KOA , Terre Haute Indiana

[PatLee]

Add KOA Spokane to your list as ones to avoid.

[sheriff1]

Add Shingle Springs California to avoid.

[Atwebs]

We played camp site roulette last long trip. Some of the best places we stayed were not any of the normal choices and almost all made on the fly. A city park in Spearfish...fabulous! A private campground near the Badlands...passable and friendly. A county park on Royal Gorge...supreme. A pretty fancy mobile home park that just “rented” a few sites (overkill, but really quiet and clean!). We ended at a state park in Nevada, lonely with NO services and NO charges, but a place to stop, eat and sleep until we were ready to move on. All in all a great trip through eight states!

[57Wanderer]

For us, when all else fails, we just look at Good Sam. They rate campgrounds on a scale of 1-10 regarding appeal, restrooms, etc. I find this system to be fairly reasonable. Most are privately run, and the owners are motivated to please based on getting and keeping a good rating. Allstays also has reviews. So does Compendium. Good luck and safe travels. Also, Harvest Hosts are good for an overnight along the way.....

[Mollysdad]

I shy away from KOA's because they tend to favor kids and families, and usually I just want a nice overnight stay. So, they become expensive, and have too many "Don't..." signs around.
I don't need a swimming pool, rental bikes, playground, or volleyball courts.
YMMV.
I see a lot of campgrounds that USED to be KOA's. The A-frame office, the layout, etc.

But thanks for the review.
May I suggest RV Trip Wizard? I'm planning more, and I've just gotten into it.
There are some learning curves trying to plot a trip. (such as, I can't put a pin for a starting point. It assumes I'm starting from where I am now and wants to use my location. But I turn off most location services!)

However just jump in and tell it how far you want to drive and it will show all the campgrounds in the area. You can filter by ratings, amenities, state parks, etc. Lots of options, even shows reviews and then gives the address and phone number!
So you start here and end in Oregon and want to drive 400 miles a day. It gives a radius so you can plan your stop every night. I think it will be good once I learn more.
You input your RV size, and your gas mileage and it warns you where you're going to need gas!

[PKI]

Originally Posted by 57Wanderer

-- snip -- Good Sam. They rate campgrounds -- snip --

We use GS quite a bit as well. Since we use their maps, their RV parks pop up in our planning. The problem with GS is that their discount is only 10%. You can get that with AAA, AARP, cash ...... Of course, the KOA card is only worth a 10% discount and their point system is slow to build and their prices are initially high.

The Good Sam rating is variable. We believe that is because conditions change with business level and staff. The best rating system is a set of recent reviews. It helps a lot when they are provided by an experienced RVer. However, they are hard to find and often vary by our personal perspectives. Clean does not mean fresh and new. New paint is not the same as new tile. And even more important is what features deliver value to you. Pat

[NY24]

I've stayed at the Dayton KOA (actually in Brookville, OH) several times. It's always been a VERY well maintained facility.

[DKB_SATX]

Originally Posted by Mollysdad

~~
May I suggest RV Trip Wizard? I'm planning more, and I've just gotten into it.
There are some learning curves trying to plot a trip. (such as, I can't put a pin for a starting point. It assumes I'm starting from where I am now and wants to use my location. But I turn off most location services!)
~~

I started using RV Trip Wizard this year as well. I did a huge-for-me 6 week trip with it and liked the capabilities, the ease of tinkering with parts of the trip, etc. I'm an IT guy so my attitude about complexity vs. capability may not be normal, but anyway...

When you're starting a new trip, the 2nd panel that comes up (after you put in a trip name and start date) lets you choose to put in your starting point using your location, typing in a location (a POI or an address) or by choosing the map and dragging it around to where you want to start. You then right-click on a spot and it brings up a "Custom Stop" dialog at that point. It says it's going to put it in after your last stop, but of course it's the first stop so that's where it gets dropped onto your new list. Not the most intuitive, but I prefer to type in a location anyway.

[Flying Pig]

Your size may limit your ability to get into some state or national parks which are our favorite because we like “camping” as opposed to blacktop living. That said sometimes you want to get from here to there rapidly and we tend to use the truck stops (no charge except for a wonderful shower) or Cracker Barrel (no shower but a great-ish meal). Only once tried a KOA because it was in a city where we needed repairs...it was convenient but I did not like the ambiance.
Choose your downside: traffic noise from interstate, truck engines coming or going, security lights on all night or crappy ambience. When on the move you need ear plugs and sleep mask....just dream of the beauty of your final destination.

[Jimroll]

We rarely stay at commercial campgrounds. Most of them are more like parking lots than campgrounds. We prefer national parks, state parks, BLM or COEs, sites are generally larger, more spread out, have more natural settings, and generally are our final destination. For a quick overnight while traveling we will use a commercial campground as it is basically sleep and go. As someone else said, casinos are also a good bet, no pun intended.

[Foiled Again]

Leaving even a short review on google, allstays, etc. Is a big help to everyone who follows. Unusual features (like it is a nudist resort or has Viking religious affiliations) can be a sanity saver.

[AKmtnpilot]

we stopped at this KOA about two weeks ago. the two young girls that were running it were very busy but were pleasant and trying hard. I got the spot across from the two donkeys and thought would have to list to them all night but at dark they went into their little barn and were quiet. don't know what your complaint is but other than full and very busy, had no complaints.

[streamintrip]

We use the Campendium website a great deal as it seems to have many out of the way sites AND many Airstreamers post reviews here.

[streamintrip]

A further, but more specific reference to KOAs is that Salt Lake City has a VERY GOOD facility on North Temple St, practically in the middle of town. Easy access to street cars and walking downtown. An oasis and very shady in the middle of a Great City!

[Atwebs]

While trailering, beware of using Truck Stops for overnight "camping". Some truckers do not like having casual campers using the facilitiies that they rely on for their livelihood. As long as it is wide open with lots of space and you can set up far away from the big rigs you are probably alright. But, if it is crowded or there is a back up for showers/services...move on, find a different place.

There are some stops that won't allow a trailer to stay there and some passive agressive truckers who will make it less than pleasant for you when you can. And a few advertise "RVs Welcome!" -and those are just fine.

[Flying Pig]

“While trailering, beware of using Truck Stops for overnight "camping". Some truckers do not like having casual campers using the facilitiies that they rely on for their livelihood.”

Good point! Will be even more observant in our selections, so far we have been kindly treated everywhere, even some tips on backing up and hours to come for no shower lines. But appreciate you raising my sensitivity to their needs which is primary purpose for the stops.

[kscherzi]

I second rvtripwizard.com. It has a graphical interface using Google Maps as a base with icons for parks. You can filter parks on star rating. I generally start with the 4+ star rating to see what's ahead then click on the reviews. On a three month road trip now and have found several nice parks to overnight for a great price.

Not a big fan of KOA. In my experience the sites are tight, crowded, hapazard, and pricey. They also won't refund your reservation fee under 48 hours. Sore point to me as I had to lately but didn't notice the park was on the other side of a time zone, so was 10 minutes under their deadline.

There are plenty of superior mom and pop parks that beat KOA, look around.

[sepohl]

As I read this thread, I am currently sitting in the Lynchburg / Blue Ridge KOA. This is my first stay at a KOA, and I could not be more positive about this campground. Does is have all of the stuff or amenities for families and kids yes, however the place is quiet, well off the major highways, being 1 mile east of the Blue Ridge Parkway. The campsites and facilities are spotless, I am on a premium site which is very large with a very nice wooded space next to it.

[Pride&Joy]

Hi and welcome!! Your post caught my eye as I am from Terre Haute IN! Not surprised by the poor review for the KOA. My partner and I are full timers and we are currently in MT as I am working at Yellowstone National Park. We use "Passport Of America" during our traveling time and have had good luck. We also joined "Harvest Host" which networks you with businesses that allow for an overnight stay...IE: Winery's, Farms etc. Reviews are so helpful in finding a good RV spot!



Wishing you the best! ~Angie