Halifax West KOA Campground Review

The fourth stop on our east-coast road trip was also in Nova Scotia, and we chose to stay at the Halifax West KOA located in Upper Sackville, about 30 minutes from Halifax.

First impressions pulling into this KOA were underwhelming. Starting immediately with a used Jeep parked at the entrance listed for sale and continuing up to the check-in where there were nowhere to park your rig while you check in, aside from completely blocking the only entrance into the campground. The office/store was on the small side compared to other KOAs and to our disappointment they had no bumper stickers (which seems to be a common problem for us lately). At check in, we did learn that the campground has a daily pancake breakfast and an ice cream shop on site, for cash. They also offer a children’s craft in the afternoon and a movie in the evening. We did not get a chance to try any of these amenities as we were busy sightseeing. 

Site: Once checked in, we proceeded to our site.  The roadways were tight, but manageable, and we found our site without issue (site 53). Thankfully we were camping with friends, and they had the site next to us (51) because in actuality the two sites should have only been one site, given how narrow they were and how closely they were tucked in together. Once the trailer was positioned to our satisfaction, we opened up the curtains for a view of the woods and were greeted by a pile of garbage just inside the treeline that looked to have been there for a good while. Our friend’s site had no more spare room than what their RV and awning covered, with their firepit tucked in a corner half of which was in the woods and on a hill, such that you couldn’t position chairs all the way around it.  Our fire pit, however, was well positioned and an excellent, allowing for good fires. Shortly after set-up, there was a camp-wide issue preventing access to water. When we inquired about the issue, they had no information for us as to when it would come back on, stating that they had water available for purchase. They did, however, give us a jug for free for flushing toilets, but it was an open jug and definitely not potable. 

Campground: We had a chance to walk the campground to check-out the other amenities: they had a very nice pool which was a little on the small-side, basketball court, playground and a bouncy pillow of excellent quality. The downside was that this campground seemed overrun by teenagers occupying all of these spaces where younger kids are meant to play and were wandering around in 28 degree weather in full hoodies and facemasks. When we went out, I can honestly say this was the first campsite that we felt it necessary to lock the trailer door. The water was fixed later that same evening, and thankfully we had no further issues. The dump station had an excellent set-up, one of the best I’ve seen on this trip.  Also noteworthy were the comfort stations which were very clean and private.

While this campground is on the Sackville River, don’t plan on swimming. In reality, the water front is all swamp. But they do offer canoe and kayak rentals if you want to paddle around the swamp. 

Value: Excellent bang for your buck! At $54 CAD per night for an electric with water site, excellent pump out station and close proximity to Halifax. Even though this campground gives the impression that this was a successful small KOA making a go at expanding, its growing pains can’t take away from the value found here.

Caution! If the sole purpose of this campground for you is for a place to park your trailer, go sight-seeing and return for rest at the end of the day – it’s perfect. However, if this is where your vacation is, visit with lower expectations.

Tip! If you think having your campsite close to the pump out would bother you, do not stay on sites E9, E10 or E11.

Final word:

Our overall impression, having camped at many and a variety of KOAs is that this was at one-time a cute, small, campground likely meant for tents and small seasonal trailers that has expanded to allow for more campsites and larger rigs, but have not yet increased the size of the roadways or amenities, like the pool and play areas which were right on the side of the roadways. Overall, I am not likely to stay here again when traveling through the east coast, rather I’ll give one of the other many nearby campgrounds a try. 

We’d love to hear about your adventures! Feel free to leave comments describing your own experiences, good or bad, or join our private Facebook community Glamping Essentials Campfire Collective. Should you have any specific questions, please email Jason@GlampingEssentials.ca

~ Jason