Staying at just any campground, is like saying it doesn't matter what hotel you chose when you go on vacation. Like hotels, campgrounds aren't all the same. I wouldn't just say hey, I'm going to New York City and pick the cheapest hotel I can find, you never truly know what you're going to get until you walk through the door, and by then, it's to late to find a hotel that might be more to your liking.
When we choose a campground, we take several things into consideration. First and for most we have to have full hook-up, meaning we have to have water, sewer and electric. We may not use all of those things while we are there, but I like the thought of being able to use the bathroom in the middle of the night without having to go to the shower house or have to dump it when leaving. Call me spoiled or a diva, but I'm not going full roughing it, that's just not me.
My preferred campgrounds are KOA's when we try new places, if there is one in the area. For the most part, they are super clean, very family friendly, and have fun things for the kids to do. It's always important for the kids to be entertained, and it's nice when I don't have to always come up with the ideas.
There are three different types of KOA's.
KOA Journey campgrounds are conveniently located near the highways and byways of North America and are waiting for you after a long day on the road. KOA Journeys offer long pull-through sites that help make setup fast and easy, have well-lit after-hour check-in service, and offer a robust line of RV supplies. They are great places to unwind and relax before the next leg of your journey.
Whether you're looking for a base camp for exploring the area or a fun place to stay with lots of activities, you'll love our KOA Holiday campgrounds. There's plenty to do at these KOAs, with amenities and services to make your stay memorable, whether it's overnight or for a longer stay. Each KOA Holiday features full service RV sites and KOA Deluxe Cabins with bathrooms. Take a hike, see the locale attractions or enjoy a campfire. It's your holiday!
KOA Resort campgrounds offer a carefree vacation in the great outdoors with plenty of patio RV sites and Deluxe Cabins with linen service. KOA Resorts also have an abundance of activities led by dedicated recreation staff, on-site food service, group meeting space, and so much more. KOA Resorts are all you could want in a vacation destination - all in one place.
While staying in Watkins Glen at the KOA, we had a great time not only exploring the State Park, but also spending time at the campground. There was plenty of fun things to do and occupy the kids time.
The kids big and small had so much fun on the jumping pillow, giant waterside, the indoor pool with hot tub, and of course the zipline! They also had two playgrounds a miniature golf course and fun activities lead by the employees. We had a blast playing kickball with the kids and they love their new tie dyed shirts. They even have Happy Hour in the store for the ice cream!!
My complaints would be the size of the spots, I like the kids to have room to play in the grass, and there wasn't room for that. The larger spots were the end spots next to the road. The bathrooms weren't always clean, now I don't think that was completely the staff's fault, with a variety of people staying there, and quite a few cabins, I don't know that the non campers know the proper etiquette of a campground. Another example of this, was people walking through occupied campsites to their cabins. I stopped 6 people total from walking though mine while I was sitting there. (Nicely of course) This bothered me! My two year old knows not to walk through someone else camping spot. I know that everyone might not know not to do this, but you have to think, do you walk through some neighbors yard when you are home? Probably not, it's considered trespassing! So don't do it in a campground, please! My other problem with the bathhouses were the size of the showers. Can we say tiny? These were the smallest showers I've ever seen at a campground. I couldn't shave my legs while the water was on.
Overall I would give this campground a 3 out of 5 stars. If you need a campground to stay in Watkins Glen, it's a good choice, just be ready for the things I mentioned. This review is my opinion, thoughts and in no way was I asked to do this. I feel if I'm going to share my thoughts on the campgrounds we chose and pay for, other campers would benefit from hearing a completely honest review.
Happy Camping!
