Elizabethtown / Hershey KOA Holiday is a camping property on Turnpike Road in Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania, listed on Google Maps under the categories of campground, camping cabin, lodge and RV park, with an average rating of 4.5 drawn from 1,010 reviews. Its position in Lancaster County puts it within reach of two well-known Pennsylvania destinations, and several reviewers describe it as a base for trips into the Hershey area.
This guide brings together the property details available in its public listing with the opinions campers have posted, so readers can see what the place offers on paper and how stays have actually been described. Praise in the reviews centers on staff communication, cleanliness and kid-focused facilities, while a smaller number of accounts raise service tone, cabin condition and pricing as concerns.
Elizabethtown / Hershey KOA Holiday at a Glance
The property sits at 1980 Turnpike Rd, Elizabethtown, PA 17022, in the Eastern time zone, and is mapped at roughly 40.14 north and 76.66 west. Its listing carries four overlapping categories — campground, camping cabin, lodge and RV park — which matches how reviewers describe staying: some in tents or RVs, others in cabins of varying sizes. Booking and general questions can go through the listed phone number, +1 717-367-7718, or the official KOA page for the Elizabethtown campground, which is the source the listing links to.
Beyond the address and contact details, the listing records a set of practical attributes rather than a narrative description. It flags RV camping and cabin camping as activities, notes that a camping fee applies, mentions a children's camp, and marks the property as pet-friendly with dogs allowed. Free Wi-Fi appears among the amenities. Reviewers fill in the texture that the listing does not: a pool with a splash area, mini-golf, playgrounds and a catch-and-release fishing pond come up repeatedly in their accounts.
What Do Visitors Like About Elizabethtown / Hershey KOA Holiday?
Among the reviews available for this guide, the tone is overwhelmingly positive, with most accounts awarding five stars and describing friendly staff, clean grounds and children who did not want to leave. Recurring praise points to text-based communication from staff, well-kept sites, and facilities such as the pool, mini-golf and playgrounds. A four-star reviewer called it a truly nice and quiet place while noting higher pricing than most KOAs, and a three-star reviewer who had returned for six consecutive years said the atmosphere of customer service had changed. One two-star account described an uncleaned deluxe cabin and other maintenance issues. Taken together, the reviews read as strong overall satisfaction with isolated, specific complaints rather than a pattern of failure.
1. Staff Communication and Responsiveness
The most consistent thread across positive reviews is how staff handled requests. Allan Torres wrote that the team stayed in touch by text throughout the weekend and responded whenever the family messaged, and that a late checkout was arranged so the kids could enjoy the grounds a little longer. maryandrews83 described helpful text contact and firewood waiting at the cabin on arrival, while Irene Danjolu mentioned daily texts asking whether anything was needed.
Small practical gestures appear in several accounts: Tammy Douglas mentioned staff suggestions for a nearby vegetable stand and butcher shop, and both Irene Danjolu and George Clay highlighted printed directions to Hersheypark that avoided longer GPS routes. The same theme cuts the other way in one review — Laura Gregg, a six-year returning guest, said staff spoke to guests in condescending tones and that the welcoming atmosphere had changed since the previous year.
2. Cleanliness and Grounds Upkeep
Cleanliness is the second most repeated compliment. Cheryl Renick called the campground very clean and singled out the bathroom as super clean, Tammy Douglas described well-kept grounds and a clean, well-stocked store, and Josh Tiuchty said everything was clean, family friendly and well maintained. Kait used the words incredibly clean, peaceful and well-maintained, and maryandrews83 noted clean bathrooms and showers during an overnight stay.
The exception is a detailed two-star review from Leigha Huckoby, who reported a deluxe cabin that appeared not to have been cleaned, listing hair, crumbs, dust and stains, along with a persistent musty sewage smell and carpenter ants seen during the stay. That account stands in contrast to the majority but is specific enough to be worth noting for anyone booking a cabin.
3. Facilities Built Around Kids
Pool, mini-golf and playgrounds dominate the family commentary. Kait highlighted the splash area and bubblers as especially good for younger children and said the playgrounds and catch-and-release fishing pond kept everyone entertained. Tanner Metzger reported kids enjoying the pool and mini-golf during a family reunion, and Jessica Isemann, Cheryl Renick and Tammy Douglas each mentioned the pool or mini-golf as highlights. The listing also records a children's camp among its attributes.
Shane Hess, who had a poor experience at the campground years earlier, credited new management with turning things around and described the pool as suitable for young children as well as adults. Lauren Loreto praised the resort-style activities and amenities, and Josh Tiuchty noted there was always something to do between mini-golf and fishing.
4. Sites, Cabins and Room to Spread Out
Guests describe a range of accommodation. Cheryl Renick stayed in a basic cabin that worked well for her family, maryandrews83 booked a two-bedroom cabin plus with air conditioning, a fridge, outlets and a porch swing, and Tammy Douglas stayed in a cabin and used the grill. On the RV side, Josh Tiuchty said the site easily fit a fifth wheel and vehicle with extra space and a fire pit set off to the side, while George Clay described site 132 as gravel, level and huge, with room to park in front of or behind the camper.
Tammy Douglas noted well-spaced RV sites and mentioned a site with its own private dog area plus a large, clean dog run. Lauren Loreto valued the layout for privacy at the back of the campground. Not every note is positive on this point: Shane Hess found the spots slightly small during a busy event weekend, and Gregory Davis, in site 143, felt the walk to the bathrooms was longer than expected.
5. Location as a Hershey and Lancaster Base
Reviewers consistently frame the campground as a convenient base. Cheryl Renick estimated it at about 30 minutes to Hershey and 30 minutes to Lancaster, and Jessica Isemann and Kait both described it as a good base for Hersheypark visits. Irene Danjolu stayed for a concert at the stadium and appreciated the campground's printed directions, and George Clay advised using those directions rather than default navigation, which he said produced a longer drive.
Josh Tiuchty added that there are plenty of nearby places to shop and explore around Hershey and Elizabethtown, and Tanner Metzger mentioned a cafe about five minutes away where the reunion group had breakfast. Gregory Davis, by contrast, found the drive to Hershey a little further than expected.
6. Service Consistency and Pricing
Two reviews temper the otherwise warm picture. Laura Gregg, writing after a sixth consecutive year, praised the sites and location but said staff seemed bothered by guests and were quick to raise their voices, concluding the family would spend their money elsewhere. Leigha Huckoby's account described a door code that did not work on arrival, resolved quickly by the person delivering firewood, and mixed helpful moments from one staff member with a less helpful interaction at the counter.
On cost, Gregory Davis described pricing as high compared to most KOAs while still saying he would return, and Laura Gregg referenced roughly $500 for each of two sites. These are individual observations about value and service tone, not a claim about current rates.