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Do You Need A Membership To Stay At A KOA Campground?

Colorful painted wood KOA campground sign

Camping is a great way to spend quality time with family and friends, plus you can build long-lasting memories while enjoying the great outdoors. Campgrounds are an excellent place to relax sitting around the campfire, roasting hotdogs, making s’mores, and meeting new camping friends, but do you need a membership to be able to stay there?

No, you don’t need a membership to stay at KOA campgrounds. However, if you purchase their Value Kard, you can get discounts on registration rates, earn reward points, and get special discounts from their partners.

In this post, we will explore what KOA campgrounds have to offer and the discounts and benefits that you can enjoy with their Value Kard Rewards.

Camping is one of the best ways to spend vacations with family or friends. It is relatively inexpensive and provides hours of enjoyment. But what do people want in a perfect camping location?

Most people want an appealing location, spacious area for activities for the kids, to be near popular destinations, and a scenic view. That is all most people want for an ideal camping location. Kampgrounds of America realized all these factors and incorporated them into their locations. If you have been looking for an incredible place for camping, KOA can be your ultimate destination.

Do You Need a Membership to Stay at a KOA Campground?

As I stated previously, no, you don’t need to have a membership to stay at a KOA campground, everyone is welcome to camp there, but you can save with their rewards program. Having the Value Kard can provide you with many benefits that people without one can’t enjoy.

When you are camping and traveling, budget is one of the major factors when planning your trip. So saving money wherever you can is beneficial because the more money you save means either a more extended stay or the ability to visit more attractions. Let’s look at a few of the money-saving benefits.

How Much is a KOA Value Kard?

The Value Kard brings lots of value and savings to you. Even though the Value Kard is not mandatory to enjoy all the advantages of KOA camping, we encourage you to purchase one if you go camping there more than twice a year.

The cost to purchase is $33 annually. The program gives you a 10 percent discount on the daily rate on every stay, the discount isn’t available on weekly, monthly, or seasonal rates and you can’t use it with other special offers.

The Kard is not a physical Value Kard anymore. This feature makes the program more green, but it also means you don’t always need to remember a card. You can get a Value Kard key tag at a KOA, but this is optional, as each location can quickly look you up.

Do more of what you love, camping – and gain the rewards when you join the Value Kard Rewards program. From camping discounts at campgrounds to added savings offers from the partners, you could quickly see how the $33 yearly fee pays for itself and more!

Benefits of Having a KOA Value Kard:

Man purchasing items at a KOA campground store

At KOA, the Value Kard Rewards program means that you will get amazing deals and discounts, resulting in savings. You don’t need the Value Kard to get all the benefits of camping in a great campground, but it is good to join the rewards program.

For $33 a year you will receive:

  • 10 percent off of the daily camping rate.
  • Make cash for your future camping stays by redeeming the reward points.
  • Get discounts from Goodyear Tires (15 percent off when purchasing tires at goodyear.com), Dish TV ($50 off a portable satellite antenna and receiver), Allstate RV Roadhelp, and RV Loan Center by Essex Credit.
  • Enjoy special offers from KOA partners, like Route 66, Discovery Parks, Geico, Family Motor Coach Association, and more.
  • Enjoy a free night of camping at select campgrounds during Value Kard appreciation weekend.

Earning and Redeeming, What Can You Get:

Earning points is easy; you get points for the money you spend on daily registration fees.

It even gets better; when you acquire 6,500 points, you’re upgraded to a bonus level where you can earn points 10 percent faster. The VIP status level enables you to receive 25 percent; you achieve the VIP level at 20,000 points during the yearly period.

To see how you earn the points, click here.

Redeeming your points is also effortless; just tell the front desk at the time of check-in which reward you want $10, $25 or $50, and that’s all there is to it.

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Cost to Stay at a KOA campground:

I would like to give you a concrete price on what it is going to cost you to stay, but the pricing varies by destination, time of year, amenities, whether you are tenting, RVing, or making use of one of their unique camping facilities.

The best option is to go to their website, choose a campground, enter the date, how long you are staying and how you are staying to get the price for the specific location that you want to visit.

Kids paddling a canoe across lake

What Type of Camping Can You Do at a KOA?

You can do many types of camping at the campground, no matter what your style, they can accommodate you.

For all of you tenters, enjoy a hot water shower, bathrooms, and other basic campground amenities if you go for the basic tent camping site. I almost forgot you even get a site light and an electric hook-up.

For RVers, they offer you level back-in or pull-through sites. You have your choice of dry hook-up, water, and electric hook-up or full hook-up with 30 and 50-amp service. Some locations have a patio with a fire feature and patio furniture.

Cabins are also available at almost all locations. The basic cabins have full and bunk beds, electricity, and room for four to six people. On the other hand, deluxe cabins have a bathroom, electricity, and a fire feature. Some deluxe cabins may also have gas grills, kitchenettes, picnic tables, TV, and more.

It doesn’t stop there either; here are some other options that you might find to stay in – these aren’t available at all locations, though.

  • Airstream rentals
  • Glamping tents
  • Teepees
  • Log style cabins
  • Yurts
  • Cabooses

They even have other options, so if unique is what you’re looking for, they have it.

How Many KOA Campgrounds Are There?

With nearly 500 campgrounds across the US and Canada, there is bound to be one near the destination you plan to visit. Campgrounds strictly abide by the standards of cleanliness and repair, so that campers can enjoy tidy restrooms and hot showers. The wide variety of family-friendly campgrounds and excellent facilities provide the perfect place to get away, relax, and enjoy camping in the outdoors.

Whether you need a perfect site to drive into while on your next road trip or a cozy spot where you and the kids can pitch your tent for the weekend, KOA is sure to have the right campsite for you. Each campground is different and unique from even the ones that are within the same state.

Camping truly is for everyone, from the oldest family member to little campers, just trekking out for the first time. Whether you plan to relax, explore, or reconnect, the campgrounds are a great place to create memories with those you love.

Convenience for Parents

Camping with kids can easily lead to unforeseen accidents. The laundry room will help you to keep everyone in the family clean. Many of the campgrounds have playgrounds, swimming pools, game rooms, and special events. Some even have on-site snack bars or cafes.

Most of the campgrounds are near popular attractions and destinations. But if you don’t feel like venturing away from your camp, campgrounds offer many fun activities to occupy the children.

Some activities are available all year while others, like swimming pools, are seasonal. In the peak season, expect planned activities for kids such as movie nights, crafts, ice cream socials, hayrides, competitions, and bingo.

If you are traveling with pets, most of the locations have an off-leash dog area.

What are the Usual Amenities You Will Find at a KOA?

Although no two campgrounds are the same, most will have the following:

  • Hot water shower in the restrooms
  • Picnic tables and the fire pits at the campsite
  • Laundry is available at every campground
  • General stores for camping items and other supplies
  • Pet-friendly rules
  • Playgrounds
  • Wi-Fi connectivity

The team at KOA try their best to provide campers with all the best quality facilities so that you can enjoy the best camping experience possible.

Last Words

Even though you don’t need a membership to camp at KOA campgrounds, the perks that are available from purchasing a Value Kard can save you money. And one more benefit, earn 20,000 points in your account year, and the next year is on KOA!

If you have been thinking about looking for a campground to spend time with your family or friends, your expectations will be met at KOA campgrounds.

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Cindy

Ever since I was little I have been a traveler at heart. It all started when I was six years old and my family took a road trip to Alaska. I enjoy visiting new places and revisiting some of the great locations that I have been to already.