KOA standard charge now $60?!

That is why we always try to stay at State Parks first. KOA's used to be camper price friendly but not any more. Way over priced for a family on a camping budget.

the_happiestcamper wrote:
State and federal parks usually have hiking trails and a body of water - all the amenities the kids need.

That's the way we see it.

Most KOA's are franchises, so there is no standard charge. As stated by several other posters they are often at or near the top of the price point for the area they are in. Comparing any commercial campground/RV park to a state or other public facility is not just a simple matter of price as the amenities are often very different. We like state parks and have stated at quite a few in a number of different states. In my experience, I have encountered many state parks that have few if any full hookup sites. Water spigots may or may not be at every site even when there is electric. Rates have gone up at the public campgrounds also and some states now require a separate vehicle pass in addition to the camping fee which can be a surprise at checkin. Something I consider as part of the cost of an overnight is how far out of the way I have to go to get to the campground. Every 10 miles adds the cost of a gallon of fuel to the cost of the night's stay.

CG charges have gone up since I started RVing about 15 years ago. So have hotels/motels. And gasoline. And property and liability insurance for the RV parks. And groceries and restaurants. And more importantly, electric, water and sewer if you stay at FHU parks like KOA.
Its still cheaper than hotels/motels where yesterday's top sheet becomes today's bottom sheet and you have to wear shoes except in bed to keep your feet from sticking to the carpet.

State and federal parks usually have hiking trails and a body of water - all the amenities the kids need.

Out of 30 campgrounds we stayed at this past winter 11 were KOA's, I paid an average of $42 (including tax) at them.

Prices will be what the market will bear, I try to stay a week if possible to get a weekly rate. It is usually stay 6 and get the 7th night free - this is a discount of 14.3%

Their campground their rates, your money your choice.

Yes, we pulled into a KOA in New Mexico, no reservation. I think they wanted $65 a night! We left and went down the road.

$60 a night is no world record as far as rates go. You can easily spend $60 in any resort/popular area. Get off the beaten path and rates drop significantly.
There are also many non KOA's with the same rates. While I'm no KOA fan people often group them into a bunch and try to make them all the same.
KOA's are not as bad as many try to make them.
KOA's are all actually very different from each other while maintaining the same standard of amenities. While they are most likely not the cheapest game in town you can generally rest assured a KOA will not be a total dump.
Rates reflect the value of the real estate. If you are in a pricey area the cost of the real estate will reflect in the rates.

I try to avoid KOA's, because around here they are absurdly expensive. Yea, they have fun activities for kids and occasionally that is what we are looking for... but the majority of the time they are too expensive.

I stay 1/2 mile from the Gulf of Mexico in Florida in February every year for about $60 a night... that is what we call PRIME real estate and PRIME time. To pay that money to be crammed into a park and surrounded by screaming kids and parents with little to no camping etiquette is too rich for my wallet.

We stayed at a PA state park on a lake 2 weeks ago for $30 a night. My daughter had a LOT more fun there then at a KOA.