Cape Hatteras-Outer Banks KOA Resort

We stayed in the pre-season when it was significantly cheaper. This is a great campground on hatteras and I prefer it to the one that’s next door because it’s not quite as large and crowded. There’s a lot more grass and less concrete. The kiddo loved the beautiful, huge pool, the arcade and the jumping pillow. This will definitely be my go-to for trips to hatteras.

Mixed feelings about this KOA.

If you are fully self contained, I highly recommend this KOA. But if there is a chance you will need the bathhouse, I strongly recommend going somewhere else.

Great location and lots of amenities. All the staff was very friendly! WiFi is weak, if you can get on, but Verizon cell service is good. However, the bathhouses are nasty!

Several staff members we talked to blamed it on the guests and I agree the guests could and should do better, cleaning up after themselves. But, it became evident that the bathhouses were not being cleaned well on a daily basis.

The restrooms themselves were acceptable most of the time. The toilet paper ran out in a couple of stalls and was not replaced for days and the restrooms themselves could use a little TLC like a fresh coat of paint.

The showers are awful though. They stayed dirty and the plumbing fixtures need to be fixed inside and out.

I couldn’t adjust the water in one because the valve handle was so loose, then I couldn’t even turn it off. I had to get dressed and move to another one.

The shower floors were nasty with dirt, dried clumps of hair, and paper labels on the floor. One of the “family” showers was not cleaned for at least 4 days because the can I put some trash in was not emptied for 4 days. A dried clump of hair in the shower, and somebody’s shampoo washcloth remained as well.

On top of that, the lights in the individual showers are motion sensor activated and will go off in less than 3 minutes while in the shower.

Even the open air hallway between the showers and restrooms was never swept. Leaves and other debris stayed on the floor all week.

The dishwashing sinks are even worse. I don’t think they have ever been intentionally cleaned. One was clogged for a day with nasty smelling water and both of them had grease and dirt all over them the whole week. The fish cleaning sink near the beach was clogged with fish scales.

Although we did not need the laundry room, it had issues as well. I think it was corrected during our stay, but I agree with one of the other reviewers, why not replace each machine as soon as they stop working instead of waiting until they all go out?

5 stars if it were not for the bathhouses.

The beach access is the best part. We were only 2 rows from the dunes so we could hear and fall asleep to the ocean every night. We had a 30/50 amp full hook up site. The sites are understandably close together, but we were on a corner and only had neighbors on 1 site.

The pads were mostly level and the landscaping could use some work, but nothing to complain about. We didn't really use the WiFi or the shower rooms, but the laundry was nice and always available during our stay. We arrived mid-week during the end of VA and NC spring break. It was packed with kids and families until about Friday and then I'd say the park was at 50% or less capacity the rest of our stay.

We are van campers and don’t usually stay in places like this. But this one was exceptional in every way; very large campsites, incredibly well managed and clean… we noticed many families enjoying themselves with all the incredible activities and amenities they have provided. But the best part is its location. It is like being straight out of a movie. We drove all the way from San Diego California to see this little town and were thrilled to have found this campground. Highly recommend it.

We stayed 8/29 to 9/3 which is the perfect time to camp. The park was about 50% full over the weekend and 30% full during the week. We were the only one in our row the entire week. The prime spots closets to the beach were packed in tight but they did a good job spreading everyone else out. Perfect weather except for one really strong storm overnight which left some areas with minor flooding. Wifi was the best in any park we have been in. Multiple connection points throughout the park. We streamed movies with no problems. Also we had a strong Verizon signal. Pool was fantastic. Outstanding staff. I saw staff securing an absent campers tent when it was threatened with high winds. Staff picking up garbage on the fence line after the storm. Staff being considerate of walkers when mowing. These are just some examples. Zero depth entry on the kiddie side with water slide at the 5 foot deep end. A couple of obviously broken chairs remained on the pool deck the entire week. Otherwise the pool and hot tub were pretty clean. Nice camp store, plenty of ice and supplies. Masks still required in NC. Looked in the bathrooms/showers once and they were pretty clean. Outstanding lunch at Sheila's cafe which is onsite. KOA also owns the large vacant lot (compliments of a hurricane) across the street which offers the best sunset views and kite boarding/watching. KOA is about family. Last night it was pretty neat watching the nightly KOA train filled with kids with light sticks, dancing and waving there arms to YMCA as the train snaked through the park.

We stayed here for two nights: Saturday/Sunday mid Covid pandemic. The place was booked solid. Check in and additional store purchases were very nice and they were adhering to the state mask requirements and requiring guests to do the same inside. Outside was more of a choice how close you wanted to get to others. We chose to avoid the bathrooms and showers so I can’t speak to the cleanliness although I did hear one woman complaining about the showers not being very clean. We enjoyed the beach (right there and not too crowded) and visited the huge pool. I particularly enjoyed the dog wash station and dog friendliness. Four stars because the spots are tight and so close we left our curtains closed almost the whole time.

We stayed here over the Veterans Day weekend. The camp was less than 20% full. The only spots full were along the beach/dune. The staff was great. I must have booked the wrong site on the KOA app (sometimes the book button above/below where you pick the site can be confusing I guess) because I thought we were on the beach but I booked a premium site instead which is about $10 cheaper. When we arrived and were checking in the staff gave us a beach-front site without charging us more. The pool is open all year but not heated but the hot tub is huge and the whole family enjoyed it. The campground is located in the center of the outer banks so it is great for checking out the islands. You can’t beat the beach access and the KOA is well taken care of with good bathrooms, playgrounds, and dog park. The sites are all paved or gravel and mostly level. With descent WiFi and cable. We were pleased and will come back.

We would not normally stay at a KOA just because we like more privacy however knowing it wasn’t peak season and would not be crowded we booked here for 4 nights in March. The restrooms are some of the nicest of any campground we’ve been to. My kids enjoyed the jump pillow but the playground while cool lacks anything to hold their attention. They need to add swings, slides, etc. We were unable to use the pool area as it was too cold but it looked very nice. Beach access was easy and our site was centrally located between the beach and playground area. I also liked having the covered shelter on our site.

The best pro to camping in Rodanthe is how central you are between the Northern and Southern beaches. Over the course of 4 days we explored from Carova/Corolla at the north end all the way down to Ocracoke. There is so much to do and we will be back. I would not recommend March as many things are still closed particularly on Hatteras Island. Some of the other islands had more open. It seems like most businesses do not open up until sometime in April.