Wilderness Resort: A Splashing Good Time for All Ages
by Amanda Formaro
If you are looking for a waterpark resort that offers plenty to do for all age groups, it's high time that you paid a visit to Wilderness Resort. We had the pleasure of visiting The Wilderness in Wisconsin Dells, a once small town with a couple go-cart tracks and one outdoor waterpark. That has all changed now with the explosion of waterpark hotels in the past 10-15 years.
Let me preface by saying that whether you are looking for a quick weekend getaway or a 2 week vacation, you won't run out of things to do at The Wilderness. We stayed for a weekend and thoroughly enjoyed the numerous waterparks and swim areas, leaving us completely wiped out at the end of the day. Luckily for us, the hotel provides free shuttle service from your hotel to each of the waterpark areas, or anywhere on the resort grounds that you want to go. All you have to do is pick up the courtesy phone located near each entrance and tell them where you're headed. A shuttle will be sent right over!
The Wilderness Resort in Wisconsin Dells is part of The Wilderness Territory, which boasts over 600 wooded acres. "The Territory" is home to the Wilderness Hotel & Golf Resort, which features 444 guest rooms, 40 vacation villas, 76 Frontier Condominiums and 35 cabins. It is also home to Wilderness on the Lake which features 108 luxurious two and three bedroom condominium units overlooking Lake Delton; and Glacier Canyon Lodge, which features 460 upscale condominium units. That's a grand total of 1,163 sleeping options available!
Combined, these three properties offer four indoor and four outdoor waterparks that total nearly 500,000 square feet - that's over 12 football fields of exhausting, exhilarating fun! You will also find the Wild Rock Golf Club; The Woods 9-Hole Family Course; three mega arcades; Timberland Play Park, a 35,000 square-foot, four story adventure with ball blasters, slides and crawl spaces; the OK Corral Lazer Tag Arena; three indoor 3-D black light mini golf courses; Bumper Boats; Tombstone Town Haunted Hotel and Mineshaft Mirror Maze; Go-Karts and Kiddy-Karts; the Zip Line Tour; and outdoor Jurassic mini golf.
To describe each and every waterpark option to you would really require a lot more space than I have available here. So instead, I've provided you with a list below, you can click on each one to see a description from their website:
Lost World outdoor - Glacier Canyon Lodge - 95,830 sq. ft
Cubby's Cove indoor - Wilderness on the Lake - 35,000 sq. ft
Cubby's Cove outdoor - Wilderness on the Lake - 20,000 sq. ft
That's a grand total of 490,830 square feet of waterpark fun! Now even if you planned your trip in the winter when only the indoor waterparks are open, you would still have 240,000 square feet of splashing entertainment at your disposal.
Now, if that wasn't impressive enough for you, let me spell it out in terms of actual play area. There are 52 slides, 4 lazy rivers, 2 lazy lakes, 1 wave pool, 5 kiddy pools with play structures, 5 toddler pools, 3 lily pad walks, 9 hot tubs, and 8 activity pools within all of these waterparks! Think you'll hear "Mom, I'm bored!" at any time during this vacation? I think not.
If you're wondering what else is available to Wilderness Resort guests, aside from all of the fabulous waterparks, here's a list to help you create your itinerary:
Property: Wilderness Hotel & Golf Resort
Ok Corral Lazer Tag Arena
Polk-a-Dot Pots, Paint Your Own Pottery
Wilderness Canyon Canopy Zip Line Tour
Tombstone Town Haunted Hotel and Mineshaft Mirror Maze
Mega Arcade
Old Fashion Photo Gallery
Timberland Playhouse four-story dry foam (think Nerf®) play park
The Northern Lights Arcade
Wild Abyss and Wild Buccaneer, 3-D, black light miniature golf courses
Fitness center
Wild Rock Golf Club (18 holes)
The Woods - An executive 9-hole golf course
Wilderland - An outdoor park area with grills
Numerous restaurants, coffee shops, snack and gift shops
Property: Wilderness on the Lake
Private sand beach with Lake access
Outdoor bar serving beer, wine, and frozen beverages
Fitness center
Three outdoor firepits and gas grills
Pier with a limited number of boat slips available for rent
Discounted golf rates
Numerous restaurants, coffee shops, snack and gift shops
Property: Glacier Canyon Lodge
Lost World Go-Kart and Kiddy Karts
Outdoor Jurassic Mini Golf
A .65 mile walking trail located behind the resort.
A 55,661 sq. ft. banquet and conference facility
Canyon WildKids Club (arts, crafts, activities, etc)
Discounted golf rates at Wild Rock Golf Club
Numerous restaurants, coffee shops, snack and gift shops
The Wilderness offers what they call the Wild & Extreme Fun Pass. These are punch cards with admission to several of the resorts extra fun areas, making it easy for parents to provide not only waterpark fun, but some extras as well. They can be used anytime during a guest's stay and cost $17+ tax. These passes include:
9 Holes of 3-D mini golf at the Wild Buccaneer
9 Holes of 3-D mini golf at the Wild Abyss
1 Bumper boat ride at Wild West Bumper Boats
1 Game of laser tag at the OK Corral Lazer Runner
8 Arcade credits for use at any of the 3 Wilderness Mega Arcades
1 Admission to Tombstone Town Haunted House & Mirror Maze
$1 Off a hand-blended ice cream temptation at Pistol Pete's
The Extreme Fun Pass costs $25+ tax and includes everything above, plus these items as well:
18 holes of mini golf at the outdoor Jurassic Mini Golf Park
1 Ride on the Lost World Go-Karts or Kiddy-Karts Ride
$1 Off a Color-Your-Own T-shirt with WildKids Club
Of course, you can purchase individual entry for any of their extra attractions if you prefer.
By now you're probably wondering where you're going to eat after a fun filled day of waterpark and resort fun. The Wilderness offers a variety of different restaurants and snack shops, including The Wild Canyon Cafe, a family-style restaurant where kids eat free with each adult meal purchased. If you prefer, head off site into the town of Wisconsin Dells where there are numerous restaurants, and yes, fast food establishments, to satisfy your hunger.
So after a long day of play, you've filled your bellies, now you can head back to your comfortable room and relax. The staff is friendly, rooms are clean and comfortable, and extra pillows are just a phone call away. Make the most of your midwest vacation this year, even if it's just for a weekend, by visiting The Wilderness. I know we'll be back soon!
With all of their lodging options and waterparks combined, The Wilderness Resort is America's largest waterpark resort destination. For more information call 1.800.867.WILD (9453) or visit www.WildernessResort.com. You can also find Wilderness Resort on Facebook and read comments from other guests, view videos, pictures, and more.
The Wilderness Territory is easily accessible from Interstate 90 and 94, and located just minutes from popular attractions such as Dells Boat Tours, the Original Wisconsin Ducks, Tommy Bartlett Show, Ho-Chunk Casino and Tanger Outlet Mall. You can even take a ride on horseback through the Wilderness wooded property by visiting Canyon Creek Riding Stable just outside the resort grounds. For more information on all Dells attractions, visit the Wisconsin Dells Visitor & Convention Bureau
About the Author:
Amanda Formaro is the crafty, entrepreneurial mother of four children. She loves to bake, cook and make crafts. She is the craft expert for FamilyCorner.com and Kaboose.com. You can see her crafty creations on Crafts by Amanda and her delicious recipes on Amanda's Cookin'. She is also the owner of Fun Family Crafts.
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