How KOA works
Kampgrounds of America is a franchise, not a chain. Each of its 500-plus parks is owned by a local operator who pays for the brand, the reservation system, and the inspection program. That is why one KOA is a shady grove with a swimming hole and another is a gravel lot behind a truck stop. Since 2016 KOA has sorted its parks into three tiers so you can tell which is which before you book:
| Tier | What it means | Typical nightly rate (full hookups) |
|---|---|---|
| KOA Journey | Near highways, built for one-night stops. Long pull-throughs, a store, laundry, maybe a small pool. | $50 to $75 |
| KOA Holiday | Destination-lite: pool, patio sites with furniture and a gas grill, cabins, playground, planned activities on weekends. | $65 to $100 |
| KOA Resort | Full resort: multiple pools or a splash park, restaurant or cafe, organized activities daily, premium sites. | $90 to $150+ |
Every tier promises the same baseline: a staffed office, clean restrooms, a camp store, WiFi of some kind, 30 and 50-amp, and a dump station. That baseline is the product. Browse KOA campgrounds by state in our directory.
What independent parks offer
Independent parks are everything else: a family-run park on a Texas river, a municipal park with 20 electric sites, a 400-site snowbird resort in Mesa, a mom-and-pop with a fishing pond in Missouri. There are roughly 13,000 private campgrounds in the country and fewer than 5 percent are KOAs. The spread in quality is enormous, which is why reading reviews properly matters so much more for an independent than for a franchise.
The upside is real. Independent parks own the best locations (the riverfront, the beach, the spot inside the gateway town), set their own rates, and offer character that a franchise manual cannot: the owner who knows the good taco stand, the Saturday potluck, the site with the sunset view that regulars book a year ahead.
Head to head
Consistency
KOA wins by design. You know the pull-through will fit a 45 foot rig with a toad attached, the pedestal will work, and the bathroom will be cleaned that morning. An independent park may exceed that, or the pedestal may be a 1978 fuse box wired backward. Carry a surge protector either way.
Price
Independents usually win. KOA rates run 15 to 30 percent above comparable independents in the same town, partly because of franchise fees. In our RV park cost guide, a full-hookup independent averages $45 to $65 a night outside tourist hotspots; a Journey-tier KOA in the same area is $60 to $80. The gap narrows at the Resort tier, where independents with the same amenities charge just as much.
Booking and cancellation
KOA has a single app and website, real-time availability, and a standard cancellation policy (usually 48 hours for a refund minus a $10 fee at most parks, 7 days for holiday weekends). Independents range from Campspot instant booking to a phone call answered whenever the owner is not mowing. Some still take deposits by check.
Site spacing and character
Independents win more often. KOA Journeys in particular pack sites tight to maximize pull-throughs. Many independent parks, especially older ones on large parcels, have mature trees and 40 foot spacing. Public campgrounds beat both; see RV park vs campground.
Amenities for kids
KOA Holiday and Resort tiers are hard to beat for families: jumping pillows, mini golf, themed weekends, and a playground you can see from your site. Independents matching that are typically branded resorts (Jellystone Park franchises, Sun Outdoors) rather than true mom-and-pops. Our camping with kids guide has more.
Membership programs and how they change the math
- KOA Rewards, $36 a year: 10 percent off nightly rates at every KOA, plus points toward free nights. It pays for itself in 5 or 6 nights.
- Good Sam, $29 to $35 a year: 10 percent off at about 2,000 affiliated parks (mostly independents), plus discounts at Camping World and on fuel at Pilot Flying J. The park network skews toward the Sun Belt and interstate corridors.
- Passport America, $44 a year: 50 percent off at roughly 1,400 independent parks, with restrictions (often weekdays only, off season only, or a 2-night cap). Two nights covers the fee. The parks tend to be older and smaller; read the fine print for each.
- Thousand Trails: a zone pass starts around $700 a year (frequent sales) for unlimited stays at 80-plus parks in one region, up to 14 nights per visit with a 7-day gap between parks, and free nights beyond that with upgraded memberships. Quality varies from excellent (Pacific Northwest, Florida) to tired. For full-timers who plan around the network, the cost per night can drop under $5. See long-term RV living.
- Escapees / Xscapers, $50 a year: 15 to 50 percent off at 800-plus parks, a mail-forwarding service, and a strong community; the Escapees co-op parks in Texas, Arizona, and Florida are member owned.
- Harvest Hosts and Boondockers Welcome: no hookups, but a free night at a winery beats a Journey-tier KOA for a lot of people. Covered in free camping in the USA.
When to pick which
Pick a KOA when you are driving a long day and want a guaranteed pull-through you can book from the passenger seat, when you have young kids and a Holiday or Resort tier is on the route, or when you are traveling with a large rig in a region where independents are unreliable.
Pick an independent when you are staying three nights or more, when location matters (waterfront, walkable town, inside a gateway), when you are on a budget, or when you are on a monthly rate. Almost no KOA competes on monthly rates.
Use RV parks near me to compare both side by side, or filter full-hookup parks and RV resorts to see everything in a state at once.
Frequently asked questions
Is KOA worth the extra money?
For one-night highway stops and for families who want a pool and activities, usually yes: the predictability is what you pay for. For stays of several nights, a well-reviewed independent park often gives a better site in a better location for 20 to 30 percent less.
What is the difference between KOA Journey, Holiday, and Resort?
Journey parks sit near highways and are built for overnight stops with long pull-throughs and basic amenities. Holiday parks add a pool, patio sites, cabins, and weekend activities. Resort parks offer daily programming, multiple pools or a water feature, and often a restaurant. Prices step up with each tier.
Which RV membership saves the most money?
Passport America has the fastest payback (two half-price nights cover the $44 fee) but the most restrictions. Good Sam and KOA Rewards give a reliable 10 percent. Thousand Trails saves the most for full-timers who stay inside its network, but costs the most upfront and only works if its parks are where you want to be.
Do independent RV parks take reservations online?
Most do now, through Campspot, RoverPass, Hipcamp, or their own site. Smaller parks may still require a phone call and a deposit. If a park has no online presence at all, call before driving out; some are seasonal or full of long-term residents.