While we were in Colorado we stayed at three different KOAs. All of them were convenient to our travels with easy pull-through spots and full hook-ups.
The Grand Junction KOA was our home for two nights. This was a busy KOA! We might have stayed three nights but the campground was full that third night. There was a small section of seasonal campers, but most people looked as if they were staying for a week or so and then moving on. The sites were level with some grass and little fences in between the sites. The tent sites were especially nice because they had more extensive fences to offer some privacy. Everything was very clean. The pool was not open yet, but there was a nice playground, a miniature golf course, and trikes to rent. The office staff was very friendly and helpful.
The Grand Junction KOA is off US 50 just south of Grand Junction. This location offers easy access to Colorado National Monument, the northeast entrance to Unaweep Canyon, and downtown Grand Junction and the Mesa Mall.
The second KOA was in our new favorite town of Montrose, just off US 50. It wasn’t as busy as the KOA in Grand Junction and had more seasonal campers. But the sites were level and spacious, with easy pull-through and full hook-ups. We ended up spending three nights here because we were waiting for Monarch Pass to clear. One night was only $10 because KOA was having a Caring Weekend where all the money raised on that one night went to KOA Kids. It was a compact KOA but well maintained and very clean. The Montrose KOA afforded easy access to The Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, the southeast side of the Unaweep Canyon Scenic byway, Telluride and Ouray to the south, and the Curecanti National Recreation Area.
Royal Gorge KOA was our third KOA in Colorado. After climbing and descending Monarch Pass on the one clear day in a week, we wanted to get free of the Rockies before we stopped for the night. Royal Gorge KOA is at the edge of the Rocky Mountains.
Royal Gorge is a deep canyon similar to the Black Canyon of the Gunnison but not as long or as deep. We wanted to see it and figured staying at the Royal Gorge KOA would be convenient. But Royal Gorge was a disappointment. In order to get into the “park” we would have to pay $26 each. This would let us walk over the bridge, ride a gondola over the gorge, take a zipline back, and see a movie about the gorge. We opted for the free option, which was to walk to an overlook and gaze at the gorge. There was a rim trail and we thought about taking it, but the trailhead was packed with campers doing a geology study for a college course.
We drove into Canon City but it wasn’t anything special and we ended up back at the KOA. Two things that would have been worth doing were the Riverwalk in Canon City and the Scenic Railroad. Unfortunately we didn’t discover the Riverwalk until the next day when we were leaving, and the Scenic Railroad wasn’t running the night we were there.
Royal Gorge KOA was okay. It is very large – the largest KOA we have seen out west – but there were only four of us staying there, and three of us were only there one night. It is next to a KOA “amusement park.” We could see a tall slide, a go-cart track, and miniature golf, but weren’t sure if it was just closed until June or if it was closed permanently. There were lots of tent sites and several group sites, so it looked like a good place to stay with a group. Our site was pull-through with full hook-ups. The pad was mostly level, but because of the melted snow and rain, the ground was really soft.
Most of the time we know what we can expect at KOAs, which is why we stay at them. They are convenient, easy, and clean. Of course, there are always some surprises. . .