This month’s Business of the Month for the Star Valley Chamber of Commerce honors Alpine/Bridger Teton KOA, locally owned by the Decker brothers and their wives: Josh and Tiffani, and Zach and Madison. Located north of Etna, just off Highway 89, the campground has grown into a community-minded destination that travelers can use as a comfortable base camp for exploring the region.

In a recent interview, the Deckers shared how the business became what it is today. Tiffani explained that the family operated the Airstream of Utah dealership for almost ten years, and later built the Airstream of Wyoming four years ago. When Josh and Zach’s father chose retirement and decided to sell the dealership, Tiffani and Josh wanted to stay in Star Valley and continue building locally. They purchased the campground from Dennis and Laura, bringing their focus to hospitality, outdoor recreation, and long-term development.

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Josh said the campground began with a small setup that included utility hookups for travelers who needed an overnight place to stay. As they recognized the value of their location, they invested more into making the property a welcoming stop. The campground has since expanded to around 80 sites, with continued work underway on landscaping and site beautification.

Becoming a KOA franchise has also helped the business reach travelers from across the country. Josh noted that KOA is now more widely recognized for motorhome and van travel, and that national branding combined with online booking has made it easier for visitors to plan ahead.

However, what sets Alpine Bridger Teton KOA apart, Tiffani emphasized, is its focus on Star Valley character. The owners recently built a larger store, stocked with locally produced goods from area businesses such as Swift Creek Trading, Queen Bee, Scott’s Bees, Squire Farms, Dinner Ready, Aspen Valley, Star Valley Coffee Roasters, and The Antler Works, along with ice cream from Shumway Farms. Tiffani said the store is designed not only to serve guests, but also to encourage travelers to discover the smaller “treasures” of Star Valley beyond the main attractions.

Looking forward, Tiffani outlined continued plans: they are landscaping additional phases of sites now, with more improvements planned to expand capacity over the next few years. The longer-term vision includes adding more sites and creating two ponds, one for fishing and one for swimming, to increase on-site recreation.

Tiffani and Josh also stressed that the store is open to everyone, not just those staying at the campground, making the KOA a friendly stop for both visitors and local shoppers.