Thanks to Director of Sales and Marketing, Stephanie Rinck, we recently had the opportunity to get our first look at the new Chincoteague Island KOA. For those of you that may not be familiar, KOA stands for Kampgrounds of America. Kampgrounds of America is North America’s largest franchise of public campgrounds with over 500 locations in North America. If you’ve never had an opportunity to stay at a KOA, we can’t say enough awesome things. And, now that we have one right in our backyard, it’s never been easier.
Located right off the circle on Chincoteague Island, in the former home of Maddox Family Campground, the new 200-acre KOA welcomes visitors with a vibrant sign. The bright, cheery welcome center also holds an activity center and a camp store. The camp store has everything a camper could possibly need (and then some!), from firewood and sleeping bags to ice cream and air loungers, you certainly don’t have to worry about forgetting to pack your toothbrush. The front of the park also holds a swimming pool (open from dawn to dusk) and the pavilion behind the welcome center has become a popular spot for Girl Scout and Boy Scout troops. The activity center is also available to rent for parties, meetings, and weddings. If you’re looking to enjoy the great outdoors, consider the Chincoteague Island KOA your one stop shop!
Very little of what was once Maddox Family Campground remains. The new owners have either rebuilt or renovated just about every feature. Not to mention the addition of lots of new amenities. Our personal favorite? The jump pillow! Other amenities include a beautiful new dock, perfect for launching kayaks or SUPs (they even have them available for rent right inside the campground), a dog park, and a new group fire pit area. Later this summer the campground will start hosting eco tours via stand up paddle board with Big Papa SUP, a local stand up paddle board rental shop in Chincoteague. Don’t forget to stop by the on-premise food truck, too!
The campground also has plenty of ways to stay. From the most primitive of tent camping sites to Deluxe Patio RV sites, you are guaranteed to find a site to fit your needs. The KOA’s new deluxe tent sites have a raised bed with mulch for your tent (to make the ground softer and prevent any dampness should it rain), lights, water and electric, and adorable tent shaped charging stations so your gadgets will stay dry and secure while you charge. If you want to unplug altogether, you can stay in a basic tent site and pick your spot upon arrival.
If the the thought of setting up a tent or hassling with RV hookups makes you anxious, they even have beautiful new cottages. The gorgeous rows of brightly colored cottages all include an outdoor table and chairs, a grill, chiminea, front porch glider, heat and AC, dishes, pots, pans. The property even has pet-friendly cabins so it’s literally like you never left home! If you’re planning to get into camp late and don’t want to fuss with a trip to the grocery store, you can add-on the “Essentials Package” and the staff will stock your cabin with milk, bread, eggs, cheese, hot dogs, buns, bottled water, and bug spray. Other packages are also available like the “Beach Package” (complete with beach towels, pool noodles, sand pail, umbrella, and sunscreen) or the “S’mores Package” (complete with graham crackers, marshmallows, roasting sticks, chocolate bars. Turn your camping trip into a romantic weekend getaway with the “Romantic Package” and enjoy Virginia wine, red roses, a gift card to AJ’s on the Creek (located right down the road), and rose petals.
We know that with all of the amenities above you might never want to leave the campground, but they do also have a trolley to take guests to three different stops in town. We highly recommend a trip into downtown Chincoteague to check out the cute shops, restaurants, and our favorite, Island Creamery! What’s a trip to the beach without ice cream?! Of course, after your ice cream, we recommend a trip to the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge to see the ponies.
If you’re an avid ShoreBread reader, you know that we love to feature businesses that strive to give back to the community. During our visit, Stephanie explained that KOA has a special program called KOA Care Camps. Care Camps help to send children with cancer to summer camp for a week. For that week, the child can enjoy all the activities they might not be able to enjoy otherwise. The camps even have special staff members so the children can still receive treatment while at camp. When the KOA’s owners heard about a franchise-wide initiative to raise money for the Care Camps, they insisted that the property open a week early so they could participate. During the event, the Chincoteague Island KOA raised $3,000 for the cause!
We can’t say enough good things about the new Chincoteague Island KOA. The only way to truly understand, is to go see it for yourself! Make sure to check out their website here to pick your camp site.
