Sometimes you just want to stick around camp and relax. There are plenty of KOA locations where a fun time can be had without getting back into the car. And there are also many that put you in a prime spot to explore the area. While this is just the tip of the iceberg, here are a few KOA campgrounds that’ll keep you busy all day because of their prime locations, access to excellent transit options, and many onsite recreational activities. Looking for even more fun? Find a KOA near you – or your favorite travel destination – to plan your own fun!
1. Yellowstone Park / West Gate KOA Holiday – Montana
The 2021 KOA Founder’s Award-winning Yellowstone Park / West Gate KOA Holiday is known for its excellent service and for being just six miles from the most popular entrance to Yellowstone National Park. Views of the Rocky Mountains and grassy ranch land surround the campground’s wooded campsites. There’s plenty to do around camp for those who want to relax between visits to Yellowstone’s spouting geysers and rushing waterfalls. Plunge into the indoor heated pool and hot tub, play a round of mini-golf, or bike around the property. The Diamond P Ranch is just next door offering scenic horseback rides into the area’s natural beauty.
2. Thunder Bay KOA Holiday – Shuniah, Ontario, Canada
Thunder Bay KOA Holiday is situated along the coast of Lake Superior, the largest of the Great Lakes, just outside the town of Thunder Bay, Ontario. Campers can explore its 90 acres of forested land sandwiched between the banks of the lake and Mount Baldy’s mountain top lookouts. There’s plenty to do at camp to keep families busy all day. Its pool deck lounging area is perfect for soaking up the sun and keeping an eye on the kids playing in the two saltwater pools and under the splash pad’s water showers and squirts. A catch-and-release trout pond acquaints kids with fishing, and a 300-yard driving range and mini-golf are the ultimate arm warm-up.
3. Moab KOA Holiday – Moab, Utah
Wake up in the American Southwest to a stunning desert, red rock landscape at Moab KOA Holiday. Hot air balloons pass overhead, dip down for views of Arches National Park, Canyonlands National Park and Dead Horse Point State Park sandstone structures and famous archways. Moab KOA boasts the largest swimming pool in the area, perfect for a refreshing cool off, and the campground’s dark night skies reveal a celestial show of sparkling stars. Hit the Hidden Valley Trail just across the highway for a strenuous hike or mountain bike trip hundreds of feet above Moab’s valley floor. Or take it easy and enjoy a scenic afternoon of wine tasting at Spanish Valley Winery, where red rock cliffs, clear blue skies, and green vines converge.
4. Cape Hatteras / Outer Banks KOA Resort – Rodanthe, North Carolina
An island-get-away where the Atlantic Ocean meets sandy beach to the east and the tranquil Pamlico Sound laps at the western shore, Cape Hatteras / Outer Banks KOA Resort has water views for miles. Spend hours enjoying the beach’s warm sand and surf just steps from camp, or hop over to the calmer waters of the sound, perfect for learning to windsurf, kiteboard or get around by jet ski. If lounging poolside is more your thing, swim the pool’s lap lanes or make a splashdown out of the double waterslide. Cape Hatteras KOA runs activities like rock painting, t-shirt tie-dying, and pirate-themed days to get kids’ imaginations going during the summer months.
5. Astoria / Warrenton / Seaside KOA Resort – Hammond, Oregon
At the mouth of the Columbia River on the Pacific coast, the Astoria / Warrenton / Seaside KOA Resort is situated amongst lush forests where wildflowers and ferns grow at the foot of moss-covered trees. Deer and elk graze through the campground as birds, including eagles, soar above. The indoor swimming pool and hot tub are open year-round, with the outdoor pool opening for the summer. Just across the street from camp is Fort Stevens State Park, with tons of options for exploration. Check out a washed-up historic shipwreck, the Civil War to World War II-era fort and gun batteries, and find starfish hanging out in tide pools.
6. Pigeon Forge / Gatlinburg KOA Holiday – Pigeon Forge, Tennesse
Just outside Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Pigeon Forge / Gatlinburg KOA Holiday is home base for Dolly Parton fans and outdoor adventurers alike. Dollywood is minutes away from camp, and so are many other attractions like alpine coasters, water parks and ziplines. After exploring the area and hiking the Great Smokies, unwind at camp. Challenge friends and family to a tournament of games in “The Backyard” where cornhole, bocceball and other classics await. Kids have fun unearthing fossils and gems at the camp gem mine, and they use up extra energy bouncing on the jumping pillow and swinging from the gravity rail. Lounging at the pool on the lazy river or under the rain tree is a great way to cool off after a fun-filled day.
Eva Barrows is an accomplished San Francisco Peninsula freelance writer and book editor. She writes for regional magazines like PUNCH and Edible Silicon Valley and was editor-in-chief of Live&ThriveCA magazine. She founded the online literary journal Imitation Fruit in 2007 and has enjoyed promoting fellow writers and artists ever since. Read more of her travel writing at www.evabarrows.com.
