Bluefreight
upstate NY
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Joined: 06/03/2006
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We have just accepted a job with KOA in the NE. This looks like a good campground and the owners seem reasonable. Our first experience with KOA lasted 4 days. The site, even with 3 tons of stone wouldn't hold us, and we had 3" from our neighbor. Pictures of this campground look much better. This KOA is in an area that we haven't been to in about 20 years and it should be fun, if not we are done with KOA. It's too bad that the NPS went to concessionaire.
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eubank
Angel Fire, NM, USA
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Joined: 01/17/2004
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I don't know if I'd drop KOA outright from your experience. My understanding is that most of them are locally owned with a marketing contract with KOA. It all depends on the deal that the individual owner offers you!
NPS might still be an option, though. Yes, the campgrounds are concessionaire-run, but they also hire people. We had friends working at the GC-South; they stayed in the campground and worked at one of the concessionaire tourist stores.
Lynn
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Bluefreight
upstate NY
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eubank--- We'll volunteer for the NPS but don't care to work for the concessionaires. It's a different breed of people, they care less about the park and are only interested in the $$$.
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kknowlton
Wisconsin Border Country, IL
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Joined: 05/27/2005
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I agree on the KOA situation. Many are locally-owned, paying a franchise fee, so there is a lot of variation in the people running them. I hope this time it works out well for you, but if it doesn't, don't write them off quite yet.
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eubank
Angel Fire, NM, USA
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Bluefreight wrote:eubank--- We'll volunteer for the NPS but don't care to work for the concessionaires. It's a different breed of people, they care less about the park and are only interested in the $$$.
Yes, I think I'd agree with that assessment! Our friends were worked practically to death by the job. But, in the end, they enjoyed it because they were at least working at the canyon! (WOuldn't it be nice to take a stroll past the rim on your way to and from work?)
Lynn
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russmorr
Brevard, NC
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Joined: 11/25/2007
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My wife and I worked at the Grand Canyon North Rim last year and it was great. My wife walked to work at the gift shop each morning along side the canyon and had a super view. What a great way to start the morning. I was in charge of the employee dorms which was a lot of work but still enjoyable. We didn't have an rv at that time so we stayed in the dorms for a couple of months and then moved to a cabin in the campground. Since I controlled the dorms, our dorm experience was good. The food was usually very good with an occassionally bad meal. Overall a great experience. On our days off, we explored some amazing places. We would be there again this year except for some pressing matters here at home.
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wayne_tw
South Dakota/Georgia
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Joined: 07/21/2007
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I don't think evry campground within the National park Service is concessionaire run. Some are, of course, but many are not. In fact, I recently volunteered at Hot Springs National Park, and their campground was run by the Park Service.
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DC&MC
formerly of Keizer Oregon USA
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Joined: 10/23/2003
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NPS is not all concessionaire. We are currently camp hosts at Bryce Canyon. In fact, the other host has to leave because of the altitude, so there is an immediate opening here. Zion, Arches, Capitol Reef, all us camp host volunteers.
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mgratner
Wherever I happen to be USA
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Been there, done that. 3 KOAs, 3 bad experiences. We have scratched them off our list. I truly believe, based on our experience that KOA owners and managers believe they are a higher class operation than anyone else. It must be the corporate culture. Hyatt's of the campground world they are not. There are just to many nice places to work and deal with their nonsense.
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