Last year, our friends joined Kampgrounds of America or KOA. Since that time, I think they used the rewards program once or twice. So, is it worth joining the rewards program?
If you If you camp at KOA more than 6 nights per year, then it’s worth it’s worth the $33.00 fee for joining the rewards program. However, if you don’t use KOA significantly, then the rewards program is not worth purchasing. The KOA rewards program is an annual membership program that costs $33.00 per year. In return, you get 10% off your daily registration rate and 10% off in the KOA store. Rewards points also accumulate until you receive a free stay. Plus, you’ll get one free night of camping on a designated “rewards weekend.”
There are a few limitations to the rewards program. First, you cannot combine the 10% discount with any other special offer. Second, The camping “rewards weekend” is only at certain KOA locations in certain limited sites. Plus, you must stay at least two consecutive nights (in the same campground) for the offer to be valid. This also cannot be combined with any other offer.
So, how long do membership rewards points last?
Rewards points can be accumulated year to year as long as you pay your membership fee annually. However, you’ll have to renew your membership within 59 days of the expiration date. KOA sends you a renewal notice by mail or email. You can renew your membership online, by mail or email or in person.
Having said that, there is a way you can get your membership for free! KOA VIP rewards members get a free renewal each year that they qualify for the VIP program.
So, how do you get to the VIP level? Each year, every camper starts at the base level rewards membership. Once you get up to 6500 points, you’ll be at the bonus level where begin to earn points 10% faster. Once you earn 20,000 points in a single year, you are eligible to earn VIP status. However, when the new year comes, you’ll start at the base level again.
Once you hit VIP status, there are several other rewards that you unlock beside the free annual membership. First, you’ll earn KOA rewards points 25% faster. Second, you’ll have your cancellation fee waived. Third, you’ll get the “Bring a Friend” discount where your friends can camp at KOA and get 10% off of their camping registration fee for up to four nights!
So, how do you earn rewards points? Every time you stay at a KOA, you earn points. When you start off as a base level camper, you’ll earn between 600 and 1300 points per stay. Of course, you’ll earn an extra 10% per stay once you have reached 6500 points, and 25% per stay once you have reached 20,000 points. If you stay long term at a KOA, you earn 75 points per day.
Downloading the KOA app will help you keep track of your reward points. If you make your reservation through the app, you’ll get 250 points in addition to the points you get for actually staying at the KOA you booked.
KOA has another way to earn points as well. KOA hosts “Care Camps” where children with cancer can stay at KOA for free. If you stay at a participating KOA location that is hosting the Care Camp, you’ll receive 1000 points or 2000 points for VIP members. Likewise, if you stay at KOA during the KOA rewards week, you’ll earn 1000 points or 2000 points for VIP members.
Let’s take a look at how this might break down.
| Daily Site Charges | $20-40 | $40.01-60 | $60+ |
| Base | 600 | 900 | 1300 |
| Bonus | 660 | 990 | 1430 |
| VIP | 750 | 1125 | 1625 |
So, how do you get to point 6500 points?
| Points | Number of Stays Needed |
| 600 | 11 |
| 900 | 8 |
| 1300 | 5 |
After that, how many more stays do you need to get to 20,000?
| Points | Number of Additional Stays Needed |
| 660 | 20 |
| 990 | 13 |
| 1430 | 9 |
So you can see that you only need to stay have about 14 stays at around $60 per night to get a free membership.
Approximately how much money do you need to spend to get a free membership?
| Number of Stays | Rate Per Day | # Days Stayed | Cost (includes 10% discount) |
| 31 | $20 | 2 | $1240 |
| 21 | $40 | 2 | $1680 |
| 14 | $60 | 2 | $1680 |
Of course, every stay will not be the same amount and you will not always receive the same number of points per stay. But you get the basic idea. In reality, I don’t know of any KOAs that charge $20.00 per night. Here in California, most KOAs charge anywhere from around $60 -$95 per night. Nation-wide, most KOAs start out at around $50.00 per night.
Conclusion
KOA is a great place to camp. You’ll create memories for you and your family that will last a lifetime.