(Please note that this campground has been sold and is no longer a KOA as of 12/2021)

Welcome back to another edition of our campground review series. In this edition we will be reviewing one of our longtime favorite campgrounds in Utah, The Cedar City KOA.

Before we start just a disclaimer. This review is going to be a little different than previous reviews as this is a campground we worked at this past Summer and have been invited to work at again next Summer/Fall. Additionally, we have been staying at this campground for almost ten years now and have become friends with the new owners, so we are probably a little bias. None of this however will change our opinion of the campground itself and we are not saying anything in our review that we haven’t already expressed to the owners personally. They are great people and have made vast improvements to the campground with big plans still to come.

One of the things we like to do is include photos in our reviews, but because we spent most of our time here working and visiting family that live in the area, we forgot to go around and take photos. Feel free to visit their website through KOA and check it out. Here we go……………….

As we said above, we have been camping here for almost ten years now and knew exactly what we were getting into, aside from the work part. The campground is located in Cedar City, Utah, off Main Street, on the North end of town. It’s very easy to find and impossible to miss if you get off at either of the main exits entering town traveling on I-15 from either direction. Some people have said their GPS took them out of the way so I wouldn’t rely on it 100% if that is your preferred method of getting directions.

One of the first things I want to address in this review is the entrance and exit to the campground. It’s awful. Unfortunatly, this isn’t something the owners of the campground have any control over because main street is a highway that is designed for water runoff and to guide snow plows during snow removal. The road is maintained by UDOT and not the city so there is another level of bureaucracy just to add difficulty. They have tried to get a resolution but until that happens though, heed the signs, read the warnings on the website, and go very slow in and out of the park driveways. FYI, if you have a Class A RV do not go at an angle as the signs state or you will rock and roll until your cabinets open and make a mess. We speak from experience! Those signs are more for trailers and 5th wheels so their hitch doesn’t ground out.

Once inside, the roads are nice and wide although it can be bumpy in some spots. One of the current ongoing projects is resurfacing the interior roads. Since it can’t all be done at once while trying to maintain a consistent level of service they are tackling it one area at a time. It’s a much needed improvement and is making a big difference.

Another ongoing project is beatuifing the property. They have added flower pots around parts of the campground and a big flower bed on the South exit around the new KOA sign. When we left they were also doing new landscaping by the North side entrance in front of the cabins which is going to look amazing. These are much needed visual improvements and we can’t wait to see how it turned out when we return next year.

Amenities

Campsites – There are a variety of pull-thru and back-in sites and you will either park on gravel or a concrete pad depending on your location in the park. All sites have full hookups and if you park on a gravel site you will get a concrete patio. If you are traveling with friends you can request buddy sites where you can create a common area just for your group between RV’s. Most of the sites have a built-in fire pit but don’t worry if your site doesn’t have one because you can ask one of the workers to bring a portable fire pit to your site. Many of the sites come with a built-in charcoal bbq stand which is convenient if you don’t have one or just don’t want to unpack your RV for a one night stay. As for shaded spots, spaces are limited. The only shaded spots that can accommodate larger RV’s are back-in sites and a couple of spots in the back row. The other shaded spots are mainly for smaller RV’s or Class B vans. This campground also offers rustic cabins, deluxe cabins and tent sites.

Common Areas – The common areas are well maintained and the pool was recently refurbished and kept at a soothing 80 degrees. On the property there are two restroom and shower facilities; one next to the office and the other in the pavilion area, as well as a large laundromat. These are all cleaned and restocked every morning by the staff. Just a note that the laundromat is also open to the public. Campground guests enter from the rear while the front of the building is the public entrance.

There have been quite a few changes and upgrades. One of those upgrades is a new playground that was built across from the pavillion and they have also added new games such as horseshoes and the ladder game in that area as well for the adults. And if you travel with your dog the new owners added a new off-leash grass dog park in that area as well, which is a huge upgrade over the old dirt dog park in the back.

Another huge upgrade that was made is the Wi-Fi. We love to stream movies in our RV and they have installed an excellent Wi-Fi system and probably one of the best we have experienced. Some people on the outer perimeter of the property might have a slower speed but it is much better than 99% of the other campgrounds we have stayed at. And it’s FREE!

Cleanliness

One of the things they take pride in is keeping the campground clean. While we were working we had a daily routine to make sure all of the spaces and firepits are cleaned after visitors leave so the next folks coming in are happy and don’t start off with a negative experence. We also made sure any and all trash or debris gets picked up as quickly as possible so we can keep the grounds nice. As mentioned above the restroom and shower facilities are cleaned and restocked every morning and the on duty staff is always there if something runs out. While these facilites are clean they could use an update which is something we know they plan to do in the not too distant future.

If there is one thing that needs to change it is the back, South end, of the park where they have a few private residents in permanent and rundown single-wide trailers. Again, we are not saying anything here that we haven’t already told the owners, but these residences are an eyesore and make the campground lose some of its appeal. Unfortunately they are something the owners inherited when they purchased the park and hopefully it’s something they plan to address. But we owe it to our readers to give an honest assessment and in our opinion those things have to go if they plan to make this campground a better place for families to visit. At a campground more spaces and less eyesores is a good rule of thumb.

Customer Experience

The staff at the Cedar City KOA are an amazing group of people, just ask us 🙂 But you don’t have to ask. Read the reviews and you will see that the staff gets high marks in just about every review regardless of how people feel about the campground and will do anything they can, within reason, to make the customer experience more enjoyable. With all of the upgrades and improvements going on it will only get better. As someone who has been going there for almost a decade, it’s great to see the changes and the renewed pride of ownership that has been injected into the park.

As for the surrounding area, Cedar City is a nice little town that gets a lot of traffic during the Spring and Summer months. This is because it is in close proximity to Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, several beautiful lakes for fishing, fun off-road areas and they are also home to the annual Shakespeare Festival. Because of this, it can get crowded at times during the day, but at night everything closes up like a small town and it becomes very quiet.

Cost

The rates for the Cedar City KOA are what you would expect from a franchise campground as they range from $50 to $75 plus tax per night in the Spring and Summer months. This might seem expensive but you also need to consider that they are along a major interstate and in close proximity to two National Parks. For the monthly rate, it is reasonably priced at $750 per month plus electric. These spots are usually always full and there is a waiting list.

Conclusion

Our most recent stay at the Cedar City KOA was much different than any other time we have been there. It was great to become part of the staff and to learn about what it takes to make a campground work. We certainly gained a new prospective and appreciation for those folks who own and work at campgrounds as it is not as easy as it sounds. Just read our blog The Rise of the Entitled Camper to get an idea of the stuff and people we deal with. Not always fun to say the least.

Since we have been coming to this campground for so long, we have seen firsthand how things have changed and we are happy to say we had a small hand in making some of those changes. The new owners are very dedicated to making sure their guests have the best experience possible and are putting a lot of time and money into making improvements. As a camper, there is not much more you can ask for in that regard.

The campgound is in a great location and close to grocery stores, shopping, restaurants, outdoor supply stores and many other businesses which is convenient. The city has no shortage of places to eat and the downtown area is a nice place to walk and do some shopping.

Between the campground, town and surrounding areas, there is no chance of getting bored or running out of things to do during your stay. And if you love the outdoors, golfing, fishing, hiking and exploring, then this is a great place to stay as all of those activities are right down the road. Not to mention there are two National Parks just a short drive away.

This is why it has been one of our favorite places to visit over the years.

Bonus

Don’t forget to visit the camp store! In the Cedar City KOA camp store they are fully stocked with food, RV supplies, souvenirs and some clothing. They sell firewood, bagged ice, refill propane tanks, and most important of all, hand-scooped ICE CREAM! And let me tell you the ice cream alone is worth it because they do not cheap out on the scoops. Although they might be a little smaller now because we are not the ones doing it. But if you don’t believe me, again just read the reviews! Next to the awesome staff, the ice cream is the most mentioned thing people rave about. So go get some!

There you have it. If you have stayed at the Cedar City KOA and have any thoughts please share them with us in the comments below as we would love to hear your opinion. Or if you have any questions about the Cedar City KOA please feel free to ask. Because of our unique perspective we can answer more questions than giving general information.

Thank you for reading and safe travels!

Joe

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