Supervisor Kathy Kirby Discusses Overcoming Obstacles And Having Fun
The very best days for Kathy Kirby are the ones when her regulars check in. “I love it when people come to the door and ask for me,” Kathy, supervisor of the Carowinds Camp Wilderness campground, told The Buzz. Lots of people ask about her husband Dennis as well. The couple met while working at the campground adjacent to Carowinds.
Kathy worked for the themepark itself for a couple of years first, then in 1978, started working at the campground. “I didn’t think this would be my life job,” she said, “I thought I’d work one season and move on. But then I came over here and fell in love with it. I felt like I found a home.”
Despite a birth defect that affected the development of her hands and feet, she roams the property in a golf cart, making sure everything is running smoothly and all her guests are enjoying themselves. “That’s what I like to do most,” she said. “My momma never told me about my birth defect, she never called it that. She never let me use the word can’t.”
Kathy greets every camper with a big smile. “A smile goes a long way,” she said. “I love to see the excitement in people’s faces. It’s like being a kid again.”
Kirby has seen a lot of change in both the themepark and campground during her years on the job. Originally called Frog Creek, the campground opened in 1973 along with Carowinds, located on the North Carolina/South Carolina border just a few miles south of Charlotte on I-77. The campground was an integral part of founder Pat Hall’s original vision of a park where families could make memories and enjoy time together. Covering 55 mostly shady acres, the campground recently expanded to have space for nearly 200 RVs, plus a special section for tents and pop-ups, 16 cabins that sleep 3 to 8 people, and the Great Wilderness Lodge for group events.
Hall situated his campground to give guests easy access to and from the themepark. Campers can make the short walk to the park, or take a shuttle that runs every half hour during the park’s operating hours.
Camp Wilderness is located near the back entrance to Carowinds, giving direct access to the park’s newly expanded Carolina Harbor Waterpark. The expansion doubled the size of the popular summer attraction with a six-story tall waterslide complex dubbed Blackbeard’s Revenge and a new 27,000 square foot wave pool with 6-foot waves.
Only one of the rides from Kathy Kirby’s first years at Carowinds is still operating today: the Sky Tower providing views as far as the Appalachian Mountains. One of the frequently mentioned current favorites is the new Fury 325, the world’s tallest and fastest coaster, voted “Best New Ride in the World” by the readers of Amusement Today.
For the youngest guests, a visit to Planet Snoopy, a section of the park that features the characters from the Charlie Brown comic strips, is a highlight. “The kids really love Snoopy,” Kathy said. “He makes a special appearance at the campground every Saturday, and shoots pool or plays hide-and-seek with the kids.”
Kirby told The Buzz that the campground is especially popular with grandparents who bring their grandkids for summer vacation. While the kids visit Carowinds, the older generation can chill out under the trees at Camp Wilderness. “It’s a no worries vacation,” Kirby explains. “They don’t have to pay for parking and they get a discount on tickets to Carowinds. They say they love how quiet our campground is.”
Guests, who come to Camp Wilderness from as far away as Germany and Australia, are likely to find Kathy Kirby welcoming them with a big smile at the front door of the Trading Post or relaxing in the rocking chairs that line the front patio. Any questions they have about their stay she’ll be happy to help with. “It’s what I love,” she said. “Life is good.”
Renee Wright
A graduate of Franconia College in Social Psychology, Renee has worked as Travel Editor for Charlotte Magazine and has written three travel guidebooks for Countryman Press among other writing assignments. She enjoys food and sports.
Make Sure To Stay At:
Carowinds Camp Wilderness, where each cabin features two bedrooms, a futon couch that converts into a double bed in the living room, and accommodates up to eight guests