Billings, MT - 2011 – Trailer Village #36
RATING: 1 – Yuck, 2 – Poor, 3 – Fair, 4 – Good, 5 - Excellent
OVERALL RATING: 3
Would you stay here again: Yes
Dates: July 27 & 28, 2011 (2 nites at $40.00/nite)
Quality of Facilities and Visual Appeal: 3
Front entrance of park leaves a nice impression with the white picket fence. Makes it “home like”. The park is small with 80 sites. Most of them have permanent residents. The sites have a very strange layout and are close together. It is more like a parking lot for trailers and their cars. The interior roads and the sites are asphalt and all run together which makes it look like a parking lot. You park your rig and right next to it a little lower from your rig, you park your car. If you are lucky, there is a small patch of grass at your door and if you are luckier, you will have a tree. So on one side of your rig is a bit of grass and your car. On the other side is your neighbor’s car (no grass). Right next to the park on the north side are railroad tracks. All around are business and industrial. The highway is close by. However, it is a very clean park (no junk lying around). It is somewhat pleasant and very comfortable.
Staff: 4
Very friendly and accommodating. I asked for a choice of sites and she was willing, but asked what I wanted and then gave me a different site, which I was happy with.
Location: 3
In the outskirts of town. Easy access from highway, but next to several railroad tracks.
Noise/Quiet: 3
You hear trains and train horns throughout the day. We are near the railroad yard so there is a lot of noise from that, but no too much at night. I did hear horns late and early morning. We are near the highway, but I do not hear any traffic noise. I did not have to wear earplugs.
Amenities: 3
Full hookups and cable TV (with @ 70 channels). We get 12 hours of free WiFi (TENGO) then we have to pay $1.50 a day. But we have two laptops, so I hooked mine up the first 12 hours and we will try Dave’s the next day.
Rec Room/Lounge/ Pool: 0
No pool, no recreation. There is a small playground. But this is not a fun place for kids.
Laundry Room: 3
Nice room. Spacious. Has folding table and soda pop machine. 3 washers at $1.75, 3 dryers at .25. There is also a heavy duty dryer.
Comfort Station: 4
A very nice restroom. Looks new and very clean. There is some greenery hung around, so it looks like home. The showers are very nice and spacious. A shower curtain from ‘home’, a nice marble bench, roomy dressing area and a solid outer door. Very private. However, there are only 3 stalls. But since most of the residents are permanent, they have their own showers.
Assigned Site #36 3
Our site is okay. A bit close to neighbors. But we have a bigger patch of grass. Enough to set up chairs and our portable table (there is no picnic table provided). We also have a big tree for lots of shade. Our site is comfortable.
Park Residents/Neighbors: 3
So far we have we have no neighbors on one side and in front. We have one on the other side and in front to the side. We have not seen or met them and so far they are very quiet. I have not seen any kids around, so that keeps it very quiet.
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Glendive, MT - 2011 – Glendive RV #2
RATING: 1 – Yuck, 2 – Poor, 3 – Fair, 4 – Good, 5 - Excellent
OVERALL RATING: 3
Would you stay here again: No
Dates: July 29, 2011 (1 nite at $32.26)
Quality of Facilities : 3
This park is a former KOA. We have seen so many old KOA’s that are bought out and turned into private RV parks. But they keep the same bathrooms and laundry rooms. So the bathrooms are always the same style, old and needs work. The park is small with 70 sites. All are pull through. Interior roads are gravel, sites are gravel with some grass. We got a smaller site, the larger, spacious ones were for big rigs. The grounds are tidy with no junk lying around (except our site had a pile of dead branches). There is a large lawn area. The place has lots of trees and shade and does look impressive. We were comfortable there.
Staff: 4
Used to own the place. Sold it and was asked to stay and manage it for the summer. Very nice guy and very friendly.
Location: 3
Right off of the highway with easy access. So it is perfect of an overnight stop on our way east.
Noise/Quiet: 2
Lots of traffic noise. There must be a rest stop nearby for big trucks because we kept hearing big rigs roar by. We heard trains, but didn’t see any tracks. But you can hear the trains all night, but no horns.
Amenities: 4
Full hook-ups with cable TV (70+ channels, including ENCORE). Free WiFi with easy logon and a strong signal.
Rec Room/Lounge/ Pool: 0 None. Not a place for kids to have a good time.
Laundry Room: 2
Small room, no folding table. Looks old, but clean. Machines look old. 4 washers, 4 dryers (not sure of price). different models of machines, some old, some newer. Comfort Station: 2 Very old and run down. Typical KOA style. Showers stall small with thin cloth shower curtain, dressing area has outer solid door, but bottom of door is knee high so no privacy. No bench in dressing area. Looks like a shower to avoid. Did not use.
Assigned Site #2 3
Our site was okay. It was a bit tight. But we had two trees that gave us enough shade. We had a large bunch of dead tree branches on our site. Made the site trashy. We had no picnic table, where other sites did. If we were staying more than one night I would have taken one from an empty site. We had an open field with grass to view, so it made it comfortable and pleasant.
Park Residents/Neighbors: 3
On side is a permanent resident. Not sure of other side. Did not see any neighbors or other residents. It was so hot outside, I’m sure everyone stayed inside. Neighbors and residents were quiet. Did not see any kids.
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Great Falls , MT - 2011 – Dick’s RV Park, #102
RATING: 1 – Yuck, 2 – Poor, 3 – Fair, 4 – Good, 5 - Excellent
OVERALL RATING: 3
Would you stay here again: Yes
Dates: July 27 & 28, 2011 (2 nites at $40.00/nite)
Quality of Facilities and Visual Appeal: 3
Front entrance of park leaves a nice impression with the white picket fence. Makes it “home like”. The park is small with 80 sites. Most of them have permanent residents. The sites have a very strange layout and are close together. It is more like a parking lot for trailers and their cars. The interior roads and the sites are asphalt and all run together which makes it look like a parking lot. You park your rig and right next to it a little lower from your rig, you park your car. If you are lucky, there is a small patch of grass at your door and if you are luckier, you will have a tree. So on one side of your rig is a bit of grass and your car. On the other side is your neighbor’s car (no grass). Right next to the park on the north side are railroad tracks. All around are business and industrial. The highway is close by. However, it is a very clean park (no junk lying around). It is somewhat pleasant and very comfortable.
Staff: 4
Very friendly and accommodating. I asked for a choice of sites and she was willing, but asked what I wanted and then gave me a different site, which I was happy with.
Location: 3
In the outskirts of town. Easy access from highway, but next to several railroad tracks.
Noise/Quiet: 3
You hear trains and train horns throughout the day. We are near the railroad yard so there is a lot of noise from that, but no too much at night. I did hear horns late and early morning. We are near the highway, but I do not hear any traffic noise. I did not have to wear earplugs.
Amenities: 3
Full hookups and cable TV (with @ 70 channels). We get 12 hours of free WiFi (TENGO) then we have to pay $1.50 a day. But we have two laptops, so I hooked mine up the first 12 hours and we will try Dave’s the next day.
Rec Room/Lounge/ Pool: 0
No pool, no recreation. There is a small playground. But this is not a fun place for kids.
Laundry Room: 3
Nice room. Spacious. Has folding table and soda pop machine. 3 washers at $1.75, 3 dryers at .25. There is also a heavy duty dryer.
Comfort Station: 4
A very nice restroom. Looks new and very clean. There is some greenery hung around, so it looks like home. The showers are very nice and spacious. A shower curtain from ‘home’, a nice marble bench, roomy dressing area and a solid outer door. Very private. However, there are only 3 stalls. But since most of the residents are permanent, they have their own showers.
Assigned Site #36 3
Our site is okay. A bit close to neighbors. But we have a bigger patch of grass. Enough to set up chairs and our portable table (there is no picnic table provided). We also have a big tree for lots of shade. Our site is comfortable.
Park Residents/Neighbors: 3
So far we have we have no neighbors on one side and in front. We have one on the other side and in front to the side. We have not seen or met them and so far they are very quiet. I have not seen any kids around, so that keeps it very quiet.
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Glendive, MT - 2011 – Glendive RV #2
RATING: 1 – Yuck, 2 – Poor, 3 – Fair, 4 – Good, 5 - Excellent
OVERALL RATING: 3
Would you stay here again: No
Dates: July 29, 2011 (1 nite at $32.26)
Quality of Facilities : 3
This park is a former KOA. We have seen so many old KOA’s that are bought out and turned into private RV parks. But they keep the same bathrooms and laundry rooms. So the bathrooms are always the same style, old and needs work. The park is small with 70 sites. All are pull through. Interior roads are gravel, sites are gravel with some grass. We got a smaller site, the larger, spacious ones were for big rigs. The grounds are tidy with no junk lying around (except our site had a pile of dead branches). There is a large lawn area. The place has lots of trees and shade and does look impressive. We were comfortable there.
Staff: 4
Used to own the place. Sold it and was asked to stay and manage it for the summer. Very nice guy and very friendly.
Location: 3
Right off of the highway with easy access. So it is perfect of an overnight stop on our way east.
Noise/Quiet: 2
Lots of traffic noise. There must be a rest stop nearby for big trucks because we kept hearing big rigs roar by. We heard trains, but didn’t see any tracks. But you can hear the trains all night, but no horns.
Amenities: 4
Full hook-ups with cable TV (70+ channels, including ENCORE). Free WiFi with easy logon and a strong signal.
Rec Room/Lounge/ Pool: 0 None. Not a place for kids to have a good time.
Laundry Room: 2
Small room, no folding table. Looks old, but clean. Machines look old. 4 washers, 4 dryers (not sure of price). different models of machines, some old, some newer. Comfort Station: 2 Very old and run down. Typical KOA style. Showers stall small with thin cloth shower curtain, dressing area has outer solid door, but bottom of door is knee high so no privacy. No bench in dressing area. Looks like a shower to avoid. Did not use.
Assigned Site #2 3
Our site was okay. It was a bit tight. But we had two trees that gave us enough shade. We had a large bunch of dead tree branches on our site. Made the site trashy. We had no picnic table, where other sites did. If we were staying more than one night I would have taken one from an empty site. We had an open field with grass to view, so it made it comfortable and pleasant.
Park Residents/Neighbors: 3
On side is a permanent resident. Not sure of other side. Did not see any neighbors or other residents. It was so hot outside, I’m sure everyone stayed inside. Neighbors and residents were quiet. Did not see any kids.
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Great Falls , MT - 2011 – Dick’s RV Park, #102
OVERALL RATING: 3
Would you stay here again: Yes
Dates: July 25 & 26, 2011 2 nites at $33.71
Quality of Facilities and Visual Appeal: 3
This is a city park with 141 sites. More than half are permanent residents. However the place does not look trashy. There are green lawns and lots of shade trees. The sites are asphalt and gravel surrounded by green grass. The interior roads are paved. The layout is nice and the site bounderies are somewhat clear. The sites are very spacious. Some campers use the same grass strip for their table as their neighbor when they should be using the grass strip on the other side, as in our case. However, most of these strips are very spacious and there is plenty of room for everyone.
Staff: 4
Probably the owner ran the front desk. But who ever it was, he was very friendly and accommodating. We were told that this place has been here forever and run by the Dick family the whole time.
Location: 2
Located right next to the highway on one side and railroad tracks on the other side. Also this RV park is near an airport and an air force base. This place was once outside of town and easy to get to, but they built the freeway right next to it and blocked access. So we had to drive almost in a full circle, always with the RV park in sight, to get to the entrance.
Noise/Quiet: 2
Loud traffic noise all day and night. But not loud enough to wear earplus. Air Force planes flew by in the late morning and they were very loud. Could not talk and the trailer shook. But that was only a few planes and then it was quiet. No train came by on the tracks and did not hear any airplanes from the airport. There might have been planes, but did not hear then over the traffic.
Amenities: 4
Full Hook-ups w cable TV (50+ channels) and free WiFi w easy access and strong signal.
Rec Room/Lounge/ Pool: 0 None – not a place for kids.
Laundry Room: 3
Laundry room is a nice size. About 5 washers, $1.50, 5 dryers $1.00. There was a bulletin board where ‘missing’ socks were hung up.
Comfort Station: 3
The bathrooms are old and need a lot of work. The two sink counter top has been replaced, but it does not quite fit the vanity. Looks tacky. There are only two shower stalls with flimsy curtains across the shower stall and another across the dressing area. But they do give privacy. And the stall and dressing area is large. Good water pressure and hot water that does turn cool after a while. But everything is clean.
Assigned Site #102: 4
I asked for a choice and then told what I was looking for; shady & access to a strong WiFi signal. So our site was changed from 51 to 102. This was a much better site. 51 was a pull-thru, but out in the open and way too sunny. 102 is a back-in w another site behind us (back to back). But no one was in the site behind us, so we were able to pull thru. Both sites are very, very long so even with a big rig, there is plenty of room. We have a tree on both sides that give plenty of shade (it was very hot; hi 80’s, on both days). This site is at the end of a row, so no neighbor on that side. There is grass on both sides with a picnic table, but no fire ring.
Park Residents/Neighbors: 4
Our neighbors were overnighters, so we had different neighbors both nights. The ones we met were very friendly.
West Glacier, MT – 2011 - West Glacier KOA #68
RATING: 1 – Yuck, 2 – Poor, 3 – Fair, 4 – Good, 5 - Excellent
OVERALL RATING: 4
Would you stay here again: Yes
Dates: July 22 – 24, 2011 (3 nites) $53.30 per nite
Quality of Facilities; Layout and Visual Appeal: 3
We were here in 2008 and had a spacious pull-thru site. This time the park was full and we had a back-in. These sites are in another section of the park and under the trees, so there is lots of shade. You don’t have any views of the snow capped mountains. The roads are gravel and the sites are dirt and primitive and some are uneven. These sites are close together and back up onto the site behind you. Some of the back-in sites have trailers and tents and can get quite crowded. It looked like there were deluxe sites (didn’t remember seeing them in 2008). These sites have very nice patio furniture and are paved and level with green grass all around. These sites must be close to $100 a nite. There are several cabins in this park too. See 2008 profile for more info.
Location: 4 Same as 2008.
Noise/Quiet: 3
The park was full of kids that were running around being very loud, and screaming. At night it is ‘dead’ quiet.
Staff: 4 Friendly and accommodating.
Amenities: 3
The back-in, primitive sites are electric and water only. No cable TV (for the price we are paying to stay here we should be getting cable with 50+ channels and HBO!!), The WiFi is excellent. Easy logon, no codes. The receiver is on a pole on the site behind us.
Recreation: 4
Excellent for kids. A very nice playground, basketball court, and game room. There is a very nice pool and hot tub. There is an ice-cream shop and a pavilion café that serves breakfast and dinner.
Laundry Room: 4 See 2008
Comfort Station: 3 See 2008.
Using the showers has been so frustrating. I have tried for 3 nights to take a shower, but the place had been full of kids in the morning and night as late as 10pm. There are only 3 stalls!!. There is another building by the deluxe sites, but they were always busy too.
Assigned RV Site #68: 3
We were given a choice of 3 sites (I asked for other available sites). One already had someone in it, another (our original assigned site looked like it was already occupied with two tents. But it turned out these tents were actually on the site behind us, but they encroached onto our space. The site we chose had a little more room and is closer to the restrooms (unfortunately close to the playground, but not too close). WiFi receiver is in the site behind us so we have a strong signal. I doubt we would have gotten a signal if we took the original site that was assigned to us. Always ask for a choice of sites.
Park Residents/Neighbors: 3
The park was full. Lots of families with lots of kids. Did greet some neighbors close by, those that were older without kids. The other’s were too busy trying to control their kids. But people did greet you in passing.
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West Glacier, MT – 2008 - KOA #122
RATING: 1 – Yuck, 2 – Poor, 3 – Fair, 4 – Good, 5 - Excellent
OVERALL RATING: 4
Would you stay here again: Yes
Dates: 5/12 – 14/2008 (2 nites) $45.26
Quality of Facilities: 4
This is a big park w about 150 sites and several cabins. It is located on a dead end road, far from the main road, in the woods at the base of the mountains of Glacier NP. It has several large open sites (all pull thru) and several smaller sites in the woods. The open sites have a spectacular view of the snow capped mountains. The roads are gravel with gravel sites. The open sites have grass, a few small trees (which will be full of blossoms when the weather warms up) and a picnic table. The forest sites have a fire pit.
Location: 4
About 2 miles from the west entrance of Glacier NP.
Staff: 4
Friendly and personable and some live on site.
Amenities: 3
Full hookups, no Cable TV, but can get 3 local channels. Free WiFi at your site. No codes. Easy to access and fast.Bathrooms: 3
Needs work. Dark colors, not to comfortable. Shower stalls are very small, but private with shower curtain and an outer door. There are 3 shower stalls.
Laundry Room: 4
Nice and clean and large. 5 washers and 10 dryers.
Rec Room/Lounge/ Pool: n/a
Rec room looks like a large log cabin. Pool is large with 2 hot tubs. All was closed for the season.
Noise/Quiet: 4
Very quiet. No traffic noise. There are railway tracks near by and can hear faint train horns, but only a few times early in the day.
Site location and environment: 5
We had an open site. Lots of room. Beautiful views of the mountains.
Park Residents/Neighbors: n/a
We came in the off season. On the first night we had 3 neighbors. The second nite we were the only ones here!
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