Watkins Glen / Corning KOA

We were looking to spend a couple of nights near Watkins Glen to hit the wineries, waterfalls, and nearby museums around the finger lakes of New York and this park seemed to be in a good location for us to do all that. There were other options closer to downtown Watkins Glen but they were closed for the season when we visited. This park is quite large and can accommodate any size RV with plenty of activities to keep the entire family busy without even leaving the park (but we wouldn’t recommend that because there is so much to do in the surrounding area). 

Typical KOA with a wide range of RV sites and lodging options and tons of activities and amenities. We booked online and got our KOA discount, so check-in was easy and we were greeted by friendly people. There is a mix of site types which you can pick out online. If you don’t see the type you want online, give them a call because sometimes they can move people around to accommodate you. The roads in the park and campsites are gravel but the park is easy to navigate. They do have short fences at the front and back of sites which can make maneuvering into your site a little tricky. Not sure why they have these unless it is to keep people from driving or parking on the grass. Deluxe sites with fancy paved patios are available for a bit more$$$ than standard sites. All sites have a picnic table and fire pit.

Our site was level and long enough to fit our tow car. The pad was gravel but the patio was paved. Our fire pit stuck out pretty close to the road which was a bit awkward. Sites are definitely close so upon check-in we noticed that the park was not very crowded and asked that they not put us right next to people if at all possible. The women in the office told us that our neighbors were leaving the next morning and that was the only site option. Turns out they didn’t leave and there did appear to be other sites available. Oh well! 

The park advertises free wifi and we were skeptical as to how good it would be but it turned out that it worked well at our site for surfing the internet. Our 4G Verizon phone reception was good and the open pull-thru sites work well for those wanting to use satellite. There is cable which broadcasts 70 channels. 

What we liked about this campground was: the pastoral setting yet it was close to many attractions and things we wanted to do. The hiking trail was a big plus and really appreciated by our Labrador retriever. Wifi worked great and there were lots of cable channels. Our patio was paved which is nice but it is more expensive than standard sites with grass (so we ended up paying for that). 

By far the worst thing about this park is the price. If you come here in the summer and use all the amenities then maybe we could see paying $100/night. But we really just wanted a place to park and hook-up the RV since we spent very little time there during the day. The only amenity we were even slightly interested in was the heated indoor swimming pool. 

The surrounding area boasts lots of activities from exploring the natural wonders to wineries and museums. The region is known for its waterfalls including the popular Watkins Glen Gorge that has 19 waterfalls and many more in the surrounding area. Watkins Glen sits at the southern end of Seneca Lake and offers many opportunities to get out on the water for sight-seeing and a diner cruise. Close by are 40 some wineries and breweries that draw many visitors. A 30-minute drive south will put you in the town of Corning home to the spectacular Corning Museum of Glass and the Rockwell Art Museum. Watkins Glen Speedway hosts major motor racing events including the NASCAR Sprint Cup. Click here for a link to our blog post about what we did

We stayed here for 2 nights on our way home from a longer stay in Maine. This was a great place to regroup - we fully flushed our tanks, caught up laundry, and cleaned the trailer while our kids played and enjoyed mini golf, movies on a big screen, a good playground, and the bounce pad. The spot we had is beautiful and feels more private than the pull-throughs. The staff here are great - very helpful and friendly. The security guard in particular who patrols in the evening is kind and seems to care about camping being fun and safe for everyone. The camp WiFi seems just barely above useless. We relied on our AT&T hotspot, which was better at getting a signal than our phones.

Bonus - 2 pizza places in Watkins Glen will deliver directly to your site. Jerlando’s and Pudgie’s. Jerlando’s was very decent pizza.

We’re happy with our stay, but our youngest did slide off the bounce pad and hurt his back on the gravel surrounding it. The kids were very vocal about leaving in the review they think the gravel surround is a bad idea. Sand would be better.

As I walked into the office to register on a slow Monday afternoon, a young lady stated she would help me. No hello, my name is, how was your trip? All business, no personality. She goes through a check list that I have to sign off on, gives me my paperwork and proceeds to show me how to get to my site using a camp map. No escort whatsoever.

I get to the gate to get into the campground but the swipe key box is out of reach for a Class A motorhome driver. So my wife has to exit the coach and swipe the card for the gate to open. As I proceed, my right rear wheels hit a major pothole and rock my Motorhome (can't avoid it) BTW - there is a guard house at the gate but it is used for storage, not housing a guard to make entry easy.

Site is roomy and level but not worth the price. The site is gravel as well as the roads but couldn't be any further from the office. Cell phones have no signal and the campground Wi-Fi sucks. 

Don't bring a golf cart because you will not be allowed to use it unless you can prove your handicapped but …… you can rent a cart from the campground.

Laundry mat has 6 washer machines but 3 are out of order. Those working are being used by housekeeping to wash sheets and towels for the cabins. A manager was approached but he was useless because there are no washer/dryers for housekeeping to use so the customers are at the mercy of housekeeping.

Amenities: food truck closed, Seneca Trails water park can be used for a fee (should be in campsite fee) Pirate ship jungle gym useless - 2 broken slides.

All in all. Worst KOA I ever stayed in. KOA corporate must have a very low standard when rating this park a resort.