Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park…have you ever heard of it? If I’m being honest up until 2 years ago we had never heard of it! I am really honestly bummed we missed out on all the years of taking our kids because it’s seriously one of the best vacations we take!! I am going to give you some tips/tricks as well as some of our favorite things to do while staying there!
So if you’re new to hearing about Jellystone let me give you a little rundown! Jellystone is a family friendly campground with anything you can imagine to have the BEST time! They have over 75 locations across the US & Canada so you are sure to find one close to you and your family! Whether you are traveling with your RV/camper or want to take advantage of their on-site cabins you will always be right in the middle of the action! Each campsite/cabin has a grill for cooking, a fire pit for roasting s’mores and tables for gathering! We have stayed in two different cabins now at the Yogi Bear Jellystone Park Kerville location and love them both for different reasons! Our first stay was in a Boo Boo Bungalow and we absolutely loved the large patio and the bunk room for all the kids! This year we stayed in a Riverfront Cottage and it was seriously in the PERFECT location! We were right next to a lot of the actives, walking distance from the outdoor patio area with the wood fire pizzeria and we had a huge front yard area for the kids to run around!
Not only are the amenities so perfect for a getaway they have daily activities planned and ready to go for the entire family! Some of our favorites from our trips are for sure the Tie Dye shirts, Hey Hey wateride, the glow ride, the foam party and the food fight! If you have time to be flexible with your dates you can actually look on their website to see what the “theme” is for each week at the camp! They plan actives accordingly and you can for sure find a time that will suit your family the best! They also have things that you can do throughout the camp that aren’t on a structured time schedule! They have several big blobs for the kids to jump on, a basketball area, mini golf, playground equipment, a ga-ga ball area, tree swings and other fun things to enjoy when no activities are scheduled!
Now, for the water side of the camp because let’s be honest here….all the kids see when you drive up is the giant water slides and the pools! I’m serious when I say the set up here is amazing! They have 2 giant water slides at the Kerrville location that have a height requirement of 42′ and they are tube slides! Let me just say, they are FUN! My kids could literally do those slides all dang day and never leave! I know as a mom though one of my favorite parts is the little kid area that is perfect for those toddlers/kids who aren’t quite tall enough for the big slides! It is a huge “little” waterpark that is very accommodating to the littles! It is just a few inches deep all the way around so you can enjoy watching your littles explore all around that area! They also have 2 other pools that are for swimming, jumping in, and they also do relays/acitivies in them as well! So if you were following along on our most recent trip, this is where the kids + Matt all competed in the belly flop contest, which I highly recommend watching! HA!
On property they also have a convenience store area Ranger Station called that has any and everything you might have forgotten, groceries, swim diapers, alcohol, etc! They also have a restaurant located between the two pools called Cartoon Cafe that has some amazing food…if you ever go, PLEASE try to loaded waffle fries! If you are craving some pizza then you need to head over to the the River Rock pub & Pizzeria, because I think about that pizza more than I would like to admit, it’s THAT good! You can also enjoy a nice adult beverage after a day of chasing your kids 😉 Those of you who stay longer than we do they also have a laundry mat, fitness center for those workout buffs, and even have a dog park area!
Tips/tricks for making your stay at Jellystone the best it can be!
- Download the APP- it has the most up to date info and you can even set reminders so you don’t miss a thing
- If you can, rent the golf cart! I promise as a mama with littles, this is a game changer with everything you will be walking to! If your kids are old enough to ride bikes, you can also bring those for the entire family!
- Get to the pool a few minutes before it opens to secure a table/chairs in your preferred location
- If you don’t rent linens, don’t forget your own towels for the pool
- Head to the recreation center early each morning to sign your kids up for events, some of them fill up quickly, such as laser tag, corn hole tournaments, etc
- If you are bringing pets, make sure you disclose that so they can book you in a pet friendly cabin
- We typically arrive to Kerrville early before check in at 4 and make our Walmart trip then to buy snacks and food for the cabin
- I feel like a cabana rental would be ideal if you are traveling with a small baby who will nap during the day! They come with fans, refrigerators, tv etc that make your time at the pool more enjoyable! However we have never rented one so its totally just a preference!
- If you will be fishing at the river which is just a quick walk down the property make sure to bring fishing poles, licenses, etc! You can look for the best travel fly rod online if you’re a beginner.
I thought it would be fun to ask my kids their favorite thing about Jellystone and why so I could share them with you here!
Greleigh (9) – “My favorite thing is probably having a cookout for my cousins birthday this year and being with family”
Kaige (7)- “My favorite part was the water park”
Huxx (5) -“My favorite part about Jellystone was hanging out with all my family”
Sway (3) – “Going down the big slides with daddy & Yogi bear”
We truly look forward to our time at Jellystone every year and honestly can’t wait to go back! I tell people all the time I LOVE it because it’s like the laid back atmosphere of camping yet there is so much stuff for the kids to do and the vibe there is honestly one you can not beat! I would love to hear from you guys if you have been or if you plan to go in the future! Currently I don’t have any discount offers directly from me but I can share their current offers from their site HERE! I promise, you and your entire family will have a blast! We even took my 84 year old grandmother and she looks forward to it every year as well!
You can find a location near you by clicking HERE!
*This post was done in collaboration with Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park however all thoughts, images and opinions are that of my own!
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