During our fun summer weekend to Wisconsin Dells, we were lucky enough to call Wilderness Resort home. As America’s largest waterpark resort with 8 waterparks (both indoor and outdoor), dry activities like mini golf and go-karts, plus plenty of places to eat, we had everything at our disposal. We had an absolute blast and wouldn’t hesitate recommending the Wilderness Resort to anyone that’s looking to splash away.

Disclosure: A huge thank you to the Wilderness Resort for hosting our family. I was not required to express a particular point of view, and all opinions are my own.

Checking in at Wilderness Resort

If you’re staying at the Wilderness Resort’s main hotel, the check in area is at New Frontier Lobby (an immediate right into the parking lot after you turn onto Adams Street.) It has undergone renovation and it looks amazing – modern and bright.

In order to stay socially distant, there are markers on the floor where people can wait to check in. Also, at the front desk there is plexiglass between staff and guest for added safety. Don’t forget to ask for a map — it’s super handy!

Our Hotel Room at Wilderness Resort

Located on over 600 wooded acres in Wisconsin Dells, saying Wilderness Resort is large is a huge understatement!  And the resort offers a variety of lodging to accomodate your needs. Besides regular hotel rooms, Wilderness Hotel also has vacation villas, condos, cabin. Another property, Wilderness on the Lake, has luxurious two and three bedroom condominium units overlooking Lake Delton. Glacier Canyon Lodge also holds condominium upscale condominium units.

Our room was on the 3rd floor of the Wild West hotel. It was a simple room with 2 queen beds and a separate living room with sofa bed. As you can imagine, we didn’t stay long in the room except to sleep since we were out enjoying the waterparks and the rest of Wisconsin Dells. I personally enjoyed the small balcony with two chairs which was perfect for sitting and enjoying my cup of coffee.

Satisfy your hunger

One thing’s for sure – you’ll never go hungry at the Wilderness Resort. With over 7 restaurants as well as eateries at the waterparks you’ll always have an option when hunger strikes. Our pizza-lovin’ family couldn’t resist trying Klondike Pizza Kitchen. In fact, they will even deliver a pizza right to you at a poolside table. ANYWHERE AT THE RESORT! How cool is that? We also ordered food to go from Monk’s at the Wilderness.   

One of my favorite spots at the resort was the new Camp Social (Distance). Such a cool spot to grab some food! Located on the second floor of the New Frontier Lodge, Camp Social housed the Burger Bar, The Candy Cabin, an all-you-can eat breakfast, and my personal favorite, Coffee Canteen.  Loved the yummy lattes from the Dell’s own Bella Goose Coffee. 

Take a walk (or hike)

One of my favorite things to do on vacation is to wake up early, then explore the area by running or walking before the entire family wakes up. I was happy to hear that the resort had a couple walking/jogging paths that I could explore. One of them was the Wilderland Path located between the villas and the Wild West building, a nice hilly loop around a pond. 

The other trail I tried was the one behind Glacier Canyon Lodge, a .65 mile loop through the forest. I even saw deer galloping across the trail!

Tip: The paths are paved so feel free to bring strollers! 

Waterpark Fun at Wilderness Resort

Wilderness Resort is considered the biggest waterpark resort for a good reason. Here, you’ll find 8 waterparks. Yes, eight! Four outdoor and four indoor waterparks. Since it was summer, we stuck mostly with the outdoor waterparks. From thrilling slides to spraygrounds and everything in between, Wilderness has anything you could possibly want in a waterpark getaway. 

Fun Fact: Combine all 8 of the waterparks for a total of nearly 500,000 square feet – that’s over 12 football fields of extreme water fun!

Lake Wilderness Outdoor Water Park

Located just outside Wild West and in close proximity to our room, this waterpark was nice and relaxing. The kids spent the majority of their time swimming in the Island Pool. People could even lounge on the island which was really neat.

Other things to find here: Rafters Rage, a 200-foot body slide, two Lil Chutes 100-foot speed slides, a lap pool, children’s wading pool with activity island and spray features, and an outdoor hot tub.

Wild Waterdome Indoor Waterpark

This may have been the only indoor waterpark we visited, but we couldn’t miss a chance to try the Great Wave, deemed America’s largest indoor wave pool. There’s even a see-through roof that lets the natural light in. Don’t forget the sunscreen – you can tan all year long! The kids had a blast riding the waves, while my husband and I enjoyed lounging in the seats in the water. 

Tip: Adults can grab a cool beverage from Margarita’s Swim-Up Bar. Little ones will adore the zero-depth splash area.

New Frontier Outdoor Waterpark

Located just outside Wild Waterdome, Prospector’s Creek is where we stationed ourselves to relax and float away on the lazy river. My littlest one enjoyed the small Bearfoot Island Sprayground.

Other things to do here: thrilling slides, three pools with huge waterfalls and overhangs; an activity pool complete with slides and bubbling geysers.

Lost Canyon

Again, my kids preferred swimming so they had a great time at the pool. I myself loved relaxing in the middle of the “island” in the hot tub.

Other things to do here:  Lost World Adventure River that includes fast rapids, uphill currents, twisting slides, swirls and run-offs, a dinosaur-themed play and spray area, water basketball, three extreme thrill rides the Halley’s Comet Racers, Lunar Loop and Cosmic Drop.

Cubby Outdoor Waterpark at Wilderness on the Lake

Located about a 5-10 minute drive from the main resort area, Wilderness on the Lake offers another fun outdoor pool experience. In my opinion, the biggest draw here are the scenic views best seen from their awesome infinity pool overlooking Lake Delton. As we peeked over the edge, we saw a turtle coming up from the lake. So neat! 

Younger kids will adore the small splash pad area. The indoor/outdoor hot tub was also a fav. Just a few steps down a few stairs is the private sandy beach. Although it was definitely less busy than the other pools, I found that trying to socially distance here was a bit more difficult since there wasn’t much room to move. I could imagine how much busier it would be on the weekends.

Tip:  All children under 48″ tall will be required to wear a life jacket here. 

Dry Activities

We were so busy soaking up the sun that we didn’t get a chance to try the activities. We definitely needed to stay longer! Here are a few of the activities to choose from.

• Lost Cabin Laser Tag 
• Northern Lights Sky Ropes Course
• Wild Abyss Black-Light Mini Golf
• Wilderwoods Indoor Go-Karts
• Lost World Outdoor Jurassic Mini Golf
• Lost World Outdoor Go-Karts & Kiddy Karts
• New! Take Flight aerial adventure ride which soars over some of America’s beautiful national parks.

Tip: Looking to save? It may be worth it to check into getting a fun pass. Check out what’s included here. 

*As always, be sure to double check what may be included in the fun pass as some attractions may be closed due to Covid restrictions.

Tips:

• Come early to use the waterparks. Although check in is at 4 p.m., you can arrive as early as noon and begin using the waterparks. 
• Want to go to Wilderness Resort? Sure, you can drive there but you can also take a shuttle (look for the Blue line.) Another option is to walk or take the shuttle to dock and board the water taxi. How cool, right?
• Hold on to your towel card. When you check-in you will be given towel cards that can be exchanged at specific towel stations. Feel free to replace them when needed.
• Take advantage of the free shuttles that run throughout the resort. They can take you to the waterparks (including Wilderness on the Lake) as well as the off-site restaurants.

Nitty Gritty:

Website: https://www.wildernessresort.com/
Address: 511 E Adams, Wisconsin Dells, WI 53965

Have you been to Wilderness Resort before? What is your favorite waterpark?