How KOA Became Our Go-To "Regrouping" Campground

Before we hit the road, Anthony and I thought we knew exactly what type of RVers we'd be. We weren't really the RV park type because we wanted nature instead of amenities. We wanted space and didn't want to be parked an arm's-reach away from our neighbors. Because of this, we expected to mostly stick with small, quiet campgrounds and state parks. If we needed to stay at a larger park, we'd opt for ones that were rustic and woodsy.

This all went out the window very quickly. Turns out there was a lot we weren't considering, like the better campground availability in bigger parks. Like having a campground close to the highway and shopping centers. Like non-rustic campgrounds that actually have level, accessible sites. How early on did we figure this out? Day 1! Well, day 0, to be exact. We had less than 24 hours to hit the road and get south before another winter storm, and where did we turn? Kampgrounds of America (KOA). Not a lot was open off-season in the north, but we found a site at the Philadelphia KOA and decided to make a break for it. This set us in motion for our entire year of travel. We got to the KOA and breathed a huge sigh of relief. We were finally on the road. We had fulfilled a major goal.

Granted, the KOA Philadelphia/Clarksboro wasn't anything to write home about (except writing home to say WE MADE IT!). For a KOA Holiday, it didn't have a ton of amenities and it was a little older. We didn't care. We had our first site as full-timers and it was everything we could have needed. It was also out of the line of the blizzard. That was key.

Since then, we find ourselves gravitating towards KOAs whenever we're in a bind. When we needed to leave Four Paws Campground and find cooler temperatures and hotter internet, we booked a site at the KOA Asheville East. Pulling up to the office to check in, we were surrounded by happy families enjoying their vacation. We saw amenities we knew we'd never use, and we were invited to events we knew we wouldn't go to, but we didn't care. We had our little space, our pond, our internet, and our walking trail for Tanner. I had nature inspiration for work. What more did we need?

Several weeks later, we found ourselves changing plans again. We cut our visit to Dale Hollow Lake short due to a heat advisory. We wanted to head east, through Kentucky and towards the Appalachians in West Virginia and Virginia. We needed to find a place to hang our hats for a few nights on our way out of Kentucky, and the KOA Ashland/Huntington West delivered. We spent 5 nights, and during the week we enjoyed the peace and quiet of a half-empty campground. Once Friday afternoon came, so did the happy campers, and we got to feed off the excited energy that these vacationers always bring. Tanner enjoyed the dog run on days it was cool enough, and we enjoyed our fast internet, laundry, and nearby shops. We were also able to get some packages delivered. All mundane preparation to move to West Virginia, to a site where we'd have no sewer, in a campground with no laundry. Only it doesn't feel mundane. It feels delightfully normal. It's amazing in the RV life how often we want normalcy.

So far, every KOA has been exactly what we needed. Because they're privately owned, each one is a little bit different, but over all we know what we're getting. We liken it to choosing to eat at a chain restaurant instead of trying somewhere local. We need that familiarity once in a while. We understand that sometimes there is a rotten egg, so we still check reviews and make sure nothing is amiss before we book. As long as the reviews are current and decent, we feel comfortable booking ourselves a stay. KOA is divided into tiers: Resort, Holiday, and Journey. Each has different types of amenities. So far we've only stayed in Holidays, so we can't comment on the other types, but each has been conveniently located with easy-to-access sites. We would have no problem booking a Journey or Resort and would plan to use them the exact same way: As a regrouping stop. Amenities are nice, but they're not a top priority for us.

We've also been pleasantly surprised by the pricing. We totally stereotyped KOA as being overpriced - which some are - but we found them to be competitive rates with other campgrounds in the area, especially for everything we get in terms of facilities, amenities, and convenience. Also, it's not like we're staying in KOAs constantly. We offset the heftier price with less expensive campgrounds elsewhere. But, when we need our 4 C's - campsite availability, convenience, connectivity, and civilization - we find KOA well worth the price. We became members and get 10% off all our bookings, and since membership is only $33/year, it pays for itself after just a handful of nights.

It's easy for newbies to envision RV life and see campsites in all these remote, beautiful places. This does happen sometimes, but other times, we just need to live our day-to-day. We book a pull-thru right near the facilities, get in, do our chores, run our errands, get our work done, and move on. Or sometimes, like in Asheville, we book the last available site and enjoy a few days with a water view. Can't complain about that either. We did want nature, after all! As we get into the swing of daily life on the road, it becomes clear that we don't have to choose only beautiful, quiet campgrounds or only state parks. We can book stays at those places and then intersperse our much-needed "regroup" stays. We find we're much happier because of it.