Fort Collins Lakeside KOA Holiday

I had a medical emergency and had to stay in the area for a few days. After one night in the hospitals parking lot we found this KOA nearby. The camp ground staff were impressive in their help and understanding. They said they would make sure we had a site for our 45’ bus. Once in the site they continued to show care for how I was doing to the point of holding our site in case we needed to stay longer. I could not ask for better customer service. I give Mandi and Mark solid 10’s!

Now the bad. Many sites, like ours lack grass or weeds to keep down the dirt and mud. Tree stumps are left protruding inches above the soil level leading to a tripping hazard on the way to the restrooms and shower house. We had exposed roots in our site. I cannot imagine that the owners would not see these hazards and want to remove them for safety. Our elderly dog tripped and fell on one such stump. Sites are fairly close together.

For the price, I expect nice grassy areas not just at the sites but other larger expanses of areas around the park. I think the owner can do much better ascetically.

We would stay again but only for the customer service.

General: Many different options: tent sites (with or without hookups), back-in 50/30 amps FHU (with or without patio), Pull-thru 50/30 amps (options include patio and/or hot tub), camping cabins and deluxe cabins. 

Site Quality: All sites are level and have a concrete pad. Although the sites are close together with no privacy between them, there is some separation with a grass strip.

Bath/Shower: Code to enter and clean with soap and paper towels. 

Activities: So many options. My favorite was the half-mile fitness trail that circles the lake. Other activities include mini golf, volleyball, basketball, pickleball, horseshoes, shuffleboard, bike rentals, a fishing pier, a pool, and a nicely appointed playground. 

Other amenities include a library, laundry, train depot, paddle boats, and a small store. 

While this is not our preferred type of camping, it suited our needs for a night en route home, and I loved the gravel fitness trail. It was not high season yet so some things such as the pool and paddle boats were not available, and the campground was not full so it was quieter than it would be on a summer weekend.

     This is a KOA you come to stay a while. There's LOADS of stuff to do for kids & there are a LOT of kids who visit with their parents. Bounce house, jumping pillow, inflatable slide, basketball, shuffle board, pickleball, fishing, paddleboats in the shape of a swan/dragon/flamingo, a pool AND splashpad. There's a cute train that takes kids & parents through the campground. This is kid paradise & there's a lot of them on bikes & running around the campground.

       There was just my husband & I camping here. My husband enjoyed the catch & release fishing. Fishing was good according to him. I liked the hiking trail around the pond. We were able to have a fire. Our site was on the end, close to the bathroom. It was the site I had talked to the reservation line lady, so I was happy. Two of the sites actually had hot tubs! For more money of course.  

    The problems- I received a text the morning of our arrival saying if we needed anything to text& they'd get back to us. I had a question about directions to the KOA, since they said on the email not to use GPS. I texted around 9am & NEVER got a response. EVER! They continued to text me throughout the stay for this & that.

    We should have followed the GPS directions, since the way the KOA took us was through town & was completely nerve wracking.

    The staff was courteous, but not really friendly. Asked for some area info. Staff member said they had a rack with info. A small table top one with restaurants. She also had a tear off map of Fort Collins which was helpful. Seemed put out that I asked. 

     The bathrooms turned out to be 5 unisex toilet/shower combos, which are pretty inconvenient when you need to poop  & all of them are taken by people showering. There are 3 other restrooms in the KOA, but we only used the one by site 84. The bathrooms seemed to always need attention. I think the employees needed to visit more than once a day. Not really KOA clean.

We had the good fortune to stay at the Lakeside KOA during our recent trip to Fort Collins. The sites are spacious, and the campground is run well.

Talk about luck! We had one of two RV sites up near the lake. They were incredibly roomy, level, and shaded! There is a fantastic walking trail around the lake and saw a good number of fellow campers fishing off of the pier.

The staff was very friendly and attentive, and the restrooms were clean and private. The only issue that we ran into was the Cottonwood trees were blowing their seeds when we were there (second week in June). Definitely felt like it was snowing but having the trees and shade was well-worth the annoyance of shaking off the cotton seeds.

We highly recommend this well-run and spacious KOA if visiting the Fort Collins area. Oh... as of June 2021, you do need to have reservations to enter Rocky Mountain National Park. Highly recommend booking well in advance, but if you forget or didn't know, the NPS does release 25% (or 33%... can't remember exactly) of the next day's passes the night before precisely at 5pm. We had three of us online at 5pm, and all three of us were able to access passes (only one of us actually got the passes for the group). By 5:03pm though, they were all gone.

Cheers!

This was my first time staying at a KOA campground and I was blown away by the amenities offered here. Upon first pulling up to the campground, I was met by a security checkpoint and was directed to the main office to register and obtain a car pass. The attention to detail and security measures were another surprise to me, as I have always been more accustomed to primitive campgrounds. As previously mentioned, I was astounded by the variety of amenities offered to guests including wifi, a pool, mini golf, a massive playground, arcade, volleyball and basketball courts, horseshoe pits and more. This all in addition to the usual premium campground amenities such as showers, laundry facilities, RV dump station, camp sinks, an office store with basic goods and snacks, etc. 

This campground is super family friendly and seems to be much more focused on offering RV sites and cabin type lodging. As I am a tent camper, my review will be focused on what is offered for those at a tent site. There are 5 tent sites, which are only available from May 1stto September 30th. The sites are rather close together but in a lovely location right along the lake. The sites cost $45/night on week days and $50/night on weekends for one or two people with a single vehicle, additional guests cost $10/night, additional car $5/night and fire ring rentals are $5/night. Tent sites include a parking spot, a raised and level tent platform, picnic table and grill. Open fires, hammocks and clotheslines are not allowed even at the tent sites. 

Overall, this campground provides a very family oriented environment with luxurious amenities. This campground would be a great option for those wanting a camping experience without having to “rough it” whatsoever. The RV sites and cabin lodging also provide unique options for those not wanting to sleep in a tent. The price for tent camping seemed a bit steep for me, but made sense considering all of the facilities offered. The location just outside of Fort Collins provides easy access to town while still allowing for a more rural experience.