By:
Submission
From jct I-29 (exit 112) & SR 175: Go 1 mi W on SR 175, then 1-1/2 mi N on Dogwood Ave.
Adults 18+, Kids 6-17, Free 0-5
This was my favorite park so far this summer. The owners were professional, friendly, and helpful about places to shop etc...the firewood delivery and selling of fishing worms for the lake was great too. We stayed several extra days bc it was so nice and quiet, plus the view of the lake.
I put it at 4 stars but its really 4.5...if they added a pizza delivery or other food I would say its a 5.
Will reserve here again.
Upon arrival we got our site location from the office and went to find the site we would be staying at. We were meeting my parents out here but they were running an hour behind. The second we started driving into the sites an emplyee noticed us, drove to us on the golf cart, and asked if we needed help. We said "no but thank you" thats when she asked for our site number and told us immediately "only one vehicle on site" . I was a little suprised by this however we said okay, went to the gas station, came back, parked in visitor parking, and waited about 30min for my parents to arrive. Within that time the same lady came to my truck window asking what we are doing. She was looking around like i had done something wrong. She told me she is asking because its weird we got there earlier than my parents and she doesnt know what we are doing in the truck (like its any of her business). Which it wasnt weird since we came from two different areas 7 hours opposite directions. She said this was private property and we cant be there without a site, however my parents purchased the site we are staying at that she wont let us park at. She then procedes to acuse me and my wife of throwing a McDonalds bag on the ground that had been there so long the grass was dead under it. She then tells us we are suspicious and starts giving directives of where to go, to stay off the "grass", ect. It was extremely akward and rude. I am a grown adult with my wife, in clean clothes, in a clean truck. We never did anything we havent done at dozens of KOAs before this one. We did not understand why they were starting confrontation.
We get too our site too find no grass. It is patchy dirt filled in with alot of green weeds they keep cut but not grass. More ants and flies than grass. There where multiple unused sites, three cabins infront of us and one site behind us yet i could not park in those and had to park 100 yards away.
My parents who set this up months in advanced having been staying at multiple KOAs with two other campers on their trip and this is the only location that would not put their sites next to each other as they requested in advance. They were hundreds of yards away from each other on a vacation trip while one of their friends had two empty sites on each side of his large enough for the other campers.
This is also one of the only KOAs where it appears most of the campers are permanent with bbqs, canoes, lawn decorations, ect. This may be why they watched us and treated us like we where up to no good instead of guests who never did anything wrong.
I would also like to mention for you to read the owners responses to the other reviews on here. Those rude unprofessional responses are exactly how they will treat you. My parents met a completely different staff member who was rude to them and then their friends said the same thing. Maybe its something in the water, maybe they just lost at the casino on lunch break, but i think they really want to own a private campsite and not a KOA. I only hope people experiencing a KOA for the first time do not come here thinking this is what to expect.
Onawa Blue Lake KOA is a wonderful campground with lots to do. They usually have extra special things on holidays that makes for a great family experience. They have a swimming pool open from memorial day to labor day, the office has a good selection of things you may need during your stay. They have bicycles for rent that kids from all ages lobe to ride
