Western Horizon - Ponzi scheme? We recently visited WHR in Gunnison, CO in 2009 because we received a package with our new camping trailer from the dealer in Denver offering 25 “free” days of camping from WHR. The initial stay was also supposed to include a free dinner, horseback ride, tickets to the Gunnison Pioneer Museum and a free gas ticket. Our initial reservation could include up to 5 days/4 nights but we reserved a site for 3 nights only since we were very skeptical about membership campgrounds. We have never attended a sales presentation at a time share or membership campground because of all the bad publicity and things we have heard from friends about the high-pressure tactics and deception but figured why not try one since we have driven by the Gunnison, CO facility for years and were a little curious about the 25 day free camping offer. Should have gone with our preconceptions! It was early in the season and we had our choice of sites, the check-in personnel were pleasant and the views from the campground were nice so we were still somewhat optimistic. However, the next morning we had our sales presentation and everything changed! The only “facts” presented by the sales lady were that “everyone here is like family” and that camping here is much cheaper than other campgrounds such as the KOA in town. We mentioned that we wanted to become more familiar with this and other WHR resorts before buying a membership and our intention is to use some of the 25 “free” camping days during our upcoming trip to the NE USA and Canada. She immediately tried to discourage that idea. She informed us that we could use only 5 of the remaining 20 days per WHR region, there must be 30 days between each stay with at least a 30 day advance reservation and we now could no longer stay in their biggest Western Region because of this stay. She said we definitely would not pay their usual membership rate of $12,000 so we should buy at today's special introductory rate of $7,500 available only today. She had not presented any details about WHR membership or members cost to stay or even given a tour of the facilities. She just wanted an immediate decision and check for $7,500 now. When I said I will not pay anything during this visit and not until I could find out more about the membership and other WHR campgrounds, she decided to end the sales presentation. I asked for the additional night promised with the WHR package we got with the new trailer and was advised it was not available since there are limited promotional sites available although the 300+ site campground was mostly empty. The free horseback ride was not available since the horses were not there yet. The free Pioneer Museum tickets were not available since it's not open yet (We often drive through Gunnison and would have used them later). Also the free dinner was rescinded since she had only the $250 gas coupon application and was "out" of the $200 gas coupon application. Gas coupons are practically worthless because of the extensive restrictions. We left the campground a day early. Other observations picked up during our visit: At check in we were given a paper listing the new surcharges members must pay starting this year due to the Recession and needed to stay open. Those included a Reservation fee, TV fee, 50 amp service, etc, etc. The sales presentation lady was IRATE that we had this sheet and quickly grabbed it from us saying only members could have it. Obviously she didn't want us to know about the new surcharges. We heard from someone in town that this facility had changed owners just last year and possibly back in 2000. Cable TV (extra cost) provided 3 channels - ABC, FOX and a religious station. Cell reception was spotty and only 1-2 bars was available in the front of campground. WHR is 12 miles from town - a nice public campground is across the road on the shore of the lake. They seem to be selling concrete pads with storage buildings in spaces that will be dedicated to members willing to pay the extra price. This will reduce the available campsites to "regular" members. They rent sites to other membership groups such as Passport America, further reducing available sites to WHR members. Everything is in disrepair. There are many park model trailers around the perimeter of the grounds that have rickety decks and sorely in need of exterior stain and interior carpet. They are asking for volunteer members to fix up the place. The campsites are very dusty and with any rain will become very muddy! Their clubhouse provided cooked meals but you have to bring your own dinner service! Security consisted of an unmanned entrance station with a card on a string that activates the entrance gate. Desk personnel indicated the card is there 24 hr. We visited that KOA and town and found they charge only $33 for full hookups in beautiful grassy sites with full Cell service and "real" cable TV. Summary. Why would anyone buy a membership in WHR? Their sales practices are extremely deceptive at best (no surprise). With the new surcharges, it will likely cost members at least $15/day to stay there with the amenities that should be included with a membership and surcharges and the daily rates are sure to increase. They can't keep operating and meet increasing maintenance needs unless they get new members. Without those new members how can they get the needed money except for increasing fees to members, selling more and more sites to full-timers and opening up sites to non-WHR members. They must oversell memberships to get cash flow which also leads to overcrowding and full conditions just when you want to camp. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.

We stayed here under our RPI membership - fee was $10 a night with additional $1 for Wi-Fi ( which was pretty slow and spotty in it's connection ) Our Verizon cell phones & internet air card did not work here. Nice amenities including indoor pool & hot tub that were still open - the outdoor one was closed during our visit in late September. Nice laundry room and clubhouse. The parks setting is stunning and the access to Curecanti National Rec. area including the Blue Mesa lake is very convenient (literally right outside the entrance gates ) Roads are paved, sites are not and we found most of them to be fairly unlevel. There is a section of the park dedicated to permanent residents - mostly RV's but a few park models. A lot of the sites had a 'weedy' look to them - not sure if this is natural vegetation or just poor maintenance. We would definitely stay here again. We camped here in a Motorhome.

Very nice park and very well kept. Sewer hookups are at the rear of the sites so extension hoses are needed. The park has kept the natural vegetation so sage plants surround all sites. WiFi is available all through the park. There was no cell service in the park. Would stay here again. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.

Some of the reviews had me a bit worried, but we found this to be a nice place to spend two weeks on my rod.The site was level,the new paved roads (with no speed bumps) were wide and easy to get around on. The view from the park is awsome.The wi-fi is all we payed for. The wild flowers were a nice touch. We have found that western horizon parks are quality parks.We will stay again. We camped here in a Motorhome.

We were there on ROD and therefore given a site that was facing south, it was very hot. We noticed we were the only ones in that row having to face that direction. The reservations were messed up, the management were not professional and the workers were clueless. They catered to the local regulars. The site was so short the door opened up against a fence, it was not level at all and the worst part was that the weeds were literally knee deep all over the entire park and at every site. The new pool was nice. We will not return to this park. We camped here in a Motorhome.

Nice park, probably the best of the Western Horizon parks we have been to. Great views of Blue Mesa Reservoir from anywhere in the park and very convenient access if you want to fish this body of water. The sites are very long but most are a little unlevel. Also bring plenty of sewer hose as I needed a full 30 feet to get to my sewer connection. Nice facilities and a lot of activities but a store would be a nice addition since this park is about 13 miles out of Gunnison if you forget something. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.

Enjoyed our stay. Nice indoor swimming pool and a nice (small) outdoor pool and sauna is being installed. The landscape is much like the desert area around but comfortable. Sewer and electrical/water is a stretch. Had to use a lot of hose to make the connection. Also an extension cord for the electrical....no big thing. Staff is nice and accommodating. Hard to take a walk around the park because of the uphill climb from one end to the other. Maybe I need to lose some more weight and make it easier. We camped here in a Motorhome.

Stayed here under a Resorts of Distinction (ROD) membership. Was relegated to one of two designated sites for ROD, both of which were very unlevel. When we requested a more level site (many were available), was flatly refused. Roads need much work; there are many ruts and potholes. We camped here in a Motorhome.

This is a membership campground and we are Western Horizon members. This is our home park and we really enjoy going here. We stayed in the cabins for years until we bought our travel trailer. With few exceptions, the staff has always been very pleasant. The indoor pool is nice, and there are always plenty of activities. The park is closed during the winter, due in part to the fact that it is a wintering area for a local elk heard. My only gripe is that repairs to worn areas seem slow at times. The putt putt course could really use a face lift. Though they say that WiFi is available throughout the park, two experiences have indicated that the signal is very low at cabins and sites near the teen center. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.

We stayed a week and enjoyed our stay. There were trees on most sites and some shrubs at most to give your patio some privacy. The tables were pretty new and the patios were concrete on most of the sites. We like the activities that are scheduled and the get togethers. This part of Colorado is arid and you cannot expect much landscaping. The length of the sites was actually larger than most and most had about 20' between you and the next units. We are WH members and this is the best one in which we have stayed. We camped here in a Motorhome.

We camped here at the bargain Coast To Coast rate of $8. Very large RV park. Streets were pretty rutted and because of its size, very impersonal. Only stayed one night. Place was OK, but did not really like it. We camped here in a Motorhome.

Sites are not level. Workampers are not very well trained. We camped here in a Motorhome.

This has to be one of the very worst campgrounds in Colorado. The Office and Pool area are the only things that are nice. The park is out in the sun and Sage Brush with no trees. Sites are eroded and unkept. The sites are a powdery dirt and you better have lots of leveling material as they are not even close. Your neighbors are about 15 feet on either side of you with no privacy at all. When the wind blows the dust and dirt do also. It is very depressing to stay here. The management has done nothing to enhance the park. They are only interested in selling you a time share...Ha Ha. I cannot imagine why someone would pick this park again after spending only one night there. I have never had such a bad RVing experience. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.

We were turned away when we arrived, because we were not Western Horizon members but Passport and Sam's Club members. The management made us turn around and leave!! There was no negotiations or anything, rude people. Lucky for us there was a State Park 1 1/2 miles away off Hwy 50 (That was a nice park $10/night). Be careful and call ahead. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.

This is a Coast to Coast, RPI & Passport America park. It is on US-50 overlooking the Blue Mesa Lake. They have put all their money into a clubhouse, pool & other buildings. They have put nothing into their roads or sites. Sites are gravel/dirt and have a patio. Most are not level. Roads are gravel/dirt, have potholes and are very dusty. Laundry & showers were clean. We would not stay there again because of the bad sites. We camped here in a Motorhome.

This is our first visit to this park. It came highly recommended by a friend. We are here for the summer and we are so glad we took his recommendation. The setting is beautiful and the grounds are immaculate. Beautiful freshly planted flowers at the entrance. The staff is so helpful and friendly. The owner cut wood for us to lower our jacks onto and helped us park. The electricity is a flat rate based on 30 or 50 amp. We are very close to downtown Gunnison. The cell service here is great, and so is TV reception. We camped here in a Motorhome.

We enjoyed our one night at this KOA campground. Our grandson fished in the trout pond (you pay by the inch) he caught a couple and was really excited about it. Our granddaughter took a paddle boat ride in the other pond and she enjoyed that. It is a nice park and the people were helpful and pleasant. We were not crowded at all where we parked and the lawns were beautiful green. We would definitely stay here again. We camped here in a Motorhome.

Uneven sites with some awkward spacing between sites. But good access to some biking roads and only a little bit out of town. Would use again as a stop over site. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.

This park is adequate, but nothing to brag about. The sites are very close together and they share hook-ups. Because of the shared hook-ups, you face your neighbor and are extremely close together, so not much privacy to be had. Luckily, the first night we stayed we had very nice neighbors and the second night the site next to us was empty. We did not use the restrooms and showers but I did check them out. They were smelly and rather dirty, making me glad that we had accommodations in the motorhome. There were a couple of teens that rode their loud off-road motorcycles into the campground on several occaisons and then they parked them inside of one of the rental cabins! If you plan to rent a cabin here check to see if it has been used for motorcycle storage! The free wi-fi was was sporadic. This is not a horrible campground, but it's definitely not a great campground. We camped here in a Motorhome.

This is a great campsite. It is quiet and well kept. The owner was tending the shop and was very kind. He let my 2 children fish in the trout pond for free since it was the end of season. The park is across from the airport, but we only heard one plane during the time we were there. The landscaping is beautiful with lots of flowers. One of the nicest parks we have seen. Will stay there again. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.

Friendly staff, warm reception and nice campground. Would go back again. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.

Of all the KOA's that we have stayed in for the past 10 years of camping this was by far the most disappointing. It was rated high in our Woodall's book so thought we were safe, the sites are grass and are narrow, narrow with the utilities placed so that you are forced to face your neighbor door to door, thank goodness we had friends with us. The staff was semi-friendly, didn't really seem to care, the facility seemed clean but we did not wait around to see, we left after one night and will never stay there again. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.

Friendly staff. Open grass sites, some side to side. Well maintained roads and grass. Will stay again We camped here in a Travel Trailer.

This is a beautiful grassy KOA in the heart of Gunnison. Friendly, helpful staff and immaculate restrooms and showers. Pet friendly with a new enclosed pet run. Quiet and safe and in a pastoral setting. It's close to the airport but plane noise is not a problem. There's an ethernet hookup in the office and also the WiFi works at the office. Hopefully the WiFi will be parkwide next year. Verizon cell phones work great. About the only thing (other than not having an internet connection in our coach) I'd like to see changed is to widen the space between the sites. Some of the sites position you too close to your neighbor. I'd highly recommend visiting Gunnison and staying at the KOA here. We would definitely stay again. We camped here in a Motorhome.

This KOA has some electrical problems. When we plugged into the shared electrical box our camping neighbors electric went out. The staff could not find the problem so we requested to be moved so the other RV could use the only working electrical plug. One of the plugs in the site we were moved to wasnt working either but we were the only ones hooked up to it so it didn't matter. This is a smaller KOA from ones we've stayed at in the past. The owner and staff were friendly and helpfull. The grounds are well kept. All sites have grass - there isnt a designated "parking" site for RV's just pull up on the grass and hook up. There is a pond with a lighted fountain. That's the reason for the "water front" mark above, there are campsites along one side of the pond. There's a shaded dog run for pet owners who want to allow their dogs to run off-leash. A small game room with a pool table. A fishing pond - .40 charge per inch for caught fish (**you HAVE to keep what you catch**). Cable tv is not offered but tv reception wasn't a problem. Campground is next to the Gunnison airport but it's quiet at night (after 10/11pm). A small store is located in the office but it's not well stocked with grocery items, it's more of an expensive souvineer shop. This KOA serves as a good basecamp for exploring the Gunnison and surrounding areas. We would consider staying here again because the staff was friendly and the grounds were well kept. The only draw back to us is that your RVs front door may be facing the neighboring RVs front door AND have an RV behind you with your shared hook ups between you. This type of set up gives you very little room or "privacy" since you and the RV your facing are sharing camp space. The staff seemed to be alternating sites to keep crowding to a minimum, but some RVers weren't so lucky. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.

We understand that this campground has been under new ownership for the past year. Those folks who have stayed here annually say that it is a tremendous improvement. The owners are very involved with and caring toward their campers. The facilities are excellent and their were a number of activities including a 4th of July BBQ while we were there. They have excellent wifi. We stayed here for a week. We camped here in a Motorhome.

We have traveled all over the USA and Canada in our motor coach and Mesa RV Resort is one of the best RV parks we have ever visited. The owners, Allan and Ivy, are friendly and interesting and pour their hearts and souls into the place. It really shows because the place seems loved. Their seasonal guests must love the place as well because they also take care of the grounds. We have a 43' rig and had no trouble maneuvering. The water pressure was great and we had very clean 50 amp power. Our site even had a hot tub which our boys enjoyed immensely. All of the people we met where friendly and helpful. The park is located close to Gunnison without being in town and is surrounded by lakes, ranch land and park land. By the way, Gunnison is wonderful! We hiked in the mountains, rafted on the rivers, mountain biked and even did some off-road four wheeling. Allan and Ivy's son Andy was nice enough to teach our young boys how to shoot bow and arrows. This RV resort has our highest recommendation. These folks run a great business and we look forward to returning again and again. We camped here in a Motorhome.

We arrived here with zero expectations, and were pleasantly surprised. We were in Gunnison for the adventure. Even though this place did not offer cable TV, antenna worked just fine with about 5 or 6 channels mostly news. It was centrally located to all that one might want to do. The Wi-Fi was one of the best we have used in a campground. The lake to the west and town to the east, all within a few miles. Very friendly people running this place, as well as the work campers. Electric and water pressure perfect! We will/would return here again. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.

This is a beautiful RV resort with new owners who live on the premises and manage the park as a family. They are incredibly hospitable and accommodating to all their guests. We highly recommend this resort and will definitely return. Check out the park's website; it is the most informative and best website we've found for any resort nationwide. Activities are planned throughout the summer and the folks here are so friendly. I would recommend it for a great summer destination. This proved to be a very positive experience for us, and we will definitely stay here again. Whatever problems might have existed in the past are definitely history; this is an awesome destination resort. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.

Quiet, pretty place in ranch country conveniently close to Gunnison. Wonderful hiking trails, biking, SUV trails, fishing, lots of history abound. You could spend a month or longer just exploring some gorgeous country. New managers pleasant, helpful, cheerful. Workampers great, down to earth folks. We loved the place. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.

Mesa RV Resort is under new ownership and management. We found the grounds to be beautifully manicured with flowers, trees and shrubs in abundance. The laundry / restrooms / showers were pristine and well maintained. The staff was friendly, helpful and worked diligently to assure a pleasant visit. The campground offered a variety of site amenities including “luxury” sites, which had privacy fences, patios, and propane grills ~ some had hot tubs! We chose a “Patio” site which consisted of a nice size concrete patio on a beautifully shaded lot. “Standard “ sites were available which had a grassy area rather than a concrete patio. We visited over the July 4th holiday when they have their annual rubber duck race in the little brook that run through the park. We also attended the free cookout that evening. This park rates five stars in our book. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.

Expensive park, unfriendly management and extra charges for everything. Will not allow pet fences but dogs off leashes running wild everywhere. Will not stay again. We camped here in a Motorhome.

Nice trees and grassy with clear areas for satellite access. No playground area. Extra charges for everything. Management not friendly (eg. threw away someone's flowers in order to mow). Rates changed with manager's whim. Would not stay there again even though it's the prettiest campground in the area. We camped here in a Motorhome.

This new (opened in 2007) campground is for seniors 55 or older, so naturally it's a pretty quiet place. It's off the main road (and not yet on many maps) but only a quarter mile from downtown. It's basically a big dust-free crushed-granite field divided into lots with big trees on two sides of the campground perimeter and newly-planted trees throughout that will provide shade one day. Sites are spacious and level with a picnic table and perhaps a patch of grass. The new clubhouse has a game room and is very clean and modern. Free wi-fi signal is strong. Occasionally deer appeared behind our rig. I'd give it a 10 if it had a pool or spa. We camped here in a Motorhome.