Rochester-Marion KOA Journey

Family-owned KOA franchise, which means the owners live on site and are available 24/7 in case of problems. I had a pull-through site that was definitely not level, but it was acceptable for a couple of nights. (No automatic leveling on my RV). I was towing a car in my 29-foot Class C motorhome and there was plenty of room. Quiet park. Great little store. I have no real complaints. Be aware that a tornado siren is located on site and it gets tested for a minute or so on one Wednesday a month during tornado season. I wouldn't want to be there when that happens.

Fairly typical KOA, except the staff were cold & distant, not friendly nor helpful at all. Great location from I-90 and short drive into Rochester & the surrounding area, good for an overnight. Camp was peaceful. Road noise from US-52 was manageable but right next to the West property line. The office/restrooms/showers/laundry was across the public street from the majority of campsites. The trash dumpster was also located by the office, great for the small sites located there but a bit inconvenient for the majority. All utilities were fine. Good recreational options on-site.

We pulled off here because it was close to the hwy and we needed electrical hookups due to the unseasonable hot weather in mid-June. Otherwise, we probably would have boondocked somewhere.

While this park is close to the hwy, it doesn't seem that it is, and I didn't hear any hwy traffic, although there is a busy feeder road, US 52, on one border of the park. The sites are spacious for a KOA. But, the cold businesslike reception at the desk was typical. They also don't want you to bring any firewood into the park. I can't imagine wanting to spend more than one night here, unless you had business at the nearby Mayo Clinic.

I was told at reception that there wasn't anywhere to eat around the park.

I've never stayed at a KOA because, well, I'm a state/county/national park campground person. But I needed a place to camp int he area. I gave it a try and I was pleased. This is a small KOA, so it was quiet and laid back. Felt old in a good, state park kind of way. More grass and gravel than concrete. The hook ups were in great condition, the WiFi exceptional, the pool clean and usable, the shop handy and the staff friendly. It's located near Rochester, MN and just convenient enough to run in and out of town as needed (about 12 minutes).