Memphis KOA Journey

First time at a KOA. Place was flooded in many areas . Hook up almost at ground level , dump station not operable and no water. Bathroom stall had no toilet paper. Facility is a bit old and can use some upgrade. Directions to find somewhat challenging. Our site was next to playground but luckily no children playing site it would be too close.

Stayed here for a few days of remote work and had no complaints. Things I liked:

- Strong wifi. It was 95% reliable, and fast enough for remote work including Zoom calls.

- Bird sounds. It was like living in an aviary. Varieties of chirping and hooting were continuous, which some might find irritating, but I loved.

- Pool. The pool is 9 feet deep at one end. One can really jump with enthusiasm into a depth like that. It also makes that side of the pool kind of a default adult area, since the kids tend to stick to the shallow end.

The only downside was driving proximity to Memphis. With the I-40 bridge out of service, there was always a traffic jam at the remaining bridge, so the short drive over to Memphis could take over an hour.

Overall, recommend.

We pulled in shortly after sunset. Our registration packet in the afterhours check-in station was self-explanatory. Level site, no need to unhitch. Easy hookups. Next morning our five-year-old granddaughter enjoyed the playground. We left well rested and continued on our journey.

Some reviews on various sites comment about the water on the ground in this campground. Keep in mind that this part of Arkansas is in the Delta and thus excellent for growing rice and cotton. If wet delta ground gives you the blues, then don't stop anywhere within 100 miles of here after it has rained.

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.