Remembering Helene

Remembering Helene: One Year Later at Asheville West KOA Holiday

A Storm That Changed Everything

When Hurricane Helene reached Western North Carolina in September 2024, it didn’t just bring rain and wind — it reshaped lives and landscapes. At Asheville West KOA Holiday, nearly 100 guests were on the park when the storm hit. Power went out, cell service was lost, and roads in and out of Asheville were blocked.

In those first chaotic hours, our staff and work campers made sure every guest was safe, cared for, and reassured. As one of our team later reflected, “We cooked, laughed, and cried as one together. The warmth of our shared meals — burgers, canned goods, whatever we could muster — reminded us that comfort comes in small things.”

Finding Our Way Through

The days after Helene were unlike anything we’ve ever experienced. For nine days without power, our campground became more than a place to stay — it became a community hub.

• We ran security with our work campers, protecting guests while law enforcement focused on the wider community.
• We served at least one hot meal every day, shared necessities from our convenience store, and distributed donated supplies.
• We hauled generators from as far away as Memphis and borrowed another from a South Carolina church, just to keep water, septic, and propane flowing.

Guests who had to cancel their trips often donated their deposits to support relief efforts, and charities came to cook, clean, and serve alongside us. What began as a campground quickly became a refuge.

A Long Year of Rebuilding

In the weeks that followed, volunteers gave way to tree crews, then recovery teams, then contractors. Our grounds filled with heavy equipment, and though progress was steady, the scars of Helene remain.

For the past 12 months, we’ve lived side by side with those contractors. Only now are we beginning the repairs to undo the wear-and-tear left by the storm and the machinery it required. It has been a long, tiring road — but also a road full of reminders about resilience, generosity, and the strength of Western North Carolina.

One project manager, watching our team out in the cold replacing water hydrants or cutting downed trees, often joked: “Thank you for reminding me that I never want to own a campground.” His words, said with humor, reflected just how tough the work has been — and how committed our team has stayed through it all.

New Life, New Growth

Helene stripped the campground of topsoil, gravel, and much of our natural canopy. But from that loss came an unexpected opportunity. Heather led the effort to restore native plants and wildlife, and in October 2025 Asheville West KOA Holiday earned recognition as both a Certified Wildlife Habitat and a Certified Pollinator Habitat.

More than 60 native species now grow across the park — wildflowers, lilies, coneflowers, milkweed — welcoming back pollinators, deer, hummingbirds, and countless other creatures. Our guests notice it too; spotting butterflies, watching deer graze, or hearing birdsong in the mornings has become part of the KOA West experience.

Gratitude & Looking Ahead

We are deeply grateful to everyone who stood with us in those days — from the campers and staff who kept spirits up, to the charities and neighbors who came with food and supplies, to the many guests who donated even when they couldn’t visit.

Helene changed Asheville West KOA, but it didn’t break us. Instead, it deepened our sense of purpose: to be a safe, welcoming basecamp for adventures in Western North Carolina, and to be part of this region’s ongoing recovery.

As we look ahead, we invite you to come see what resilience looks like. The flowers are blooming again, the wildlife has returned, and our campground is ready to welcome you.

Beyond Our Campground

While our story is one of resilience and renewal, we also want to acknowledge our neighbors in the KOA family who were hit even harder by Helene.

• Asheville East KOA Holiday, just across town, was almost completely wiped out. They’ve worked tirelessly to reopen and currently have some sites available, with more coming online as they continue rebuilding.
• Jonesboro KOA Journey, owned by our friends Mike and Rachel Walker, was tragically reclaimed by the river. With no land left to rebuild on, their campground has been lost. Their strength and grace during this time has been an inspiration to all of us in the KOA community.

These stories remind us that Helene’s impact was wide, but so too is the resilience of this region and the KOA family.

We remember Helene. We remember the people who stood with us. And we are proud to be part of Western North Carolina’s comeback. #MountainStrong