KOA Camping is Perfect For the Whole Family

My soul longed for the beach, my husband craved some outdoor adventure, my kids just wanted to run free and play… thankfully KOA Campgrounds has something for everyone in the family to create summer camping memories!

Avial/Pismo Beach KOA is located in Avila Beach, just a few miles from gorgeous beaches and the Pacific Ocean.  It has access to local bike trail access, and a large variety of family-friendly amenities that kept us playing all weekend.  

Ways to Stay: 

• Glamping (Glamorous + Camping = GLAMPING)
  This is my favorite way to stay!  With all the joys of the great outdoors, but with a little more comfort.  KOA Avila/Pismo Beach offers a variety of cabins for your family.  We stayed in the deluxe cabin that slept 4-6 people and had a bathroom.  

• RV Camping
  Pull right into their full hook up sites for RV’s up to 40’ in length
  
  
• Tent Camping
  Do you enjoy the traditional tent camping? This location has limited tent camping sites, and reservations must be over the phone. 

Let’s talk AMENITIES: My son’s mouth dropped when he opened up the campground map and saw all the fun activity options.  What to do first?!  Well, we played from sunrise to sunset all weekend and had some very memorable moments: Pool and spa - Cannonball!  Mom got to be the judge of the cannonball contest for all the kids at the pool… and their goal was just to see who could make a splash big enough to soak me!   Playground Shuffleboard Basketball - A game of H-O-R-S-E was a must Horseshoes Mini Golf - a little putt putt practice Fire pits (gas) - S’more anyone? Outdoor movie nights Bike Rentals - For $10 a day you can ride all around the camp and take the Bob Jones Trail down to the beach Game Room - we found out that my oldest is a Pool shark (don’t make bets to beat this kid!) Tetherball  Dog Park - for all your pups who love to camp

Local Fun

Avila and San Luis Obispo are filled with outdoor fun and activity!  Here are the activities that were available and easy to do adhering to physical distancing mandates:

• Avila Valley Barn - Roasted corn… I can’t stop thinking about the DELICIOUS roasted corn at this place.  So savory that I would plan our next trip just for the corn (only half-joking).  This barn is literally across the street from the KOA entrance and has loads of fun for the whole family.  The barn animals are all friendly and love to be fed.  Purchase lettuce inside the fruit stand for the animals and enjoy feeding them.  They have a deli, ice cream, fudge, backed good and plenty of fresh fruits and veggies.  We ate lunch and enjoyed the farm for a couple of hours before hitting the beach.  
  
  
  
  
• Bob Jones Trail - Rent some bikes at the KOA (only $10 for the day, which includes a helmet and a lock) or take a stroll to the beach on this paved trail.  It is approximately 2.5 miles to Avila Beach and downtown Avila. There are a few small hills, but we did just fine on a single-speed beach cruiser.
  
  
  
• Avila Beach - The best family-friendly beach we've been to in California!  This beach wins the award for "best family beach" because it has smaller waves for the big kids to play in (great for boogie boards and skim boards), a river that leads into the ocean (waist deep and perfect for the younger ones), a playground, basketball court, great downtown area with food, and bike access from the Bob Jones Trail.  
  
  

Other activities to look into (check websites for COVID-19 updates on opening):

• Hearst Castle Tours
• Avila Beach Farmers Market
• Central Coast Aquarium 
• Avila Beach Trolley 
• Hot Springs of Avila 
• Mission San Luis Obispo 

During this pandemic, camping/glamping/RVing is really the way to go for family fun!  Check out all of the different KOA campgrounds around the area and plan your summer vacation today! 

*Macaroni Kid Lodi was hosted for this stay, but as always, the opinions and suggestions in this review are 100% my own.