KOA's are supposed to meet certain standards.  If they don't meet the standards for a few years then they can't be a KOA anymore.  KOA also has awards for the campgrounds that meet higher standards.  I don't know which one is higher, the Presidents or the Founders Award.  I have stayed at 3 KOA's.  2 were nice places but I stayed at the Fredericksburg KOA for the Boy Scout Jamboree last year and they had both the Presidents and the Founders Award.  That place was super nice. 

I have stayed at 2 other private campgrounds.  1 had spacious sites but did not have updated facilities and was just OK.  The other one had lines painted on the gravel and we were packed in.  I did not like that campground.  I think private campgrounds are hit or miss, like a no name hotel.  You really don't know what you are getting but you may find a really nice cool place or you may find out where you don't want to stay. I don't know what the other chain campgrounds are like but I assume they are similar. 

If I don't know someone who can give an honest recommendation on a campground (like a fellow CC member) then I will pick a chain over a totally private campground.

I ran into Jim Rogers, the CEO of KOA at the Fredericksburg KOA.  He is involved with the Boy Scouts and was at the Jamboree.  I don't know if he was staying at the KOA or at the Jamboree but he was hanging out at the KOA for the Friday night campfire and I thought that was another plus for the campground. 
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