If I’m being perfectly honest, visit Great Wolf Lodge in the Poconos was’t ever really somewhere that was high on my list of places to check out. However, when my daughter requested a visit for her birthday, I was glad I finally had a chance to visit this popular spot in northeastern PA.
Truth be told, this was my second visit to a Great Wolf Lodge. The first had been in the winter of 2024 with my extended family to their location in Perryville, Maryland, not too far south of the PA border. While my review will be focused on the location in the Poconos, most of what I write will also apply to the Maryland location since they are quite similar.
The first visit was a family vacation paid for by my parents, while I paid for our second visit. So, unlike most reviews of the property that you’ll find online, I wasn’t comped admission or given a discount. I paid full price for both visits and never contacted the property, so everything you’ll read here is my fully honest opinion, both the good and the bad.
Check out pricing for Great Wolf Lodge on Expedia!
The Great Wolf Lodge in the Poconos is located just west of Stroudsburg in Monroe County, PA. It first opened to the public in October 2005, though it went through a massive upgrade in recent years, including adding 40,000 square feet to its waterpark (making it a total of 120,000 square feet in size).
While you can get a day pass for the waterparks, most opt to stay overnight. The great thing about this is that overnight stays include park tickets for both the first and last day of your visits, so a one-night stay can actually get your two days of amenities at the lodge.
While there are other things to do at Great Wolf Lodge, the indoor waterpark is obviously the main highlight. The lodge lists 18 indoor attractions in the waterpark (plus two outside) that range from surprisingly large waterslides to a lazy river and a splash area for little kids.
At both locations I’ve visited, I was impressed at the size and quality of these attractions. Despite being under a roof, you really do get a regular waterpark experience here, though certainly in a condensed space.
The mix of attractions here really does offer something for just about everyone. Thrill seekers can enjoy some of the large waterslides, including a few that even go outside for a brief bit, while those looking for something tamer can enjoy the lazy river and hot tubs (though if you visit when things are crowded, don’t expect too relaxing of a time).
If you can, I highly recommend visiting on a weekday when school is in session. The difference between my weekend visit and my weekday visit was night and day in terms of overall crowds in the waterpark.
It’s also worth noting that the interior of the waterpark is VERY loud. My son and I both have sound sensitivities, and the constant din in the waterpark was almost unbearable after a while. Fortunately, the back corner offers some reprieve due to differences in the ceiling. The outdoor hot tub is also a great spot to go if the noise starts to get to you, as well.
Speaking of the outdoor space, Great Wolf Lodge does have an outdoor swimming pool and hot tub. While the pool is only open seasonly for obvious reason, the hot tub is open year around.
It actually snowed during our visit, and it was a lot of fun sitting in the warm hot tub while watching the falling snow.
Outdoors, you’ll also find the lodge’s seasonal ropes course (additional cost). This looks like a ton of fun, but we weren’t able to do it because we visited during the cooler time of the year.
It’s worth noting that the ropes course at the Great Wolf Lodge in Perryville, Maryland is indoors. It is smaller than the one in the Poconos, but if that’s important to you, it might be a reason to pick the spot in Maryland.
In addition to the ropes course, there are a variety of other activities at Great Wolf Lodge that you can pay to do including bowling, a MagiQuest Adventure, a mirror maze, mini golf, Build-A-Bear, and more. Note that all of these activities have an additional cost.
While I didn’t have a chance to do any of these in the Poconos, I did do most of them at the Great Wolf Lodge in Maryland. They definitely are a lot of fun, though the additional cost is pretty high, so I don’t know that it’s worth it for most people when you can simply enjoy the waterpark during your stay.
Fortunately, there are free activities at Great Wolf Lodge including a fun evening story time in the main lodge. If you have younger kids, this is definitely something you won’t want to miss.
The rooms in Great Wolf Lodge are fairly standard hotel rooms, though they do have a fun bunkbed area for kids in some of the rooms, and they are nicely decorated to keep some of the lodge feeling within the rooms.
I found our room to be perfectly adequate for our stay, especially since many won’t spend a ton of time in their room during their visit.
For those looking for more space, Great Wolf Lodge does offer some villas and larger suites that can accommodate larger families.
Since there is so much to do on the property, it shouldn’t be a surprise that there are also several places to eat at Great Wolf Lodge. These can be found both inside and outside of the waterpark, giving you some options regardless of where you are at meal time.
I ate at one of the sit down restaurants during my visit to the Great Wolf Lodge in Maryland and found it to be underwhelming and rather expensive. Spaces in the restaurant do book up quickly, though, so if you want to eat a sit-down meal on property during your visit, make a reservation early in the day.
The quick service restaurants throughout the property can get a bit crowded, but nothing that I wouldn’t expect at an amusement park. That’s also an apt representation of both the quality and the price of the food. However, the cocktail I had in the waterpark was quite delicious.
For those that would rather get their own food, there are several options nearby and rooms come equipped with a refrigerator so you could even bring your own food (just note that you can’t bring your own food into the waterpark).
Overall, I have mixed feelings about Great Wolf Lodge. There’s no denying my daughter had a wonderful time, and the waterpark really is a lot of fun (though very loud). However, if you don’t plan to spend all day at the waterpark, it can be a bit expensive, and the park can be very crowded, so waits can sometimes be long.
However, for those looking for a fun waterpark experience, especially when it’s cold out, Great Wolf Lodge really is a fabulous choice.
Great Wolf Lodge is open year round in Scotrun, PA. Look at pricing online on Expedia (Affiliate link) or check out pricing on the Lodge’s website.
Looking for things to do near Great Wolf Lodge? Check out my favorite waterfalls in the Poconos, things to do in Hickory Run State Park, and Sango Kura.
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