What is KOA?
Image from:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kampgrounds_of_America
KOA, or Kampgrounds of America is a popular branded campsite company that you have likely seen on the side of the road as you travel through America. Growing up, I saw many KOA locations on the west coast, and never stayed at one. KOA has been around for half a century, and is an American camping institution with over 500-locations.
KOA is the largest campground franchise in North America. With a total of 500-locations throughout the United States and Canada and there is likely one near you. KOA was founded in 1962 in Billings, Montana and the first KOA is still standing after 50-years. If you have an RV or a tent, KOA is a good place to spend time with family, or you can hop from site to site while visiting America and Canada. Traveling the country in an RV is the pastime of retirees and is an economical way to see the great attractions that are in North America versus purchasing plane tickets which keep getting more expensive. The most prohibitive cost of this mode of travel is the price of gasoline. As gasoline is currently priced above $4 in the United States, it can be prohibitive on families and retirees alike currently. It’s still worth it to see what this country and Canada have to offer.
Camping is an activity that is very beneficial for both individuals and families. The KOA campgrounds are well-maintained and can be a very cheap vacation. As the recession and inflation drag on, KOA will likely become more popular for travelers. Gasoline prices tend to fall as demand decreases due to layoffs, so KOA may become a very popular destination as we enter the recession in 2023-2024.
It is amazing that in the late 1970s, there were over 900-KOA locations in North America, but this was trimmed to the 500-existing locations today during subsequent economic collapses and recessions. The company was purchased during the oil crisis when gas prices plummeted, which shows that the camping locations are impacted by fuel prices. This makes sense, as you need to travel to a location by the interstate to visit one of these campgrounds. You can park on RV at a KOA or pitch a tent there, and I am a fan of camping as a vacation
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