Great Wolf Lodge offers camping for newbies – with indoor plumbing
If you like the fun of camping but prefer to take a hard pass on actually roughing it in the wilderness, the Great Wolf Lodge Summer Camp-in may be right up your alley.
Beginning on Memorial Day weekend and lasting through Labor Day weekend, the hotel chain is bringing the outdoors inside for those who want to enjoy s’mores and still stay connected — and have indoor plumbing. My family recently had a chance to preview the experience and came away with sore cheeks from smiling.
Per usual at Great Wolf, characters such as Violet and Wiley — sibling wolf mascots — still wander the hotel and the massive indoor waterpark still churns at full speed during Camp-ins, providing plenty of daytime entertainment. But campers also can join the Trailblazer Challenge, a merit badge system reminiscent of Boy Scouts. Kids sign up for various camp-themed activities, such as making friendship bracelets, decorating rubber duckies (for the Duckie500 race) and playing cornhole. Upon completion of an activity, they receive a badge. Once they have 10 badges, they earn the honor of being called a Trailblazer.
Great Wolf revamped its menus for summer, creating barbecue-themed meals that allow guests to enjoy the fine dining that comes with camping. We gorged ourselves on tinfoil trout, apple cobbler and fruit salad that screamed barbecue but tasted significantly better than anything I’ve ever created over an open fire.
Of course, the highlight came when we met one of the “s’moreliers.” Rather than focusing on wines, the s’moreliers are a group of culinary experts who create the world’s best s’more combinations. To be clear, I’m an avid camper, so I practically have a black belt in s’more making. It takes a lot to impress my sophisticated palate, but our s’morelier managed to do just that by offering a plethora of
sweet treats to accompany my gooey marshmallows. Twix bars. Nestle Crunch bars. Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. Krackel bars. All were offered alongside extra-long roasting sticks to keep the youngest visitors a safe distance from the flames.
After the sun sets, the fun continues, just like at a campsite. Each evening ends with a campfire ceremony that includes singing, face painting, silly stories and bonus appearances by Great Wolf’s animal friends. By the time your family retreats to one of the camp-themed hotel rooms (complete with tent and outdoor pillows as decorations), no one will be able to keep their eyes open.
Just like traditional campouts.
Heather Balogh Rochfort is a freelance writer in Arvada with a focus on outdoor adventure, travel and fitness. She is also the author of two books about hiking.