Elizabethtown-Hershey KOA

Site Details: I forget our site#, but we were in the wooded area farthest from the central “hub”(in the top left corner if you’re looking at a campground map). Our site was level, shaded and quite large. Almost every site in this section was similarly large and wooded, with an impressive amount of space between sites for a KOA. There was a bathhouse and dish sink nearby, as well as the entrance to a nice little nature trail a few sites down. 

Facilities/Overall Park: This is a large KOA with lots of sites, set on a hilly/”tiered” landscape with winding roads. I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of trees and separation between many sites. If you’re looking for trees and privacy, stick to the sites at the bottom of the hill(top of the CG map). The sites closer to the entrance of the park near all the amenities were definitely packed in tightly. We didn’t get a chance to use the pool, rec hall, or any other facility since we camped during the COVID pandemic. However, we were able to order food from the campground’s onsite cafe, which was surprisingly tasty for standard CG fare. The facilities all seemed clean and well-maintained from what we could see. 

Surrounding Area/Attractions: There is a lot to do in the area. Obviously, the biggest draw for this CG is Hershey Park, which was closed while we visited. However, we’d been there prior to this trip, and it’s a great, clean, family-friendly place if you’re into amusement parks. The CG is also an easy drive into Amish country, which is highly recommended for the amazing scenery, food and farmers’ markets. The nearby Conewago Recreation Trail is a great multi-use trail for walking, biking, etc. 

Overall, we had a very pleasant stay, and found this to be a solid(albeit pricey) KOA in an attractive setting. We wouldn’t hesitate to stay here again, but we’d likely only be willing to pay the KOA premium price again if all the amenities were open.

The owner& office staff at this KOA are rude, crude,& obnoxious. On August 3,2020 while I was in the waiting room to see my Oncologist for my Bladder Cancer, I went online to book a 3 night stay at the Elizabethtown/ Hershey PA KOA for August 14th- 17th. it was around 10:30AM. I booked& confirmed the stay, after seeing my Oncologist, I went home and found out that our camper which was in the shop for warranty work was not going to be ready as promised. They were waiting on parts& because of the pandemic they had no idea when the parts would arrive. I waited until the Friday before our trip to check on our camper again. It was not going to be ready in time for our trip. I called the KOA and spoke to what sounded like a young female. She told me that the cancellation confirmation will be emailed to me, but not right away. I received an email from them a few days later on Wed Aug 12, it was a guest policies update about covid- 19. I called them and told them about this email& told the lady that I had cancelled on August 7th. She told me that they had no record of my cancellation. Someone will look into it and get back to me. I talked to the office lady the next day& I was called a liar.I asked to speak to the manager& was told not available, I asked to speak to the owner& was told not available either. I told her that I have the phone record on my phone and that I cancelled at 12:22 pm on Aug 7, 2020. This was within their 7 day cancel period. She said someone will look into it a little further& return my call. Later that day, I talked to the office lady again and things got loud on both ends, then they hung up on me. I called back a few minutes later& they denied hanging up on me. I finally was transferred to the manager. I had to explain everything again. They were still denying that I canceled. She said they will issue a refund. The next day, I had to call back again because they withheld$10 for cancellation fee. I told them that I was VIP and don't get charged this fee. I explained all that had transpired to this person& mentioned that I was going to book another trip there next month after I get my camper back. She apologized for all the problems and was being real nice. After I got camper back, I went online and booked a site there for Sept 17th. A few days later, I get a Email from the owner, Mr. Karl Schmidt. He tells me" that because of the way that I handled the previous reservation and the subsequent cancellation, I decided to have my manager cancel your latest reservation, to allow you the opportunity to find a better suited campground for your needs" I responded to his email& suggested that his people weren't being honest about what had transpired,& letting him know of my phone record showing that I had called to cancel when I said I did.... I'm not sure why he didn't like me booking online? but, Karl Schmidt chose to ignore my email. At the very least, this man Karl Schmidt owes me an apology! Camping is very important to me, especially during this pandemic. I'm disabled, this man violated my rights by canceling my reservation without talking to me personally. He heard one side of the story& made an executive decision. Besides the Bladder Cancer, I have heart blockage, I have COPD, I've had 5 back surgeries, 2 neck surgeries, I have a neck fusion, a low back fusion,& a spinal cord stimulator surgically implanted. I'm high risk for covid and camping is an activity that I can control my own safety. I HAVE DOCUMENTATION THAT ALL OF THIS IS TRUE. MY ADVICE IS TO STAY AWAY FROM THIS CAMPGROUND!!!