KOA, short for Kampgrounds of America, is a North American franchise network of privately owned campgrounds.
Last updated October 21, 2026
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Overview
KOA, originally named Kampgrounds of America, is an American campground franchise brand headquartered in Billings, Montana. The network provides branded camping accommodations through independently owned and operated campgrounds in the United States and Canada. Its system includes traditional tent sites, recreational-vehicle sites, cabins, and related campground amenities, allowing travelers to use a recognizable brand standard while staying at locally operated properties. The business began in 1962 when Billings businessman Dave Drum, John Wallace, and two other partners established a campground on Drum's property north of the Yellowstone River. Drum reportedly conceived the idea after observing travelers heading toward the Seattle World's Fair. The original Billings Campground offered basic tent pitches for $1.75 per night, together with picnic tables, fire rings, restrooms, hot showers, and a small store. The combination of roadside accessibility and a consistent set of practical amenities proved commercially successful. In 1963, the founders began expanding through franchising, seeking to create a coordinated campground system across North America. KOA's growth was rapid: it had 262 campgrounds operating by the end of the 1969 camping season and approximately 600 franchise campgrounds by 1972. The company became publicly traded in 1969, but the energy crisis of the 1970s exposed the vulnerability of travel businesses dependent on automobile trips. As fuel prices rose and vacation driving declined, KOA's stock price fell sharply. In the aftermath of the 1979 oil crisis, New York financier and major shareholder Oscar Tang acquired the company in its entirety, returning it to private ownership. The franchise network continued to expand during the early 1980s, reaching nearly 900 locations by 1982. Over subsequent decades, KOA tightened its operating and quality requirements. Those standards reduced the number of participating campgrounds, and by 2002 the system contained almost 500 locations, most of them in the United States. KOA says that it conducts an annual 600-point inspection of each campground, using the review process to support consistency across independently owned properties. KOA's business scope is therefore broader than the sale of camping equipment or a single accommodation property. It is principally a hospitality and franchise platform: the brand recruits and supports campground owners, establishes operating expectations, markets the network to campers, and connects customers with a distributed portfolio of outdoor lodging locations. Its customer proposition combines access to outdoor recreation with predictable facilities, reservation convenience, and a standardized branded experience. Leadership changed in the late 2010s. Jim Rogers left the chief executive role in 2015 after 15 years and was succeeded by company president Pat Hittmeier. Hittmeier retired in April 2019 and was replaced by Toby O'Rourke, identified in the referenced Wikipedia article as KOA's president and chief executive officer and the first woman to hold the company's CEO position. The available reference material describes KOA as having more than 500 locations across the United States and Canada and as the world's largest system of privately owned campgrounds. No current financial figures or public-market information are provided in the supplied sources.
History
KOA was founded in 1962 in Billings, Montana, by Dave Drum, John Wallace, and two additional partners. Drum developed the campground concept after seeing travelers heading toward the Seattle World's Fair while walking property along the Yellowstone River. The first site, known as Billings Campground, operated on Drum's land north of the river. Its initial offer was deliberately practical: a tent site cost $1.75 per night and included a picnic table and fire ring, while the property also supplied hot showers, restrooms, and a small store. The first campground performed well enough that, in 1963, the founders decided to build a system rather than operate only one property. They adopted the name Kampgrounds of America and began selling franchises. This model enabled locally owned campgrounds to operate under a common name and set of expectations while KOA developed a broader network. Expansion was especially fast during the 1960s and early 1970s. KOA became a public company in 1969, when 262 campgrounds were operating by the end of the camping season. By 1972, ten years after its creation, the company had approximately 600 franchise campgrounds. The 1970s brought a significant challenge. The energy crisis reduced automobile travel and damaged many businesses dependent on road-based vacations. KOA's stock price declined sharply as fewer Americans drove for leisure. After the 1979 oil crisis, New York City financier Oscar Tang, then a major shareholder, acquired the company outright. The ownership change did not end the franchise network's growth: by 1982, the number of KOA franchises had risen to nearly 900. Later, the company placed greater emphasis on quality control and network consistency. More stringent standards removed or excluded a number of campgrounds, bringing the system down to almost 500 locations by 2002, with most properties located in the United States. KOA annually inspects each campground using a 600-point inspection process, which the company describes as one of the most demanding quality programs in the campground industry. This inspection-based approach is central to the brand's role as a franchisor, since the customer experience is delivered by many independent property owners rather than by one centrally operated hotel chain. KOA's offering encompasses several forms of outdoor accommodation, including tent sites, recreational-vehicle sites, and cabins, together with basic campground facilities and reservation services. The brand consequently occupies a position between traditional camping and standardized hospitality. It provides travelers with access to outdoor settings while emphasizing recognizable facilities and operating practices. Leadership in the modern period included Jim Rogers, who served as chief executive for 15 years before stepping down in 2015. He was replaced by company president Pat Hittmeier. Hittmeier retired in April 2019, after which Toby O'Rourke became president and chief executive officer. The supplied reference identifies O'Rourke as the first woman to lead KOA in the CEO role. The referenced Wikipedia article describes the active system as having more than 500 locations across the United States and Canada and as the world's largest system of privately owned campgrounds.
- 2019
Toby O'Rourke becomes CEO
[1]After Pat Hittmeier retires, Toby O'Rourke becomes president and chief executive officer.
- 2015
Jim Rogers leaves the CEO role
[1]Jim Rogers steps down after 15 years as chief executive and is succeeded by Pat Hittmeier.
- 2002
Quality standards reduce network size
[1]After stricter quality requirements remove or exclude some campgrounds, the network numbers almost 500 locations.
- 1982
Franchise network approaches 900 locations
[1]KOA franchises increase to nearly 900 during the early 1980s.
- 1979
Company acquired by Oscar Tang
[1]Following the energy crisis and a major decline in KOA's stock price, Oscar Tang purchases the company in its entirety.
- 1972
Network reaches approximately 600 franchises
[1]KOA reaches approximately 600 franchise campgrounds ten years after its founding.
- 1969
KOA becomes publicly traded
[1]KOA becomes a public company and ends the camping season with 262 operating campgrounds.
- 1963
Franchise expansion begins
[1]The founders begin selling franchises and develop Kampgrounds of America as a North American campground system.
- 1962
First KOA campground opens in Billings
[1]Dave Drum, John Wallace, and two other partners establish the original Billings Campground on Drum's property near the Yellowstone River in Montana.
Products and positioning
A large, recognizable campground franchise network positioned around accessible outdoor lodging, dependable amenities, reservation convenience, and operating consistency across independently owned properties.
Outdoor accommodation network · 1962
KOA Campgrounds
The core KOA offering is a network of branded, privately owned campgrounds in the United States and Canada. Properties provide access to outdoor settings while operating under KOA's franchise identity and quality expectations. The network is designed for travelers seeking a recognizable campground experience across multiple destinations.
Camping accommodation · 1962
Tent sites
Tent camping is part of KOA's original accommodation proposition. The first Billings site offered tent pitches with practical amenities such as picnic tables, fire rings, restrooms, and hot showers. Tent sites remain a basic form of outdoor lodging within the KOA campground model.
Recreational-vehicle accommodation
RV sites
KOA campgrounds include spaces for recreational vehicles, extending the brand beyond traditional tent camping to serve travelers taking road trips or using motorhomes and trailers. Availability and site features vary by independently owned campground.
Cabin accommodation
Camping cabins
Cabins provide a more structured alternative to tent sites within the KOA outdoor-accommodation portfolio. They allow guests to stay in a campground environment while using enclosed lodging rather than bringing a tent. Specific cabin designs and amenities depend on the individual property.
Controversies
2026
Former Terramor employee sues over alleged discrimination
A former housekeeper at Terramor Outdoor Resort, Sharonda Boston, is suing resort owner Kampgrounds of America, alleging retaliation, a hostile work environment, and sexual and racial discrimination. The allegations are not presented as court findings. Kampgrounds of America and Terramor said they do not comment on pending or threatened litigation and are committed to providing a safe, welcoming and inclusive environment.
Brand decisions
2002
Tighten campground quality standardsStrategyBackground
A large franchise network required stronger consistency and quality control across independently operated properties.
Action taken
KOA applied stricter standards and used an annual 600-point campground inspection process.
Aftermath
The number of KOA campgrounds declined to almost 500 after properties that did not meet the stricter requirements were removed or excluded.
1963
Adopt a franchise-system growth modelStrategyBackground
The initial Billings campground was successful, and the founders sought to make the concept available in multiple North American travel destinations.
Action taken
Kampgrounds of America began selling franchises to create a coordinated network of privately owned campgrounds.
Aftermath
The franchise strategy supported rapid expansion, with hundreds of campgrounds operating within the first decade.
Recent events
Reported
Former Terramor employee sues over alleged discrimination[3]
Former Terramor Outdoor Resort housekeeper Sharonda Boston is suing resort owner Kampgrounds of America, alleging retaliation, a hostile work environment, and sexual and racial discrimination. The allegations are not presented as court findings. Kampgrounds of America and Terramor said they do not comment on pending or threatened litigation and are committed to providing a safe, welcoming and inclusive environment.
- Unconfirmed
Reported
Texarkana KOA campground wins President’s Award[4]
Texarkana’s Kampgrounds of America Journey campground recently won the organization’s 2022 KOA President’s Award.
- Unconfirmed
Salem/Lisbon KOA Holiday earns two KOA awards[5]
Salem/Lisbon KOA Holiday earned the 2021 KOA President's Award and KOA Founder's Award. The source says the awards were presented Tuesday but does not provide a calendar date.
Weekdays and relative dates follow the original report; their exact calendar dates have not been verified.
Reported
Hagerstown/Antietam Battlefield KOA Holiday receives 2021 KOA President’s Award[6]
Hagerstown/Antietam Battlefield KOA Holiday received the 2021 KOA President’s Award, which was presented at KOA’s annual international convention on November 17.
Reported
Tifton KOA Journey earns the 2021 KOA President’s Award[7]
Tifton KOA Journey earned the 2021 KOA President’s Award, which was presented at KOA’s Annual International Convention in November.
Reported
West Glacier KOA Resort Campground wins two KOA awards[8]
Kampgrounds of America awarded West Glacier KOA Resort Campground the 2020 KOA President’s Award and KOA Founder’s Award. The awards were presented on November 11 at KOA’s Annual International Convention in Savannah, Georgia.
Sources8 sources
- 1KOAen.wikipedia.org
- 2KOA official websitekoa.com
- 3Former Terramor employee sues over alleged discriminationfox23maine.com
- 4Texarkana KOA campground wins President’s Awardtexarkanagazette.com
- 5Salem/Lisbon KOA Holiday 获得两项 KOA 奖项salemnews.net
- 6Hagerstown/Antietam Battlefield KOA Holiday获得2021年KOA总裁奖heraldmailmedia.com
- 7Tifton KOA Journey earns the 2021 KOA President’s Awardtiftongazette.com
- 8West Glacier KOA Resort Campground获得两项KOA奖项flatheadbeacon.com
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