St. Petersburg - Madeira Beach KOA Holiday

If you look up my eventual review of the KOA in Marco Island, the title will make more sense.

I only have positive things to say about this KOA. It's exactly what I expect from a Kampground of America. Very child-centric, lots of things to do like ice cream socials, mini-golf, that sort of thing. Fun to ride bikes around and look at other RVs, and there's even a little quiet dock that's substantially serene for a KOA.

Expensive is the main thing here.

But clean bathrooms, and an incredibly accommodating staff. I had accidentally made a reservation for 2016 (when it was 2015, which it still is, unless you're reading this in the future of course) on a completely booked weekend and they made room for us in the "full-timers" zone...

Which was even great. The permanent residents--some in RVs, others in park models--all keep nice sites and we were met with smiles and hellos during our entire stay.

If you need to visit St. Pete, and have kids or just want to get rid of some excess digits in your bank account, this is not a bad spot. Close to things like Target, Publix, Starbucks, etc.

The only reason I said I wouldn't stay here again is because I wouldn't--we were specifically coming here for a music festival and it was the most realistic place to stay that wouldn't require a long drive home.

Toodles!

I camped here for two months in 2016 and returned summer 2017 to live AND work here. Want a great working experience? Check this place out! Managers Lori and Jersey are approachable and organized and have no problem taking suggestions and answering questions from staff. Being pro active with pretty much anything is encouraged and treatment is great. The structure for scheduling is great and a team work atmosphere is presented. Great job if you like the outdoors and a considerable discount for monthly lot rent is given if you decide to reside in the camp as well as work there.

It was our first time here and it was a wonderful experience. We will definitely come back. The staff was very friendly and helpful.

This one is all about location. The spots are tiny here, it is very difficult to get into most of them with even a middle size RV. But the park is on a lagoon, and they rent kayaks — something I would highly recommend. The pool is heated and the hot tub is very large. It is also close to shopping, movies, and not a bad drive from beautiful downtown St Petersburg. It is also right on the Pinellas Trail, so you can ride bike or walk for a very long way. The staff is very friendly and there is onsite security that actually checks who is supposed to be there. There is a great sense of community among the regulars, and people are very friendly. Don’t be fooled by the approach through an industrial area, it is pretty and quiet once you get into the park.

If you want a well-run RV park in an urban setting, this is about as good as it gets.

If you are looking for rural camping away from it all, move along, this is something else.

The place was clean and tidy. All the facilities were nice. The place has tons of amenities.

The sites are very close together. Not much privacy

We stayed during the week and had a lovely experience. The staff was friendly and frequently patrol the grounds. Upon checking in, we were told to follow an employee who helped us park the trailer and answered any question we had. Concrete pad with picnic table and fire pit at every site. WiFi is slow. There is a small dock where you can launch your kayaks. There are cabins that are available to rent as well, if you wanted to invite friends who don’t have a rig. Lots of amenities but due to Covid, their facilities may not be running as usual. We saw a few people playing mini golf, so at least for now they are up and running. Definitely would stay here again!

Pros:
*Tons of staff working inside and on the grounds. Probably one of the most efficiently run campgrounds I’ve been to.
*Very clean and updated facilities
*Tons of amenities and things to do, for both kids and adults
*Nice water access and viewing areas. Great for birding and sunrises
*Great WiFi and cell service
Cons:
*VERY expensive. After taxes it cost us $72 for a tent site 😳.
*Not much privacy. RV, tent sites and cabins were packed together like sardines. However, there was quite a bit of shade, so that was nice
*Biting no-seeums. Unfortunately they are just a part of life in FL.

We stayed here 2 weeks so we could explore St Pete’s area—which we love. This KOA is jam packed with sites right on top of each other. I think we got lucky ( and we paid more$) our site was one of the best toward the end of the park near the cabins which seemed more private and were much quieter. In addition to those end sites, the sites the back up to the water are decent even though your neighbors are very close by. The biggest benefit of this campground is the access to the bike path. If you ride bikes there is a paved greenway that goes all the way into St Pete’s if you make a left or to Dunedin IG you make a right out of the KOA. A big plus for us and we rode often while visiting.

New (DW) waterfront sites are very nice with a bit more space between sites yet no privacy. It’s nice that a person from the office guides you to your site and helps you park. Laundry facility is is adequate and obviously well used because the floor is very dirty. Showers are clean and have extra space with bench for changing. Internet is very slow.

I stayed here last January and enjoyed it but walked away with mixed feelings. This time they really helped me decide to never come back. I was told two months ago they were doing construction and it'd be done long before I arrived. Well, 7:58am they startup the construction today and it's right outside my site. It's so loud I couldn't even talk to my neighbor at 8:10am. I would expect a significant decrease in price or at the very least a warning to let me know it was still ongoing. What I was told (hearsay I know) is that the owner started doing a lot of work without any permits and the state came in to shut it down. I guess they have the permits now and are going to town... I've been staying at KOA's across the country almost exclusively over the last 5 months and this has been my worst experience so far.

There was a pile of rocks filling the entire site beside me until they move it all yesterday morning. It is so loud I am about to call off work and leave now. It's a shame, this place could be the best KOA around considering the land it is on. The sites are all very unlevel (except for the ones being fixed now). Some have pot holes and all are difficult to load up a truck camper. For this price I expect much more, but they take advantage of being so close to the beach that nothing else matters.