run down and beat up by overnighters that just don’t care …and neither does the management!!
We stay at a KOA based on the other choices available. Depending where we are going, the alternative campgrounds may not be desirable to us for a variety of reasons. Some trips we never stayed at a KOA but other trips have had multiple stays at KOA. My experience with KOA has always been good. One of their reservation benefits is that you can book a stay a long time in advance whereas some campgrounds, state parks, Corp campgrounds have a small booking window which can be very limiting if planning a trip to a popular area.
I do not see a place to vote.
Hi, Frank. Almost 1,400 people have voted in this poll, so it must be something with your device. Sometimes script blockers and ad blockers interfere with our polls since they are from a 3rd party site. If you have one of these try and turn it off and see if that fixes the issue. Good luck! Have a great day. 😀 –Diane at RVtravel.com
Cost TOO MUCH
Kost Obove Average?
The one time we checked into the KOA in Moab, there were a whole bunch of guys waiting around the office with golf carts to show people to their campsite. When we were shown to the site, it was littered with dog poop (we don’t have a dog), which not one of those underworked gentlemen bothered to clean up, leaving us to deal with it.
WWAAYYYY too expensive. When I started camping 50 years ago we stayed at KOA most often. I haven’t been to a KOA in over a decade because of the cost/return is VERY low. Not worth it. For overnights we use Cracker Barrel or RV Overnights and for longer stays we try State Parks first.
KOA = Keep On Adding. We only stay there when there is absolutely nowhere else to go. We’ve stayed two times and two times we have said “never again”. When asked if the hot tub was operational, we were told yes. We were NOT told it closes in the fall in preparation for the winter! Several complaints were sent to KOA, alerting them to the problems at this campground, but as you can guess — no response from them! We’ve decided we are D-O-N-E !! Will stay in a noisy, well-lit truck stop rather than go there !!