3 Ways You Can Save Money Camping Through The KOA

There are quite a few positives to choosing a KOA campground when vacationing outdoors. KOAs, which stand for "Kampgrounds [sic] of America," are held up to certain standards in their amenities and cleanliness, so you can always know what to expect during your stay. They also have a great customer service team to help make booking or canceling as easy as possible. It doesn't matter if you're vacationing in a tent, an RV, or one of their cabins, you generally know what to expect from a KOA campground, especially compared to others.

However, with all of these benefits comes one major downside; the cost. For those already learning that van life is more expensive than they thought, the additional price of a KOA site might just be too high to even consider. If you take the time to research and don't mind having a few bad apples when it comes to campgrounds, you can often find some pretty good ones for a fraction of the cost you're spending for a night in a KOA campsite. For a similar experience in a different campground, you can save somewhere between $10 and $30 a night. However, some still choose to stay in KOAs despite the price due to convenience. A KOA campground can also provide safety for solo travelers much better than spending the night in the woods.

Thankfully, there are some ways to save money when using these campgrounds. KOA campsites can be more affordable if you settle for non-luxury sites, become a rewards member, and avoid busy days. These three tips can be highly effective, especially for those who find themselves relying on KOAs regularly throughout the year. If you've been wanting to stay at one of these campgrounds, but haven't been able to justify the costs, let's get into the nitty-gritty of these tips.

There are three categories of KOAs: Journeys, Holidays, and Resorts. While all have certain qualities and features that must be met, some offer more amenities than others. KOA Journey campgrounds are made for a quick and convenient place to relax. They are simple sites right off of main roads, perfect for those who just need to crash after adventuring all day. KOA Holiday campgrounds offer a few more amenities, like patios, larger cabins and tent sites, and places for groups to gather. Finally, KOA Resort campgrounds offer amenities to cover almost all of your needs while vacationing, often including pools, various outdoor activities, and large spots for RVs, tents, and deluxe cabins. Because KOAs are all a little different, the prices fluctuate from place to place, but generally, the Journeys are the cheapest while Resorts are the most expensive. If you don't need a lot of the amenities, choosing a Journey can save you some money, though it may not be as attractive of a location. 

You also want to consider sites. Spots with extra space, water, sewage, and electricity tend to cost more than a standard spot. Even tent campers can save money by choosing spots without power or water easily available, if the campground has such an option.

Additionally, if you are picking a campsite because it's close to a major city or an event you're planning on going to, you can assume others are doing the same and the cost of the campsite will likely go up. Consider looking a little further away from the location. It might increase your drive, but the cost could be worth the discount you get by not choosing such a prime location.

This is the best option if you're looking to use KOA campsites regularly. Other campsites will provide you discounts through various rewards programs like Good Sam and AAA. However, KOAs do not accept any of these, and only offer discounts for their own program, KOA Rewards. It offers all sorts of benefits when you stay at a KOA campground, including daily rate discounts, points that build up and offer further price reductions, certain free days throughout the year, and even discounts with some companies working alongside KOA. Their partners include Progressive, Goodyear, Pet Premium, and RVshare.

Not only is this program incredibly helpful for those who regularly stay at KOAs, but it's not even all that expensive. It only costs $36 for an annual membership. If you take advantage of the discounts at campgrounds and with their partners, you can easily make the membership worth the initial cost. If you manage to spend over $360 a year for spots in a KOA campground, you'll even make up the cost just in camping, and all the other benefits just help you save even more. 

If you take advantage of the campgrounds, you may even get more benefits. After getting 20,000 points in a year, you get upgraded to a VIP status, which enables you to get future points that much faster, and therefore get more discounts—for no extra cost. They roll over as well, as long as you have the membership, so you can save up until you're ready to cash them in for a big reward.

Prices tend to change based on the day of the week, season, and relative closeness to a holiday. If you want to save the most money and have a less busy campground to enjoy, it's best to stay far away from weekends, the peak of summer, and holidays. 

Specifically, Labor Day, 4th of July, Memorial Day, Father's Day, and Indigenous People's Day are the holidays where campgrounds are often packed. Additionally, between June and August, you can expect higher prices, especially on the weekends. So if you want to save money, try to book outside of the summer, such as camping during the winter, to avoid heavy crowds. Booking a spot during the spooky season is also possible at many KOAS and, since they're family-friendly, they make for the perfect place to enjoy trick-or-treating with your kids. 

If you can't avoid camping during summer, whether because that's the easiest time for you to camp or it's the only window the campground is open, then try to avoid weekends whenever possible. Going during the week will sometimes reduce your prices, as campgrounds are eager to get people to fill spots during these times and may offer discounts to those willing to come visit. Of course, this isn't foolproof. You'll also want to check out events happening near the campsite and anything else that may bring people in or raise prices, such as meteor showers, parades, and concerts. Since KOAs are independently owned, they don't all operate the same. Check out a few dates in and out of peak camping times to see if and how the prices change to see if the deals are worth adjusting your plans.

When writing these three tips to save money at KOA campgrounds, Outdoor Guide did thorough research on how campers stretch their limited income in general, looking at reviews, blogs, and social media posts about how experienced campers, both in tents and RVs, managed to save money while traveling. However, though most of the tips provided were helpful, they don't necessarily work for all campgrounds, especially KOAs.

For this reason, Outdoor Guide narrowed the tips down to ones that did work with most or all KOA sites, based on personal experiences and reports of other campers. Additionally, KOA's own website offers ideas on how to save money while camping, which was taken into consideration and used to supplement the tips above to add a little more information for those looking to spend less during their trip.