Memphis KOA

We ended up not actually staying here because of the high cost and poor quality of the facility. We were driving through the area and weren’t expecting to stay in Memphis but vehicle issues forced us to look for a campsite for the night. This KOA was convenient so we pulled in without calling ahead. The desk staff was not very helpful/friendly at all. I don’t know how much the base rate costs here, but by the time she finished adding up all of the extra charges for our children, dogs, and the extra car, we were well over $80 for one night. If this was a really nice RV resort, I could see paying that but this place is far from it. The entry/exit road is full of potholes and mud. The sites I could see from the office were very wet looking. We decided to look for something else down the road. I would not stay here again...and it might make me think twice before stopping at a KOA again.

The campground is good overall but is in much need of money and know how to make it better. Drainage for the campground is bad. A survey needs to be done and a drainage plan formed so that water has somewhere to go. The middle of the campground is higher so pick a site towards the middle if possible. Stay away from the muddy end sites. The access road around the periphery is filled with pot holes. They attempt to smooth but next rain brings them right back. Wi-fi is sufficient most times to support streaming, so that is a plus. They have cable TV hookups. Some sites have concrete pads but at least half of those are broken and not level. Our gravel site was level. Staff in the office are friendly and helpful. Laundry room is open 24 hours but requires quarters ($2 per load washer and dryers) and there is no change machine. Must get from office which, due to COVID-19, doesn’t open until 9 am. Try to book at rear of park to get away from interstate traffic noise as much as possible.

Location is good to anything you would need in or around Memphis, TN, park is located nearby to I-55 which is both it's best and worst feature. We happened to be in a spot in the front of the park which is borderline too loud for me and I consider myself a fairly deep sleeper. The second half of our stay is in a different site further away from the expressway so perhaps it will alleviate some of that. Sites are fairly close together however they are sufficient, staff is pleasant, our check in process was a total jumbled mess, apparently we came in on a day where their system was down and they have a new manager. It was rough, but everyone we encountered was super pleasant and honestly wasn't even really an inconvenience for us, just noticed the office in a bit of a disarray. Camp store is well stocked in case you forget some things, propane on site, grounds are decent except the roads, the potholes are really bad, just take your time and you'll be fine. If your rig made it through the Memphis roads it will survive this I promise. Hookups were very well maintained, and our spot number 49 even had two sewer hookups one about midway in the site and one toward the rear for those of you with big rigs and/or 1.5 bath models. Cable is good, wifi is usable, some noticeable speed declines during peak usage times but that is to be expected. Overall the park can't help the loud interstate traffic, I have deducted one star for that, and one star for the embarrassing state of the roads in the park. A truckload or two of gravel, and half a days work would make this a solid 4 star park.

This was only our second KOA. Our first KOA was extremely nice, so we were very disappointed with this KOA. It was fairly old and run down. The spaces were also very tight. We did not like that they offered fire rings, as our neighbor's fire rings were literally only a couple feet from our RV. Thankfully they did not have a fire as we would normally never start a fire that close to our rig.

Also, we had booked a 20/30 Amp site because they didn't have any 50 Amp sites available. They almost refused to let us stay because our rig can use 50 Amp. I guess their older electrical system has issues handling rigs that may try to pull more than 30 Amps. According to the workamper there, this is not an uncommon issue, but this was the first time we encountered this issue.

Cell service was okay at this location as we were able to work remotely. Unfortunately I cannot remember if we used AT&T or Verizon.

The Memphis KOA carries the KOA “Journey” branding aimed at campers on the way to somewhere else and it’s fit for this campground. It’s right on top of the expressway without much around it.

We found road noise to be louder than most campgrounds near the expressway and were surprised the other two reviews mentioned it being quiet. It wasn’t unbearable or anything, but you know you’re near the road.

The bath house was very clean, the staff was clearly on top of it. The camp store is better stocked than most. The grounds themselves could use some cleanup and maintence.

AT&T Down: 11.3Mbps / Up 1.0Mbps

Standard KOA Campground. We were here to explore Memphis, Tennessee and this campground met our needs. We didn't realize at first that the campground was actually located in Arkansas. It is about 20 minutes north from Memphis and is an easy on/off from the highway making this location convenient.

We stayed in the tent section, which was conveniently located close to the bath house and included electricity and water. We visited this campground at the end of February 2016, and it wasn't crowded. Despite being right next to the highway, it was pretty quiet.

The bath house was basic, but clean and offered hot showers. There was a lounge that a closed at 5:00 pm and laundry facilities that were open 24 hours. The wifi offered worked and was pretty quick.

There are a few shopping areas, including grocery stores, just down the highway on the road towards Memphis.

NOTE: The $22.02 was for electricity/water and included the KOA 10% discount.