Why KOA Holiday Campgrounds are so great for families

Over the past five years, our family has done quite a bit of traveling. We particularly enjoy visiting historic sites, which is something easily done from the central part of North Carolina. We are within a days drive of many of the richest historical sites in our nation. We do, however, find ourselves in need of staying somewhere overnight when places we visit fall outside of the “day trip” locale. This is where KOA – Kampgrounds of America – has become our go-to family-friendly place to stay.

I am not fond of the outdoors. Mosquitos love me, heat triggers my IBS, and I’m allergic to every tree and grass known to man. So camping isn’t something I normally enjoy. But when I was a girl growing up, my parents occassionally borrowed a camper and set up at a KOA. My brothers and I loved having access to a pool, and our KOA vacations were some of my most memorable.

The last time we stayed in a hotel as a family was 2016 – a disastrous night that had me hanging out in the breakfast bar at 1AM with a wide-awake toddler whom I eventually had to take on a drive to get to sleep. It was awful.

In May of 2019, my side of the family was having a family reunion out of state. As I looked into lodging options (and not wanting a repeat of our last hotel experience), KOA came to my mind. Russ was skeptical, but when he saw all the amenities KOA had to offer in their “Deluxe Cabins,” he gave the okay. After our first stay, he was sold!

KOA has three types of campgrounds: KOA Journeys, KOA Holidays, and KOA Resorts. All of these offer some basic amenities: KampK9® pet park, laundry facilities, playgrounds, and a KOA convenience store. KOA Journey campgrounds are designed for those who bring their lodging with them: those who will camp in an RV or tent. KOA Holiday campgrounds have several kinds of cabins available. KOA Resorts are the highest tier, with the most amenties offered for those who prefer the glamping experience.

As someone who doesn’t love the outdoors, I am so thankful for the KOA Holiday campgrounds that offer KOA Deluxe Cabins which offer all the amenities you could find in a hotel: a bathroom, AC, wifi, TV, and a coffee maker (the top five on my list)!

Our KOA Stays: 16 nights with an average cost (after taxes) of $163.74 per night

Since that first stay in 2019, we have spent 16 nights in KOA Deluxe Cabins – at 9 different campgrounds in 4 different states. This has allowed us to see consistency across the brand, while having different and unique experiences at each location.

Why we love KOA Holiday Campgrounds:

Predictability & brand consistency

With the rise of AirBnB and VRBO, there are so many fabulous options for families in need of lodging. Our family had several positive experiences with these sites. That said, there is risk involved. My husband, who has an anxiety disorder yet still spends an unhealthy amount of time reading internet horror stories, has grown incredibly leery of booking through these sites, citing hidden fees and uncertainty in dealing with private individuals. Russell’s anxiety is always heightened on trips where he is already outside of his comfort zone. Yet, with each KOA stay we’ve had, I’ve seen that anxiety come down…and down…and down. As a special needs family with anxiety triggers in both Russ and the boys – we have learned that the more things we can predict about a trip, the better off it is for everyone. With KOA, we have that predictability and consistency. We know about what the cabin will be like, what amenities will be there, the check-in and check-out policies, and who to contact if we have a problem.

Campground amenities

KOA campgrounds have amenities that you just don’t find in a hotel.

Every KOA campground has a small playground:

KOA campgrounds have onsite, kid-friendly games, equipment rentals, and sporting facilities:

KOA campgrounds offer SPACE and places to play. This is SO essential for our special needs family! We need to have space to go when the energetic kids need to burn off energy after they have been trapped in a car for hours, when a kid wakes up wayyyyy too early in the morning when Dad wants to sleep, or when a kid needs to take a calming walk to avoid a meltdown. KOA offers space for all of those things to take place without disturbing other guests. Even if your kid is having a meltdown in your cabin, you don’t have to worry about the guests on the other side of the wall like you would in a hotel. We also have stayed in many cabins that had more than one room, with a sliding door inbetween the rooms that allowed Russ and I to have some privacy and watch TV at the end of the night after putting the boys to bed, or for me to get up with the boys while Russ got a bit more sleep in the morning. It costs a little bit more for the 2 rooms as opposed to 1 room, but it’s worth it for our needs!

Most KOA Holidays have a pool!

KOA allows our family to get close to nature even while staying close to major cities. Many KOA campgrounds have an short, onsite nature trail to hike.

Unique Accomodations

KOA has several locations that offer unique lodging opportunities, if you are up for an adventure. These include yurts, teepees, treehouses, covered wagons, train cars, geodomes, and silos. Browse this article for a full list of KOA locations with unique accomodations: Camp in Style in These Unique Accommodations | KOA Unique Lodging

Earlier this year, we took the plunge and spent one night in a Conestoga covered wagon! This is the one night out of 16 we spent in a place where we did not have our own bathroom. We were pleasantly surprised by the cleanliness, privacy, and safety of the bathhouse which had individual, locked bathrooms for our family’s use. The boys loved the adventure of the covered wagon, and I think this was also the only night out of 16 where we had a king sized bed!

Inviting, family-friendly atmosphere

Every KOA location we have been to has been clean, had a family-friendly atmosphere, and had friendly staff – ready to meet any need we have had. At our first KOA stay, a staff member learned that Little Brother had an interest (ahem, obsession) with firefighting. He dropped off a fire department patch for LB – the first of his collection which now is over 32 patches!

We have normally had a full agenda when we visit, but for those with more time, many KOA campgrounds have family-friendly activities, cookouts, and games for their guests to participate in.

Affordable and worth-it rewards program

KOA has a rewards program! KOA Rewards campers get 10%* off daily registration rates all year long, and access to other great savings!

Convenient locations

Our KOA stays have allowed us to visit places such as Mount Vernon, Monticello, Colonial Williamsburg, the Creation Museum, the Ark Encounter, Mammoth Cave, and family. Nearly anywhere we have wanted to go has had a KOA nearby! Use their “Find a Campground” search available online or in the KOA app to find a KOA location for your next farmily trip!

Deluxe Cabin amenities

We lean heavily on the glamping side of things, and this is where KOA totally delivers. While the amenities vary by location and by which tier of cabin you select, they do a great job of providing all the comforts of home. (Do check the amenities list for your specific cabin. I’ve learned the hard way that they vary, like when I didn’t account for one location not having any dishes, and brought the wrong size sheets at another!)

KOA cabins are quaint, cozy, and do an INCREDIBLE job at utilizing every inch of space efficiently.

KOA has helped our family bond in new ways.

Homeschooling has allowed us the flexibility for more travel. We purposed several years ago to give our children the gifts of experiences, rather than things; to give them time and space to grow and learn while immersed in nature and history; and to reduce screen time while increasing family bonding time. KOA has been a huge part of that.

As our babies are growing up, KOA has given us a safe place to land…to just be a family.

Thanks KOA. We look forward to many future adventures!