Key Takeaways
- •KOA added two properties in May — one in North Carolina, one in Massachusetts
- •The Webster/Douglas Forest KOA Journey marks the campground's return to the franchise after a 30-year absence
- •New England is undersupplied and underinvested — and that's starting to change
KOA added two properties to its network this month.
The Shelby/Broad River KOA Holiday in Mooresboro, North Carolina is the expected one. Owners George Selembo and Tyler Watts opened the park in 2022, built a reputation fast, and formalized the franchise relationship this spring. Western North Carolina is a proven market. No surprises there.
The Webster/Douglas Forest KOA Journey in Webster, Massachusetts is the more interesting story.
Thirty Years Between Visits
The Webster park operated as a KOA in the 1990s, went independent, and stayed that way for three decades. New owners acquired it in 2023 and spent two years redeveloping the property before bringing it back into the network. It's now positioned as a Journey property — KOA's transient traveler tier, designed for overnight stops rather than destination stays.
The location makes sense. Webster sits on the Connecticut border, roughly an hour from both Boston and Providence. Douglas State Forest is next door. The demand corridor is real.
Why the Northeast Gets Overlooked
Sun Belt markets dominate campground deal flow. Texas, Florida, the Carolinas get the capital and the headlines. New England gets passed over for predictable reasons — shorter seasons, higher land costs, slower permitting.
But the supply-demand math is hard to ignore. New England has one of the densest, highest-income population bases in the country and chronically low campground inventory relative to demand. Parks that exist in this market don't fight for occupancy. The friction that keeps investors out is the same friction that protects the operators already in.
The Takeaway
KOA just validated the Northeast thesis. The season is short, the barriers are real, and that's exactly why there's still room to get in before the market gets crowded. If you've been watching New England from the sidelines, this is a signal worth noting.
Source: KOA Newsroom — Webster/Douglas Forest / KOA Newsroom — Shelby/Broad River