Campgrounds - Montana Owners Club

Old GI · 08-21-2005, 01:01 PM

We are planning to travel as much as possible when my grandson is on the various breaks from school as well as next summer when school is out. Can anyone tell me of their experiences with the KOA's. If we decide to go from KOA to KOA staying two or three days at each will they give you a good slot or just stick you anywhere because you are not long term. We had a bad experience with a KOA and don't wish to repeat it.

Parrothead · 08-21-2005, 01:51 PM

We actually have had very good luck with KOA's. But most are really privately owned and franchise KOA. So a lot depends on the manager/owner. If you have the KOA pass (cost under $20 if I remember right), that seems to help. Again we depend a lot on word of mouth and the ratings in Trailer Life campground book/CD.
Happy trails....................

CountryGuy · 08-21-2005, 04:27 PM

We use KOA (Keep on Adding, we heard it called lately) when that is the campground that is in the area that we are gonna end up in, but almost always, just for a run, in otherwords, when we are running cross county, if the KOA gets high ratings in one of the campground books, we will try it over something that might be rated lower. We rarely stay in a KOA for more than one night.

Actually we stay in a campground that is near by at the end of a long days drive, no matter what the rating, IF we can get in and not unhook. We have stayed in some campgrounds that were rated very low and found them to be quite charming, and nice and clean and the owners usually are very interesting to talk to. VERY interesting. They can really tell ya some stories!

We stayed in 2 places during the Iowa/Minnesota trip that were rated quite low, and both of them were charming, the owners treated us wonderfully, they were close to what we wanted to do, where we needed to be. We could not have been happier (cept for one of them was very unlevel, VERY!!! hard to get Montana level and unhooked.) One of the campground owners even accepted a over night mail delivery for us, when someone hijacked our credit card numbers!! and we needed a new card NOW, so we could get home!)

We have heard that some of the ratings are dependent on how much advertising the campground takes out in a campground book. Not sure that is true, just heard it.

We have hit a number of campgrounds in the last couple of years that were rated very low, that were great. Have hit a KOA or two, as well, but they always seem to cost over $30.00. SIGH

Parrothead · 08-21-2005, 06:56 PM

Carol, I agree some of the CG are rated low that we find okay. Like you we had to sometimes stay where we needed to be rather than someplace down the road that may be nicer. We rarely use the facilities like showers, pool, etc. and we have found a couple of nice places that did not have pool so rating was low. Also if you are just staying overnight, the view is not that important also.
Happy trails.................

Old GI · 08-22-2005, 10:32 AM

Thanks for the information everyone. We will just plan on the KOA that is closest to where we think we will be at the end of the day.

padredw · 08-22-2005, 02:42 PM

GI, if I understand Carol's post correctly her comments relate to all campgrounds, not just KOAs. As for my own practice, I have no aversion to KOAs except that they are often highly priced related to other choices in the area.

I have also found, as Carol and Sue have, that some campgrounds which are not given a high rating by Trailer Life Campground Listing are the very campgrounds I have enjoyed (Examples: Corrall RV Park in Dalhart, Texas and a nice little park near Lavonia, Georgia).

You may have perfectly valid reasons to choose KOA, but I'm glad just to keep them on the list along with all the other possibilities in the area where I'm planning to stay. The Trailer Life Campground Guide is my "Bible", even though I take the ratings with a grain of salt. I sure would "not leave home without it!"

snowbunny · 08-22-2005, 03:27 PM

We have stayed at four or five KOAs and all except for one were nice but a bit pricy. The one we stay at most at Waves on the Outer Banks of NC is less expensive than nearby campgrounds and just as nice but it is still close to $50.00 a night.

sreigle · 08-23-2005, 09:24 AM

A lot of people use and like KOA's but we've not been very pleased with them and now try to avoid them whenever possible. I guess this comes down to what you are looking for in an rv park. If KOA fits that, then go for it.

Here's our reasons for avoiding them...

1. Most are higher priced than parks just as nice and often nice than the KOA's.
2. Many people with small children who run around without parental control tend to show up in KOA's.
3. Many people looking to party tend to congregate at KOA's.
4. Many KOA's are older and the sites are very tight. You can tell what tv show your neighbor is watching and why the wife is mad at her husband and that they can't find the kids that are out running around.

There have been exceptions but the above have been the rule in our experience. I fully understand others here have had much better experiences. My post is not intended to start any kind of debate but to provide input, as requested. If we were looking for those kinds of situations, then KOA would be our destination.

My nickel, once again. No flaming, please.

I agree with the others about the TL directory ratings. We've been in 9-rated parks we wondered how they got that rating and have been in lower rated parks we thought were great. Anymore I look only at the last number, the one for appearance. I really don't care whether they have bathroom and whether they're clean. We have our own. Etc. I do care about appearance, spacing, etc. so look at that number. But I take that number only as an indication. Like Carol, we'll stay most anywhere just overnight so tend to look for something close to our route and close to where we want to stop for the night and go with it.

CountryGuy · 08-23-2005, 09:45 AM

Steve's right on one point, different KOA's, different reactions. We have stopped at the Louisville South KOA a couple of times while running for an overnight stop. The staff was very nice, the sites were large enough, when we were tired and hurting, it was a good stop. Last time we were there, I turned on the computer and got a nice surprise, WIFI, even tho they had not said one word to me, there it was. Yep, I used it!

Stopped at KOA in St. Ignace on the way to Minnesota in late June. Sorry to say we got there on one of those weekends where they have old car shows. Place was pretty full. They knew they would be full, but did not bother to cut the lawn in the back sites, where of course we ended up. Maybe I am picky, but if you know you are gonna have a huge crowd, don't you think you could cut all the grass?? Front of the campground was nice and cut and pretty, grrr.

ANYWAY, the real point here is that the fellow checking us in was wearing a firearm! Yep, a pistol hangin on his hip! I said, "expecting trouble are ya?" he says, "have to be on guard at this time of the year". Well, excuse me, this campground was full of KIDS! and I ain't talking the grown up silly ones, I am talking under 21 years of age ones. You can safely say, I won't be stopping back there again.

Ratings don't always tell the whole story!

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