Cloverdale / Healdsburg KOA

This was my very first «glamping» trip!
I’ve never been camping before and it’s never really been an interest of mine until we visited this camp site!
We stayed in a cabin of course and it was adorable! It’s about a 10 minute drive up a mountain to get to this camp site.
The views, are to DIE for! We would get up around 5am just to see the sunrise!
I plan on taking our family back here this summer!
If you have toddlers and haven’t been camping before, this is the place to be!

I am giving this place five stars based on an overnight stay without use of any of the facilities. It’s a little bit of a drive to get up there and just when I thought we were lost, another KOA sign would pop up. BUT the place is beautiful! We had a big pull-​thru spot right near the lake. Unfortunately it was raining, so we didn’t get to enjoy it. We would definitely go back here! Love the seclusion. They have a nice little piece of paradise.

I always enjoy our stay. I can’t complain about anything accept the fact that I don’t get up here enough. I’ve been very lucky. I’ve never had any of these bad experiences that others have claimed to have. Even when our reservation got taken off the door and used by another camper they were going to kick them out of our coveted spot so we could have it. We did not get charged for the night that was taken from us. We were given an even nicer spot. Bathrooms are always clean pool area is kept up nice. The whole place shows pride of ownership. The golf course could use some attention but no one seems to mind. It’s a great place to make memories and the new cabins are gorgous.

«Eek! me thinks not» is an understatement. I will warn you ahead of any potential dealings at this place.
We were first «greeted» not so warmly, actually it felt as though our inquiry, which we did in person was an intrusion.
During the course of our awkward interaction I witnessed her basically bullying young kids. Super rude and uncaring in her attitude toward EVERYONE, not just us.
After agreeing to a fee for our food preparation at the site she changed her mind about 10 days prior to our intended arrival. It felt as though once she had us in what she thought was «locked in» that she could swindle us into paying additional charges that were not agreed upon.
When we drove around the park we noticed people crammed into spaces basically right on top of one another. It was noisy.
The toilets were also a hot mess! ONE stall had toilet paper. The rest of the stalls had overflowing diapers and used unwrapped feminine hygiene products in the receptacles and zero toilet paper.
This place is the epitome of what I would imagine a bad episode of Trailer Park Boys would be.
My advise is to literally steer clear of this place. That is easy to do because the road up to the property is in serious disrepair, it’s super curvy and feels unsafe to travel on in an RV.
PS Don’t let the photos fool you. The hot tub does not look like that. These sample photos must be from times long ago.

We stayed here from Sept 18^th-​Sept 21^st. There were 12 of us! Yes 12 of us and I booked 6 weeks in advanced. They put us in campsite 12! It was amazing! We were secluded from other campsites. When we arrived Pamela even joked with my husband that she put us in a private area because «she knew we would be trouble!» She was very pleasant as were all the other staff. I love this KOA because it is on the smaller side and I could let my daughter and all her other friends bike to the park inside and not have to worry about her being so far away from us. Overall everyone was super friendly and this KOA felt extremely safe. I don’t know why such all the bad reviews! We felt welcomed from the moment we arrived until we were pulling out. We even joked with Pam and Natasha (?) to come visit us for drinks once their shift ended. Please don’t go camping if you don’t have a sense of humor. No one wants to be around negative, prude people.

This was our first time camping at this KOA over Labor Day weekend 2015. We have a 19 foot travel trailer. Lots of pros and cons:
PROS
*Very friendly staff
*Lots of things for kids to do: movies at night, mini golf (although there were no available golf clubs when we went so there’s that), arcade (did not enter as it was overcrowded), bikes (the campgrounds are on a hill so no real good place for kids to bike other than down steep hills. We saw many kids go down hard. Bike at your own risk!!), fishing pond (we had fishing poles but chose not to fish this weekend).
*Big pool. Spa for adults only. This will also be under the CONS as there were no campground workers supervising the pool area (only the spa which was clearly marked «only for 18 years or older» — the gentlemen in the golf cart returned repeatedly to throw kids out of the spa.) Someone threw up in the pool and I believe legally the campgrounds should have closed the pool immediately to clean and disinfect. This did not happen. Not even sure if anyone notified the owners.
*Beautiful scenery — vineyards and rolling hills
*Free snow cones at 3pm. Yum.
Ok.now onto the CONS. And I realize we camped during Labor Day which is a big travel weekend for lots of families. We have two kids of our own. The campgrounds were very crowded.
*See «big pool and spa». Someone threw up in the pool. Double yuck. Luckily my kids were not in the pool at the time and we decided that we were done in the pool at that point.
*Our campsite was located at the bottom of the hill. We discovered that the septic tanks were just right below us. How do we know that? Easy. The putrid smell and the gurgling sound of sewage. We could not bear to be outside of our RV to BBQ so we ended up leaving the campground to eat in town. Monday was the worst day of all. Luckily we were leaving anyways but seriously it grossed me out. Also, we were right next to a group who were actually living at the campground so right outside our trailer door we had the view of spare tire rims and their sewage lines. We were unable to open our awning and sit outside of the trailer. So ask for a campsite closer to the office and/​or pool area. We did see some nice RV spots that were shaded. We had zero shade and a view of poison oak (or was it ivy?) about 3 feet from the back of our trailer.
*The water line leaks. Very old equipment in desperate need of repair or should just be replaced. We were in a full hook up site.
We will not be returning to this KOA but glad that we made the 3 hour trek from the Bay Area to check it off our list.

This is a great spot for non-​campers or families with young kids to get a taste for sleeping in a tent, without fear of solitude, wild animals or lack of mini-​gold amenities.
If you’re an outdoorsperson, you know that KOA is not where you want to go.
If you’re new to camping, or traveling with your brood — this is perfect. Lots of families for your kids to play with; lots of great amenities and fun activities for the kidlets (movie nights and airbrush tattoos! A pool, an arcade and game room, and mini golf!), and modern amenities for those folks who are on the road for a while in their big ol’ RVs (laundromat! convenience store!).
If you’re looking for peaceful solitude and time to commune with nature, this is NOT where you should be looking. Frame it up right, and you’ll have a great time.

This campground was great! We were really hesitant based on reviews we have read, but really enjoyed our stay! Take Pamela with a grain of salt, yes she is definitely curt, and I can totally understand why some people even say she is rude. BUT Virginia and the rest of the staff make up for it! We got our reserved sites, they were clean and had the proper hookups. More bathrooms would have been nice considering how large the campground was, but they were clean and stocked our entire weekend there. Couldn’t ask for more! The pool was clean, very crowded, but perfect to cool off in on a hot summer day! We wish the over 18 rule would have been enforced in the hot tub area, but no biggie. Some people complained about the road up to the campground being non rv friendly and very windy… we towed a trailor for our first time ever and had no problem. It didn’t seem too bad. We would definitely come back again!

Horrible owner. Extremely rude. Horrible customer service.
After driving over 8 hours (2 hours short of home), we went to a KOA to enjoy the pool for our last day of vacation. Upon arriving we were told someone had vomited in the pool.
I asked for a reasonable discount as we wouldn’t be able to use the pool that day or in the morning. The owner was very demeaning with her comments and even asked that we leave for suggesting a pool would not be fit for my 1YO the next day. The last thing I needed was a baby with stomach flu!
I left the office in tears. It was too late in the day to find another RV camp. It was also over 100 degrees out. So our last day of vacation we spent inside the RV debating on just pulling up and going home. It was too late to find another spot for the night.
This owner does not deserve the business and should be replaced by KOA. We’ve stayed at KOAs nationwide and have never run into someone so rude and demeaning with an attitude of not helping the client, but causing and winning a fight.
In talking with others at camp, she has a very bad reputation. Too bad I didn’t read Unilocal.We could have stopped at many other RV parks.
Her quote «Surely there was a pool from Oregon to here and you didn’t come here just for the pool, I find that hard to believe.» Perhaps KOA could train her on customer service! We DID go there for the pool — one last hurrah for the kids before a 2 week vacation was over.
The owner’s (Pamela) attitude sucked the relaxation of vacation away and welcomed us back to a stress filled world.
I’ve dubbed her wicked witch of the west.
We will not return to this KOA without a different owner.

Overall, we had a nice visit… but the campground is a little more run down than other KOAs I’ve been to. The sites are VERY close together, and you’re in your neighbor’s lap if outside. Some of the sites looked like they were just stuck on the end of random areas. The mini golf course was a mess, and the catch and release pond was pretty tiny. The pool was fun, and the spa was very nice. We didn’t really use the bathrooms, but they looked a little rough. Staff was very friendly, but checking in and out I was told the printer wasn’t working, so I have no receipts. Wifi was hit and miss, and you had to pay for it if you wanted more than an hour or two of the «free trial».

We’ve visited this KOA for the last two 4^th of July weekends and have not been disappointed. I’ve noticed a lot of other poor reviews. Maybe it’s better for us since we’re tent campers, but overall we’ve had wonderful experiences. This is definitely camping-​lite. Tons of amenities like a pool/​hot tub, mini golf course, and a connivence store for anything you forgot. But it’s still a really beautiful location. All of the campsites surrounded by large oak trees, and some even have views of the valley and vineyards. Also, the staff is always super friendly and accommodating.
It’s definitely a very family oriented place. Kids dominate the pool area and are everywhere. Both years we’ve come with a group of adults and no kids, which seems to be confuse people, but we have so much fun we don’t mind.
I imagine the 4^th of July weekend is their busiest time of the year. The campground completely fills up. As expected this means that the bathrooms aren’t in pristine condition (but still totally useable), and the garbage can get super full. But it’s still a great time and fun to see everyone in the patriotic mood.

Don’t bother with this one! There were no established store hours. The woman running the store would open around 8… be on break for 3.5 hours, come back around 1 for a little while and then gone until 8 the next morning. When we found it open, the store had ice tea, cream soda and orange soda in the fridge for cooled beverages; however the alcohol was stocked full! Basically there was not much in the store at all. I should have known better when, before we went, I called and left a message. It took her two days to call me back… and then she called me twice, not realizing she had just spoken to me 1 minute ago… my fault for even going, but I had already made reservations on line.
The pool was filthy, cloudy and major debris. The hot tub only had ½ of the jets working. Both had what looked like bacteria growing on the floor and sides. The hot tub was full of tiny rocks that hurt everyone’s feet.
The campground itself was pretty… hence the one and only star rating.

I have no idea of what these people are bitching about! I found this KOA very accommodating to us. They were very helpful and accommodated our site request. I found all of the site big with plenty of space. The bathrooms are very clean and paper full. Although I do use my RV but I had to see for myself what these people are taking about! I was here for the 4^th weekend and they had o much family things going on from Snow Cones to Spray on Tattoos! The pool was full each day. They were very organized and answered any and all of my questions with care. The campground has wonderful views of the valley and miles of vineyards! The pond is full of Bass and many to catch. Just throw them back and dont keep them!
To the people that bitch about driving a windy road out to the middle of now where… Thats called camping. If you think the price is to high, go shopping and find something cheaper! If you dont like it then go to Walmart parking lot! Most of them are are right off the freeway with easy access! Perfect spot for you!
Keep up the good work KOA I very much enjoyed my stay!

If i could give this campground a ZERO star I would. the grounds are not to bad but the service and the manager PAM… was a complete joke. Our family planned this trip 3+ months in advance, there were several phone calls and a visit to select the site and make sure our entire family was together. we arrive and our spot is gone and we are told there is nothing that can be done. we were all separated and put in different area’s of the campground which was very inconvenient. What is the point of a Reservation and follow up communication if when you get there its first come first serve or if you happen to know the person you get in? Pam was not helpful, didn’t try to fix it, or make reasonable accommodations so that our family could be close to each other. Every time we asked her a logical question regarding our reservation she was «offended» or said something that had nothing to do with what the question was. Bottom line. we reserved a spot and followed up and she gave it away and we had no options. she didn’t even have the balls to come tell us herself she sent her staff to come tell us we had to move because we were in another space that a «family» was in… But we were not family because we didnt have the same last name??? unacceptable and unprofessional. I will never stay at this KOA again and I will be contacting the KOA website as well as I am a member and camp with KOA’s because of their service but this is one place that someone needs to reevaluate Pam and her abilities to manage.

Very frustrating place. Very pretty location; however the reservation process leaves a lot to be desired. I called to reserve a spot and specifically requested we not be put in a particular spot that we had been assigned on our last visit. We talked about ten other spots that she said were available. When we finally arrived after dark and after hours, we find she assigned us the very spot we did not want. I called and she was very uncaring.

This is a reasonable campsite near the Bay Area. The problem is some of the staff have given up a long time ago. Some are wonderful. So it’s a roll of the dice. I have been yelled at by a staff person for asking a simple question about the electrical outlet at our site. And two out of three visits we have been given a campsite we specifically requested NOT to have. TWICE. This «rv site» is not big enough for an rv. So as others have commented, the reservation system is a joke.

If it were only possible to do no stars!!! Driving from Tucson in a motor home to Ferndale, first trip up north in a motor home. RV parks are slim pickings up here, we found the sign on 101, tired, thinking it would be close to the 101, WRONG!!! Extremely narrow winding road, in a motor home, to get there! Then to arrive and no one around, no envelopes to do what your suppose to do. Tried to find anything, WRONG,!! So we turn around and LEAVE THIS CRAPPY PLACE. Looking at some of the people there made us feel like we entered the DELIVERANCE MOVIE! We’ve done KOA before, however this one is nothing like the others! Nice wine country on the way in and the way back out! Walmarts and Truckstops far better to stay at!

We stayed in a camping cabin and had a great time.
Amenities:
Electricity in cabin with lots of outlets
Porch swing
Good cell signal and apparently free wifi for 1 hr– we did not use
Running water spout outside each cabin
Charcoal BBQ at each cabin
Fire pit at each cabin (bought firewood at camp store)
Pool overlooking beautiful vineyards
Hot tub
Movie night
Basketball hoop and playground
It was easy to find.
It was great to put the kids down at 8 and then sit outside around the fire pit with wine and marshmallows.
Great, relaxing weekend away from it all.
Would definitely go again for a weekend away and for the value/​convenience would choose camping cabins again.
The lodges seem too expensive for what they are.
Warning: lots of poison oak everywhere, along nature trail and all over park grounds.

We were at this KOA from Sunday, July 27 through Wednesday, July 30. This was our first KOA experience with our grand kids! The park itself was just ok. The fishing pond was low due to the drought but could have been made much better if the surrounding area had been cleaned up! The smell of garbage was nauseating! The miniature golf was so badly run down that I didn’t feel comfortable taking 3 kids (all under 10 years old) in there. and the arcade? what a joke. The pool was our only saving grace!
THEN… on Monday night, a pipe burst up near the office and water ran down the road directly into our campsite (#15). We woke up to a muddy mess. I reported this to the office, Pam sent someone to put hay/​straw at the top of the campsite to deflect the water, it did not help. The water was shut off, runoff stopped, I thought the problem was fixed. NOPE! Tuesday afternoon, the muddy mess was back with a vengeance! Now, the water was shut off 3 different times, with no warning, and our trailer is now trashed because 3 kids were in mud up to there ankles! Not one time did anyone come talk to us. Our site was the only one affected and I could not get anyone to talk to me. The maintenance man was so rude that as he was walking away from me he said «the water will be back on when the pipe is fixed».
When it was all said and done, our grand kids had fun because they were with us, BUT we won’t go back. I think the advertisement is false. It is not a «resort». It is a VERY expensive campground with a decent swimming pool and poison oak EVERYWHERE.

I’m not a winderness lovin chick at all, but this KOA stuff works for me. It’s like they took the wild and encased it within a recreational, beautiful lil gem of a campground.
We had the tent site with electricity (TE40), which we only used once to blow up my air bed. It was large enough for 3 tents if needed. However, our group of 4 only had 2 tents so, we had plenty of room to spread out. Rates were $ 50/​night plus $ 10/​per person, kinda pricey but, for what the grounds supply for fun & convenience, it is worth it.
A beautiful bridge of trees served as a nice canopy and sun-​blocker for our area.
There’s a beautiful man-​made pond that was across from our site. hella mosquitos, but it was a very pretty pond.
The office only stays open till 8pm. Seriously, if you could get away with it, you really could sneak in after the office closes and set up at an empty spot and just leave in the morning before getting hassled by anyone. Not that one should do that, but, I noticed that one ‘could’ do this. if necessary ;)
I found the office staff and groundskeepers to be pretty helpful whenever I asked a question. Very friendly vibe overall. even the other campers around us were courteous, quiet and respectful of everyone else’s space.
At nightfall, they showed various Pixar and Disney movies on the side of the main building… it was pretty cool. It really is a family-​fun place. But, it was fun for us non-​family types too. No one ever hassled us about the beautiful herbs that I require to keep me functioning in a good mood. ;)
Only thing that ticked me off during the weekend were the meat thirsty yellow jackets. Who knew those lil fuckers liked carne asada so danged much? I seriously had to eat my tacos on the move because they were SWARMING our table trying to get some carne. God damned bees!
Camping + hot tubbin + wine country = Life is pretty pretty pretty good.
(to be said in the Larry David manner)