For many years, the KOA Campground at Whiteface was off a side road from Rt. 86, about 3 miles from the current location. This location was formerly known as The North Pole Camping Resort and Hotel. Back then, we would visit the Lake Placid area in either July or August and stay at the North Pole. Then, it was a great family-run business that did everything right. The campground and facilities were spotless, and the staff were friendly and helpful. You had your choice of wooded FHU sites that looked and felt like camping, huge, more modern sunny sites on gravel, grassy sites on the South side of Rt. 86, and a handful of waterfront sites on the Ausable River.
Like so many mom-and-pop campgrounds around the country, KOA hefted their corporate might and bought out The North Pole. In doing so, they picked up and left their older campground up the road. They then bulldozed the store and check-in office, the hotel, and the grassy sites all on the South side of 86. And, in true KOA fashion, they doubled the price of camping per night.
I won't go to this or any KOA's, price being one factor. In the beautiful Lake Placid and Adirondack Mountain region, there is a campground closer to town with much more reasonable rates run by a young couple called Drapers Acres. Check them out when planning a trip to the area.
Scout
