We made it to Craig, CO around 5pm and without reservations. The first thing you notice is the slightly depressed town. We found that gas was 0.40, yes, forty cents higher per gallon here than in other towns both in Colorado and Utah. Even a middle-of-nowhere-usually-gouge-you-gas-station was cheaper than all the stations we saw in Craig, CO. They are either ripping off their own residents or have a secret discount for locals and are just ripping off tourists.
The second thing you may notice is that this KOA is mostly residents. From adult monster trucks and childrens yard toys to abundant propane tanks, you quickly notice that isn’t the normal KOA.
Our record of having great KOA hosts ended here. The young woman at the reception desk seemed about as happy to see me as she would be to a rattlesnake coming in the door. After a less than warm welcome, we pulled into our spot behind the office. This spot was at least away from all the other trailers but beside the road that they all took into the trailer park. I’ll call it a trailer park because it’s not really a campground when everyone lives there.
I noticed that the tent sites made up the last row in back. Far back from the road, I thought at first. Then I saw what looked like trains just a matter of feet behind the tent spots. Must not be an active route, I thought. Just a couple hours later, the sound confirmed otherwise. Rumble, shake and the vibration of the train horn was felt throughout my RV. “What a wonderful place for a campground,” I thought with sarcasm.
The problem with resident parks is that it’s hard to do a quiet time. Sure, campers are usually in their spot and in bed. Residents however, come home from and go to work at all hours of the clock. They come home from bars. They go to early morning jobs. Motorcycles and trucks come and go at all hours. That is why KOA and other campground companies need to distinguish resident parks from campgrounds. They need to make a choice. This KOA should not be listed like other KOA locations that we’ve visited. There was some foul language in graffiti in the men’s restroom as well. Restrooms were average overall. Not terrible but not as good as they could be.
And by the way, the train goes by about every six hours. The bump on my head from jumping up in bed is proof of the one that goes by in the middle of the night. Between the fuel prices and this campground, we’re crossing Craig, CO off our maps and won’t be going back soon.
Adam Longfellow
