We've found over 10+ years that KOA tries to keep its franchisees in line, and within that mythical range of 5 to 8 or 9 on scale of 1 to 10.. We've come to know a number of unhappy former franchisees, who were equally strong-willed and quit over advertising or fee practices, and are making it as independent campgrounds.. The old "A" frame office/store is a giveaway for a "Former KOA". One good example is east of Olympia WA, complete with hay rides, petting zoo and bicycle riding track... Another is just south of Tillamook OR on 101, with cows adjacent... Some are also terminated by KOA for failure to maintain standards, which is rare for Good Sam or other raters...
Credit Card charge is local franchisee practice, not KOA demand.. We've had some accept res based on KOA Value Card number, and others want guarantee. Depends on when reservation made, and how full they are or expect to be..
__________________ Condoluminum
In Theory, there's no difference between Theory and Practice, but in Practice, there is usually a difference...
I made reservations several weeks ago for 4 nights at the KOA in Fredricksburg, VA. I used my recently ordered Value card and they put the first night on my VISA. If I remember corectly, this is the same procedure for the GA. State Parks sites I have stayed in during our mini rallies.
__________________ Craig
AIR #0078
'01 2500hd ext. cab, 8.1 litre gas, 5 sp. Allison auto
3.73 rear end
Mag-Hytec rear diff cover
Amsoil Dual by-pass oil filtration system
Amsoil synthetics all around
265 watt AM Solar, Inc. system
The KOA at Fredericksburg, Texas is a model of what any campground should be. The present owners (a civil engineer and his wife) have poured time, money and a ton of sweat into it. Great location, lovely sites with nice trees (said to be 37 years old), great electrical and everything painted, curbed, swept, etc.
We stayed here a few weeks ago and suffered from constant, heavy rainfall the second evening. Several Airstreamers and we were across a low-water crossing at the rear of the park, and the crossing was soon too deep and swift to cross. The owner monitored the situation from a vehicle until about 11:30 that night. We most of us went to sleep, but I was awakened several times by NOAA Weather Radio warnings of continued heavy rainfall, flooding, etc. At 0600 my wife brewed another pot of coffee and I stepped outside into a sheet of 5" deep fast-moving water that had inundated this end of the campground. The owner was back on station, and the Airstreamers and I were discussing hitching our rigs to move to, maybe, a barely higher point a few yards away. The only other way out was to scale a big-game fence at the operation behind us. Luckily for all, the final warning of continued rain (T-S Erin and Dean remnants) was unnecessary and things got back to normal.
The dirt work -- dozer work -- at this park was outstanding. A lesser job would have left us in worse straits. The low water crossing needed only a couple of tractor buckets of road base to make a perfect bridge, and we were all moved to another site.
We were here two nights and look forward to returning. I hope all of you someday have the chance to tour the Texas Hill Country. Make the Fredericksburg KOA your base of ops.
Located on US-290 a few miles east of Fredericksburg. Be sure to tour one of the top US Navy museums in the country there (home to Chester Nimitz, WWII CINCPAC).
Hi, tonite I am at the KOA just inside Oklahoma on I-40 (from Arkansas) location is called "Sallisaw/Fort Smith West KOA". Very nice and pleasant. Owners have been here for 7 years and their hands-on attention shows. I would give it a "9" for peace & quite and just what I wanted.
Photo attached from tonite.
__________________ Dave&Shari Wagner 2006 Bambi SE, 2008 Ford F350 Diesel 4x4 AIR#23096 " I am lost and have gone Airstreaming to find myself, If I should return before I get back, please ask me to wait..."
Our very first KOA we stayed at was the one in Polson, Montana on Flathead Lake. We loved it. Great views, friendly staff, mini-golf and playground for kids. Laundry okay. Showers were not great. I didn't like how they were situated near the main office corridor and they were unisex.
We had a great lot (#13) with a wood deck and a view of the lake.
We stayed at the Historic Route 66 KOA in Fenton, MO last weekend and was treated very well. Grounds were clean and the full hookups were nice...though expensive.
Spent last night at the KOA east of Durango, Colorado. The grounds are really nice-lots of pinon/cedar...mini golf, pool, nice(CLEAN) bathrooms, well-stocked store, good pet walk, secluded sites(ask for a hillsite, not the parking lot, although the parking lot was pretty nice, just a little close)...fairly quiet for a KOA, and no trains or planes! LOTS of those 'Kabins".
mike
__________________
Michael & Tracy
1989 345 Motorhome
Visit our blog http://www.scrapirony.com/ We live for the moment, 'cause when you get there, it's gone...
With one exception, we have enjoyed all the KOA campgrounds we have visited in the past 4 years. (Sorry Calhoun, GA, you didn't make the grade!) I've enjoyed reading all the posts about the KOA experience. So I decided to go with the suggestions to use the "Review" section to state our experiences. However,..... I'm confused. How do you even post a new "thread" to that section??? Or have I had too much chablis?? We are currently at the KOA in Oakland, WI which is very nice. We just left the KOA in Maple Grove, MN which is super!!! As I said, the only one we really had a terrible time at was the one in Calhoun, Ga where our two "furkids" Brandi and Ki didn't even want to go outside our Airstream!! We were in the "wrong" area of the park evidently!!
So can someone help me out on how to post to the Review section?? Or should we just continue the very interesting thread we're on???
I will NOT recommend the West Chester/Philadelphia KOA to any of my friends. We stayed there this past weekend and were very disappointed. We have stayed at others and had pleasant enough experiences to not write off the entire chain just yet.
Recently returned from a relaxing week at Sea Cliff in Aptos Ca., we usually spend the night at Moss Landing however this time we said no-way. They had just become a KOA franchise and the rates went from 45.00 per night to 80.00 per night. This campground does not warrant what they are asking. Maybe its just a California thing, they have lost my business, never again.
So far not so bad with KOA.
The one I didn't want to stay was western Toronto right on hw 401 one of the busiest in Canada. And I had drove almost 12 hours so it was too much to handle the noise. But the camp was well maintained.
The one I went a week ago in Thunder Bay - Ont. was nice.
At least with KOA you know what you pay for. I like to have internet and full service. For 35$ tax. inc. that good enough to me.
I had much more bad experience in campgrounds that charge you high price for poor service. No sewer, no internet or internet at site but sometime the site has to be the office...
In Calgary the campground close to the Olympic park is really expensive more than 40$ with pull thru side to side and if you have a slide out forget it there is no room. Not level and military rules. Internet at site but as I said it must be the office site.
On a recent 6 Week trip to New England by way of MI, VT, NH, ME, CT, NC etc. we stayed at many KOAs. Found most to be good with better than average clean facilities. KOA and Good Sam parks were for the most part better than those non-rated RV parks. Private Resorts were very good but very expensive.
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