When staying around Meridian, Mississippi, a jewel of a campground is the Meridian East Toomsuba KOA Journey RV park. Located about ninety minutes east of Jackson, MS, and just a little over an hour from Tuscaloosa, AL, the Meridian East Toomsuba KOA is a great campground to land at for a night or two, a weekend getaway, or even a vacation destination.
For us, we were thrilled that it was only an hour from our kids and granddaughter.
A Super Friendly Staff
The friendly staff greeted Melody and me when we arrived, who personally escorted us to our campsite. After driving our dually (a truck with two extra tires on the back) and pulling our fifth wheel for a few hours, a campground that takes the time to escort you to the correct campsite is greatly appreciated and makes you feel welcome.
It was nice to have a set of experienced eyes watching as we park our RV in their long pull-through site, especially since we are still relatively new. They see things and can advise us of things that may be overlooked when visiting for the first time, such as low tree branches, posts, and such.
The KOA Meridian East Toomsuba campground is conveniently located less than two miles off I-20. Unique to this property is a 550-ft waterslide, which is open May 2nd through September 26th. Our kids have many friends in this region of Mississippi, and they all have fond memories of camping here and riding that slide.
There is a fee for using it, but it is a nominal amount.
FYI: There are five cabins and five tent sites also available.
If you are looking for another exceptional Mississippi RV park, we highly recommend Jellystone Park Pelahatchie.
Toomsuba KOA Property and Amenities
The campground offers a large (35’x50′) swimming pool, which we couldn’t wait to unwind in. The water isn’t heated but still felt pretty good after a long day of travel. The staff told us of a few northerners who take a dip pretty much regardless of the time of year or weather—it’s still warm to them.
Something I’ve never seen that deserves a serious thumbs up is an air hose at the pool for inflating rafts and pool toys at the Toomsuba KOA. Genius!
Hungry? We’ve got several suggestions for where to eat during your Meridian, Mississippi, visit.
RV Park Amenities and Special Finds
There is also a clean and well-maintained shower house, coin-operated laundry room, and a general store. The store offered an excellent selection of grocery items, forgotten items, toiletries, toys, and souvenirs. Here, you have the opportunity to purchase the t-shirt with the “Where the Heck (or hell) is Toomsuba, MS?” logo, which cracked us up.
Fun Fact: The first cup of freshly-brewed coffee at the Toomsuba KOA is on the house each morning.
Firewood and propane are also available for purchase. There are 44 RV sites, and rates are typically under $50 per night—a steal.
Something else to purchase here is the coveted United States map and state stickers, which are popular within the RV world. The main sticker is the outline of the US. As the RVer camps in each state, the state sticker is then placed on the map. It’s a way of showing where your journey has taken you and is a great conversation piece when meeting RV neighbors.
Melody could not wait to add this to our Cedar Creek 291RW.
Most campsites at KOA Meridian East/ Toomsuba sit below towering pines in a wooded setting and include a picnic table and fire ring for the nightly campfires. Also available is a children’s sand and play area, dog park, picnic pavilion, and pool area that stays open year-round.
Toomsuba KOA has a recreation room for playing billiards, watching movies (for check-out in the office), and more. Melody worked there for a few days because it was quiet and spacious.
And I might add that our granddaughter came over to visit one day (she is 3) and loved the sand play area with tractors and big trucks.
Day to Day RV Park Details
The Toomsuba KOA campground itself has a warm and happy vibe, and the property isn’t too big to enjoy. I found that we met many more people here than at most campgrounds, maybe because of the intimate feel and smaller size. It’s also tranquil.
Several campers were at the campground for several days in a row, whereas the other half were in and out the next day.
We appreciated that the East Meridian Toomsuba KOA Journey is taking extra measures for safety and cleaning, and sanitizing the hook-ups after each camper.
I must also mention how incredible the seasonal decorations were at this Toomsuba KOA park. In other parks we visited, it was mostly the campers who were so highly decorated, but here, the campground itself was thoroughly decked out for Halloween.
We loved it and walked around each night to see the lights, inflatables, and scary displays!
The KOA Brand
It is also worth mentioning that while we are new to RVing (mid-August was our start date), we have already realized that the KOA destination and name carry a lot of weight in the RV world. Like Holiday Inn and Marriott properties in the 70s and 80s, KOA brings about a feeling of trust for its users.
We know we will have a clean and well-maintained property; it will have the comforts of home, reliable water and electricity, and things to do. We are already big fans!
Let’s give the Meridian East Toomsuba KOA Journey RV Park a shout-out for their 2021 Founder’s and President’s Awards. Thanks for hosting me for my visit and allowing me the pleasure of checking out your campground before you were award-winning and famous.
Things to Do in Meridian
We have three favorite things to do in Meridian, Mississippi. First, visiting the MAX (Mississippi Arts and Entertainment Experience) is a real treat. This museum houses stories, pictures, and data about famous Mississippians and their accomplishments. It is a stunning, state-of-the-art facility with interactive exhibits.
You can do as much or as little as you like there, which means a lot to this museum-goer.
Dentzel Carousel
A second favorite is riding the Dentzel Carousel, a National Historic Landmark, from the 1904 St. Louis Exposition. The hand-carved wooden animals (giraffe, lion, tiger, deer, and antelope) are stationary (they don’t go up and down as you think of most carousels), but they are beautiful and intricately designed.
The rides are super inexpensive, and it’s truly a rare opportunity to ride something so unique.
Mississippi Children’s Museum
My third favorite thing in Meridian is the Mississippi Children’s Museum, an “all that and a bag of chips” attraction that those traveling with kids shouldn’t miss. It’s our granddaughter’s favorite children’s museum in Mississippi, and she has been to a bunch. The exhibits are so fun and educational, plus there is much space to move around.
There are even some outdoor offerings and places for parents (and grands) to rest while the kids play.
This article was written by Eddie and Melody Pittman.
Meridian East / Toomsuba KOA Journey
3953 KOA Campground Road
Toomsuba, MS 39364
For more things to do in MS, check out these posts: