- There are a total of 20 Great Wolf Lodge locations in the U.S. and Canada, with even more resorts in active development and coming soon.
- The rustic-themed family resorts are known for their massive indoor water parks, but there’s a lot more to do at a Great Wolf Lodge than splash around.
- Here’s what you can expect during a stay, plus my picks for the best Great Wolf Lodge locations for indoor waterpark fun.
With the largest resort collection in North America, Great Wolf Lodge is the leader of the pack when it comes to indoor water park resorts in the U.S. and Canada. Great Wolf resorts are home to more pools, slides, lazy rivers, tipping buckets, and splash grounds than any other brand on the continent, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. If you’re wondering what it’s like to stay at Great Wolf Lodge or which locations are the best to visit, here’s everything you need to know.
Things to Do at Great Wolf Lodge Locations
Most families come to Great Wolf for the indoor waterpark, which can range anywhere from about 50,000 square feet (some of the older locations) to more than 128,000 square feet of fun (the new Great Wolf Lodge Maryland). Waterpark admission is included with the regular room rate for guests at all Great Wolf Lodge locations, and you can enjoy the waterpark as soon as you check in and through park closing the day you check out. At minimum, you get two days of waterpark fun for just one night’s stay.
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But Great Wolf Resorts are more than just their water parks. There are many other attractions, too. MagiQuest is an exclusive live-action adventure game where kids wield wands and cast spells on objects throughout the resort. “I’m going Questing!” was a phrase our daughter often used while acquiring runes, gold pieces, and experience points on her way to become a Master Magi.
Other lodge attractions include climbing walls and ropes courses, indoor bowling and mini golf, Scooops Kids Spa for ice cream-themed manicures and pedicures, and kids activities such as morning yoga, story time, and character meet and greets.
Great Wolf Lodge Rooms and Suites
With their themed KidKamp and KidCabin suites, Great Wolf resorts might be the originators of the family glamping resorts trend. These kid-themed hotel rooms offer a tent or log-cabin themed sleeping area complete with bunk beds for the little ones.
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All rooms at Great Wolf Lodge locations around the U.S. and Canada offer a mini-fridge, microwave, and coffee maker perfect for families who need to pack food and snacks for the kiddos, too.
Food and Dining at Great Wolf Lodge Locations
Every Great Wolf Lodge has multiple dining options ranging from all-you-can-eat buffets to poolside snacks. Parents may appreciate the full-service bar for a cold drink in the 84-degree water park, or perhaps the Wine-Down service delivering wine and culinary treats to your room once the kids are in bed.
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Other on-site restaurants at select Great Wolf Lodge locations include Lodge Wood Fired Grill steakhouse and Barnwood, offering a locally sourced season menu in a rustic setting. There’s also Hungry as a Wolf Pizza, Buckets Incredible Craveables, Dunkin’ Donuts, and Ben & Jerry’s ice cream shops all located within the lodge as well.
Seasonal Activities at Great Wolf Lodge Resorts
Each season is celebrated at all of the Great Wolf Lodge locations. Spring-a-Palooza comes at the beginning of the year, Summer Camp-In is from Memorial Day to Labor Day, Howl-O-Ween bring a trick-or-treat trail winding throughout the resort for spooky season, and (our family’s favorite) Snowland is place from Thanksgiving through New Year’s Eve.
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During the Snowland “Howl-iday” celebration, every lodge glistens with snow, twinkling lights, and decorative trees for a winter wonderland display. From top to bottom, the resorts shout Christmas, and the centerpiece of each lobby is a life-sized Gingerbread House that would please even Hansel and Gretel.
Best Great Wolf Lodge Resorts around the U.S. and Canada
All Great Wolf Lodge resorts come through with spectacular indoor water parks, but the best Great Wolf Lodge locations go above and beyond the ordinary with especially kid-friendly dining choices, special room types, and even ropes courses and adventure parks for when you want to dry out after a day of splish-splash fun.
1. Great Wolf Lodge Southern California
Garden Grove, California
Located just four miles from Disneyland in Anaheim, Great Wolf Lodge Southern California – Garden Grove is a fantastic Southern California option for families looking to add a little water park fun to their visit to the Mouse. Plus, with Disneyland ticket and transportation packages to/from the theme parks, this Great Wolf Lodge location near Anaheim makes that trip to the “Happiest Place on Earth” a little more affordable.
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The centerpiece here is the extensive 84-degree indoor water park with six-story Howlin’ Tornado, Wolf Tail trap door slide, dual body surfing Wolf Rider Wipeout, and more. In addition to the water park attractions, there are plenty of other family fun activities, such as MagiQuest, Ten Paw Bowling, mini golf, and Scooops Kids Spa.
On the dinning front, the Lodge Wood Fire Grill restaurant is so much more than burgers and chicken fingers—try roasted Brussel sprouts, steak, and lava cake. After dinner and a soak in the pool, you’ll have no trouble falling asleep and resting up for another full day of waterpark fun (or continuing on to Disneyland).
2. Great Wolf Lodge Maryland
Perryville, Maryland
Opened in June 2023, Great Wolf Lodge Maryland is the brand’s largest location to date with an eye-popping 128,000-square-foot waterpark and 700 guest rooms. There are 22 slides, including the Coyote Cannon, which has a 40-foot drop, and the ultra-fast five-person the Chesapeake Plunge (one of the location’s two whole-family raft rides).
For toddlers and little kids, there’s a pint-sizes splash play area, while older kids have a larger splash zone for themselves. When the weather’s nice, a large outdoor pool area beckons. And year-round, there’s an on-site adventure park with a challenging multi-level ropes course.
3. Great Wolf Lodge Arizona
Scottsdale, Arizona
Opened in October 2019 and located within the Salt River Pima Maricopa Indian Community’s Talking Stick Entertainment District, Great Wolf Lodge Arizona has an 85,000-square-foot indoor water park with slides and water features for every age, coupled with a 27,000-square-foot Great Wolf Adventure Park with family-friendly attractions such as a ropes course, miniature golf, and family bowling.
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The Arizona resort’s water park has a first-of-its-kind slide called Diamondback Drop, a four-person high-speed raft ride filled with serpentine curves and high-bank thrills, where riders drop into an overlapping 360-degree coil before plunging into the belly of the snake. When the kids are done with the water, they can play MagiQuest, mini golf, bowl, or watch the Northwoods Friends Show, an innovative animated projection show using three-dimensional projection mapping technology.
Highlights of the dining options at Great Wolf Lodge Arizona include Barnwood, featuring a locally inspired seasonal menu and craft cocktails in a rustic-themed setting.
4. Great Wolf Lodge Colorado Springs
Colorado Spring, Colorado
Situated across I-25 from the Air Force Academy and 30 minutes from Pikes Peak, Great Wolf Lodge Colorado Springs features incredible views of the Rocky Mountains. It’s easy to combine a mountain and water vacation here. The 65,000-square-foot indoor water park has signature slides attractions including the five-story Howlin’ Tornado funnel slide, Slap Tail Pond wave pool, and the multi-level Fort Mackenzie interactive tree house with tipping water bucket.
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Out of the water, families can test their mettle on the Rustic Ridge climbing wall, Howlers Peak ropes course, or conquer a dragon on a MagiQuest. All dining options are kid-friendly, including the Loose Moose Family Kitchen and the Barnwood farm-to-fork dining experience.
5. Great Wolf Lodge Georgia
LaGrange, Georgia
Located in LaGrange, Great Wolf Lodge Georgia opened in 2018 with a massive indoor water park that’s nearly 100,000 square feet. and packed with high-speed water slides, a relaxing lazy river, huge wave pool, multiple zero entry pools, kids water play areas, and the required tipping bucket. There’s also a large outdoor resort pool with plenty of family-friendly water attractions, as well as the adults-only Northwoods oasis with a relaxing private hot tub.
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Other attractions include the popular MagiQuest game, an adventure park with ropes course and climbing wall, bowling, mini golf, and Northern Lights Arcade. Little kids will love the Build-a-Bear Workshop, Yoga Tails, arts and crafts, and bedtime stories in the lobby in their pajamas.
6. Great Wolf Lodge Niagara Falls
Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada
Just 10 minutes from Niagara Falls near the Niagara Whirlpool region of the river, the only Canadian location of Great Wolf Lodge is an 84-degree oasis amid the long Canadian winters. The 100,000-square-foot indoor water park hosts the Niagara Rapids Run aqua coaster, raft slides, splash grounds, a wave pool, and lazy river.
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Outside of the pool, kids can play MagiQuest, mini golf, bowling, and adopt a Great Wolf Character friend. The lodge’s lobby hosts plenty of activities, too, such as the Forest Friends Show, story time, Cub Club crafts, and evenings with the Great Wolf Kids.
In addition to the standard family and themed suites, the lodge offers private Timber Wolf Cottages. These two-story, two- and three-bedroom cottages sleep up to 10 guests, and are perfect for multi-generational trips and family retreats.
7. Great Wolf Lodge Pocono Mountains
Scotrun, Pennsylvania
The Great Wolf Lodge Poconos indoor water park, two hours from New York City and Philadelphia, features one of the most extreme water slides in the country: the Double Barrel Drop. This raft ride drops you into a vortex, spins you around, and then drops you again, all with flashing LED lighting effects. Serious fun.
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On dry land, families will find classic games like giant Jenga and checkers outside around the fire pit at the Raccoon Lagoon Play Park. There’s also multiple MagiQuest games, a ropes course, mini golf, and indoor bowling at this Great Wolf Lodge location.
8. Great Wolf Lodge Sandusky
Sandusky, Ohio
Just five miles from Ohio’s roller coaster mecca of Cedar Point, Great Wolf Lodge Sandusky isn’t just a great place to stay and cool off after a day of roller coaster theme park fun. It’s also smack dab inside one of best family vacation spots in the US. Kids love getting drenched by the 1,000-gallon dump bucket this resort’s Fort Mackenzie splash ground, sliding down every tube and body slide, floating in the lazy river, swimming in the outdoor pool, and even soaking in the hot tub.
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The Scooops Kids Spa is open for manicures, and hearty dinners are always served at Gitchigoomie Grill. In the evening, kids can slay dragons with MagiQuest before donning their jammies for a bedtime story with Wiley Wolf.
9. Great Wolf Lodge Traverse City
Traverse City, Michigan
The vacation region of northern Michigan’s lower peninsula fits perfectly with Great Wolf Lodge’s woodsy theme. The Great Wolf Lodge Traverse City location is an easy drive to scenic tourist areas of Sleeping Bear Dunes, Grand Traverse Bay, and the Leelanau Peninsula. Under the roof is an 80,000 square foot water park with slides, a wave pool, lazy river, and plenty of climbing and splashing activities. After the kids towel off, they can don their capes on a MagiQuest, bowl some strikes, and sink some putts.
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In the lodge’s lobby, children will enjoy the Great Clock Tower Show, morning yoga, pajama parties, and evening story time. Camp Critter Bar and Grill offers an all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet to fuel everyone up for water park fun, as well as a lunch and dinner menu with burgers, chicken, ribs, steak, salmon, and pasta.
10. Great Wolf Lodge Williamsburg
Williamsburg, Virginia
Conveniently located near Colonial Williamsburg and Busch Gardens, Great Wolf Lodge Williamsburg features a six-story Howlin’ Tornado water slide, Wolf Rider Wipeout body surfing simulator, wave pool, lazy river, and Fort Mackenzie interactive treehouse (with obligatory dump bucket).
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There’s also plenty of dry land activities, including MagiQuest, a ropes course, bowling, a 4D theater, Northern Lights Arcade, and Build-A-Bear Workshop at this Great Wolf Lodge location. Little kids will enjoy the Clock Tower Show, story time, and PJ parties. And when the family’s ready to tuck into a meal, Loose Moose Bar & Grill offers an all-you-can-eat breakfast and dinner buffet.
11. Great Wolf Lodge Wisconsin Dells
Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin
The lodge that started them all, Great Wolf Lodge Wisconsin Dells opened in the southern Wisconsin water park mecca in 1997 and pioneered the all-under-one-roof family recreational resort concept. At more than 20 years old, it’s still going strong with a 76,000-square-foot indoor water park made up of slides, pools, splash grounds, and lazy rivers. Dry land attractions feature multiple versions of MagiQuest, PJ parties, a clock tower animatronics show, and craft giveaways.
12. Great Wolf Lodge Northern California
Manteca, California
Located in Manteca, California, the Bay Area’s Great Wolf Lodge Northern California indoor water park is approximately 90 minutes from San Francisco and an hour from Sacramento. The 500-room lodge features a 95,000-square-foot indoor water park with all the requisite water slides, raft rides, pools, and splash grounds, not to mention a 1,000-gallon tipping bucket. There’s a large outdoor pool complex for sun worshippers.
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Beyond the water, families can play together in the Great Wolf Adventure Park that includes a multi-level ropes course, miniature golf, Ten Paw bowling alley, and arcade. Great Wolf Lodge updated the MagiQuest live-action adventure game with a new story where kids use their interactive wand to complete a quest. And younger kids enjoy the Northwoods Friends Show animated storytelling experience in the lobby.
Families won’t go hungry at Great Wolf Lodge Northern California, either, as there are nine different dining options including the resort’s full-service elevated dining experience, Barnwood. There’s also a Dunkin’ Donuts for the morning coffee run, and an ice cream parlor called the Wood’s End Creamery for the end of the day.
