Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park Camp-Resorts are scattered across both Canada and the United States, with more than 80 campgrounds in all. Not just any park can become a Jellystone park, but which location is the best?
Here are 9 exceptional Jellystone locations to explore:
- Bostic, North Carolina
- Lodi, California
- Williamsport, Maryland
- Silver Lake, Michigan
- Glen Ellis, New Hampshire
- Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin
- Barton Lake, Indiana
- North Java, New York
- Texas Wine Country
Whether these locations are just a hop, skip, and a jump from you or a long-distance road trip, I’ll tell you why you should visit each Jellystone location ahead, so make sure you check it out!
1. Bostic, North Carolina
Camp Golden Valley in Bostic, North Carolina starts our list of Jellystone locations to visit.
No matter what your budget looks like, your lodging options are plentiful enough that you can sleep in your RV, in a tent under the stars, or under the safety of a cabin roof.
Premium tent sites include 30-amp electrical hookups, a fire ring, a charcoal grill, and proximity to the Comfort Station for all your needs. Red carpet tent sites are a step up if you’re interested!
For the RVers out there, a premium back-in or pull-through RV site has a fire ring, water hookups, sewer hookups, pull-through parking, and 30/50-amp electrical hookups.
You can even opt for a red carpet back-in RV site with a concrete pad!
Your cabin and retreat options are extensive. Here’s the full list for your perusal:
- Sunset View Cabins
- Hickory Forest Deluxe
- Richland Mountain Retreat
- Lukcadoo Lodge
- Laurel Cove Lodge
- Carolina Silver Bell Cabins
- Blue Ridge Bungalows
- Hickory Forest Cabins
- Lisenberry Loft Cabins
- Sycamore Loft Cabins
- River Birch Retreat
- Laurel Cove Bungalow
- Laurel Cove Cottages
- Cherry Mountain Cabin
- Sassafras Ridge Lodge
- Rippling Waters Lodge
Depending on the size of your cabin, some of the lodges can sleep up to 14 people.
The available amenities include a kitchen with an oven, at least one full bathroom (possibly a private detached bathroom), and private bedrooms.
Spend your days enjoying these exceptional activities while at Camp Golden Valley:
- Wibit, an inflatable obstacle course
- Hiking trails
- Basketball, tennis, pickleball, and volleyball
- Scavenger hunts
- Candy bar bingo in the Arts & Crafts Building
- Hey Hey Rides with glow sticks
- Giant chess
- Gaga Ball, which features an octagonal pit with a rubber or soft foam ball, challenging participants to jump, strike, run, or dodge
- Tram rides
- Lakeside swings
- Swimming hole
- Fishing
- Alpine coaster
- Arts and crafts
- Playgrounds
- Laser tag
- Lookout tower
- Water zipline
- Gem mining
- Jumping pillows and pads
- Mini golf
- Ranger Smith pool
- Interactive water playground
Camp Golden Valley is open all year and its peak season is in June.
2. Lodi, California
The Town Park Resort in Lodi, California is sure to be a delightful Jellystone experience for the whole family.
You can enjoy red carpet pull-through or back-in RV access with a concrete pad, a charcoal grill, and 30/50-amp electrical service. These spots are pet-friendly too!
Deluxe and premium RV sites are available as well if you’re looking to save some cash, but these are not pet-friendly.
Otherwise, you can lodge in a quaint cottage, the options of which include:
- Ranger Smith Loft Cottage
- Lazy Bear Cabin
- Delta Deluxe Cabin
- Delta Deluxe Plus Cabin
- Cozy Cottage
- Cindy Bear Cottage
- Boo Boo Bungalow
To beat the California heat, the Town Park Resort has many attractions where the kids can splash and play. You’ll find lots of dry attractions as well if you’d prefer not to get soaked.
Here’s everything that’s available:
- Jumping pillow
- Hey Hey Rides
- Scavenger hunts
- Sunset Beach
- Bark Park for pets
- Gaga Ball Pit
- Outdoor sports with a horseshoe pit, sand volleyball, and basketball
- Arts and crafts
- Boat rentals
- Playgrounds
- Gem mining
- Mini golf
- Laser tag
- Water playground
- Swimming pool
- Lazy river
The park is open all year long, but the outdoor attractions are available from dawn until dusk during the peak season of late May through mid-August. Then the attractions might shut down earlier.
3. Williamsport, Maryland
If you’re passing through the Williamsport area, the Jellystone resort here is a great way to make your time in Maryland as memorable as possible.
You can select from an assortment of RV sites, including premium pull-through sites with a patio, premium back-up sites, RV buddy sites, and standard tent sites.
The RV accommodations offer a stone fire ring, picnic table, water hookup, 30/50-amp electric hookups, sewer hookups, and a concrete pad for the premium options.
The quaint wood lodges here invoke the feel of Maryland and are a great place for getting some quality shuteye every night.
Here are your cabin and lodging options:
- Great Escape Lodge
- Cozy Cabins
- Luxury Cabins
- Comfort Cottages
- Ranger’s Retreat
- Boo Boo Bungalows
- Pine Forest Cabins
These cabins and cottages can sleep up to 16 people if you’re traveling with an exceptionally large group.
Included is a kitchen or kitchenette with a sink (but usually no oven), private bedrooms, full bathrooms, and even AC and heating!
What’s there to do at this Jellystone campground? Well, that’s a silly question provided all the amenities that Jellystone has to offer. Here are some family-centric fun ones to try:
- Candy Bar Bingo at the Cindy Bear Pavilion
- Scavenger hunts
- Jellystone Park Amphitheater with Yogi Bear cartoons and kid-friendly movies
- Arts and crafts
- Hey Hey Rides
- Pony rides (during the summer only)
- Volleyball
- Basketball
- Gaga Ball
- Arcade with games and prizes
- Playgrounds
- Archery tag
- Laser tag
- Mini golf
- 1,000-foot track
- Gem mining
- Jumping pillow and pad
- Ninja Course & Traverse Wall
- Ranger Smith pool
- Lazy river
- Yogi Bear’s Water Zone with an eight-foot raindrop, 3,200-square-foot interactive pool, and 400-foot water slides called Picnic Plunge and Ranger’s Revenge
The Williamsport Jellystone is open from April 1st to November 27th, and the peak season is from June until late August.
4. Silver Lake, Michigan
Dune Town Camp-Resort in Silver Lake is quite a noteworthy Jellystone location.
The lodging options here are out of this world, with yurts, treehouses, glamping accommodations, RV spots, and cabins.
Even if you don’t own an RV but you’ve always wondered what it would be like to stay in one, you can rent one!
It’s all about getting outdoors when you’re camping, right? The outdoor attractions at the Silver Lake Jellystone resort are varied enough that you’ll have no shortage of options to explore.
Here’s how to keep the kids from complaining:
- Team sports like horseshoes, volleyball, and basketball
- Laser tag
- Gem mining
- Outdoor theaters showing movies and cartoons
- Pedal carts powered by your kids’ manual efforts
- Wagon rides
- Playgrounds
- Jumping pads and pillows
- Mini golf
If the kids are overheating, cool them down with outdoor water attractions like swimming pools, water slides, splashgrounds, Aqua Parks (that include ladders, jumps, ramps, swings, jumping pillows, runways, and inflatable slides in an agility course), boating, beaches, and river access for canoeing, paddleboarding, and tubing.
Is it raining today? Don’t panic! The Dune Town Camp-Resort offers plenty of indoor activities as well, among them:
- Indoor theaters
- Pavilions
- Escape rooms
- Recreation rooms
- Game rooms with video games and arcade machines
5. Glen Ellis, New Hampshire
Drink in New Hampshire’s natural beauty at the Glen Ellis Jellystone.
Compared to some of the other Jellystone locations I’ve looked at, you have to be more in the mood to rough it here.
You’ll find many tent sites, back-in RV sites, rustic RV sites, pull-through RV sites, and a few premium sites for good measure.
The amenities afforded to you include 30/50-amp electrical, sewer hookups, water hookups, and possibly fire rings as well.
The lodges are on the small side, so if you have an RV, you might choose to just snooze away the nights in there. The options include:
- Blackbear Escape Cabins
- Boo Boo Plus Cabins
- Riverfront Saco Sunset Cabins
- Ellis Riverfront Cabins
- Bear-A-Dise Bungalows
- Saco Sunset Cabins
- Boo Boo Beachfront Cabins
- Cindy Bear Cabins
- Meadow Haven Cabins
- Ranger’s Retreat Cabin
The cabins and lodges afford room for seven people tops, so travel in small groups. Your lodge will include at least one private bedroom, a kitchenette or kitchen (without an oven), and a full bathroom.
There’s always something to do when visiting a Jellystone Resort, and that’s true of Glen Ellis as well. Here are some activities on tap:
- Mini golf
- Laser tag
- Jumping pillows
- Gem mining
- Pickleball, tennis, basketball, and volleyball
- Scavenger hunts
- Bark Park for dogs
- Hey Hey Rides
- Bocce ball
- Arts and crafts
- Cornhole
- Horseshoes
- Shuffleboard
- Gaga Ball
- Fishing
The Glen Ellis Jellystone is open from May 13th through October 15th, and the peak season is mid-June through late August.
6. Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin
One of the most renowned Jellystone locations is in Wisconsin Dells. All you have to do is look around the site and it’s not too hard to see why!
You can camp in all the ways you want, from RV site camping to staying in a yurt, a glamping tent, or a simpler tent. If you want cabins and lodges, those are abundant as well.
The Wisconsin Dell is pet-friendly as well!
In operation from May 6th to September 18th, you’ll want to get in on the summer fun in Wisconsin Dells right away.
With water slides, splash grounds, Aqua Parks, swimming pools, beaches, rivers, lakes, and fishing and boating, you’ll stay as cool as a cucumber no matter how hot the temps get.
After the kiddos dry off, they can continue burning through their energy with outdoor activities like jumping pillows and jump pads, wagon rides, mini golf, a playground, gem mining, outdoor theaters, pedal carts, and laser tag.
The kids can also get competitive with team sports such as basketball, horseshoes, and volleyball.
Indoors, between the Recreation Room, indoor theaters, game rooms, and escape rooms, your family won’t be bored for a minute.
7. Barton Lake, Indiana
Make your Barton Lake family vacation a memorable one by staying at the Jellystone campground here.
There’s plenty of room for your tent as well as your RV or travel trailer. You can select from RV options like red carpet back-ins, buddy RV sites, and preferred premium pull-through and back-in RV sites.
You’ll have all the amenities you’ve come to know and love from Jellystone, including sewer hookups, water hookups, electric hookups, and a fire ring at some RV sites.
The tent spots offer a fire ring, picnic table, electrical hookups, and water hookups. You’re also strategically close to the Comfort Stations.
If you want the luxury of a cabin, here are your options at Barton Lake:
- Rustic Cabins
- Deluxe Cottages
- Barton Lake Bungalows
- Three Bears Lodge
The Three Bears Lodge has room for a whopping 19 people, but most smaller cabins or bungalows can sleep eight. You’ll have access to a kitchenette, a bathroom or two, and at least one private bedroom.
Besides the daily events, you can also plan to spend time as a family enjoying these Jellystone activities:
- Arcade
- Pedal carts
- Hey Hey Rides
- Scavenger hunts
- Volleyball and basketball courts
- Outdoor movies
- Mini golf
- Gem mining
- Beach
- Arts and crafts
- Jumping pillows
- Playgrounds
- Laser tag
- Water slides
- Swimming pools
- Yogi Bear’s Water Zone
The Barton Lake Jellystone is open from April 22nd through November 6th with a peak season from late May until late August.
The outdoor attractions are available from dawn until dusk during the peak season. Non-peak attractions have reduced hours after that.
8. North Java, New York
On the east coast, the North Java Jellystone is quite the place to stay.
Affording RV sites, tent sites, and cabins, you’ll enjoy convenient amenities such as a snack shop on the campground, a pavilion for inclement weather, golf cart rentals, and Wi-Fi Internet.
Outdoors, it’s time to get active and a little playful at the basketball or volleyball court. You and the family can also engage in round or horseshoes or Gaga Ball. The kids will love the playground here.
If you want water fun, you’ve got it! The North Java Jellystone is full of water slides, a splash ground, an outdoor pool, a kiddie pool, a heated pool, and a floating obstacle course.
You can lounge at the beach, go fishing, or rent canoes or kayaks and paddle on the lake.
This Jellystone location is open between April 30th and October 11th with peak season hours of 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and non-peak season hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
9. Texas Wine Country, Texas
In Fredericksburg, Texas is the Texas Wine Country Jellystone Park Camp-Resort, the last Jellystone location that I recommend.
Located right in the midst of Texas Wine Country, the Jellystone park encourages you to camp with Garden Side back-ins, Meadow back-ins, pull-throughs, and Creek Side back-ins for RVs.
Almost all the RV campsites include a picnic table, campfire ring, 20 channels of satellite TV, Wi-Fi, 20/30/50-amp electrical hookups, sewer hookups, and water hookups. Some of the sites are even pet-friendly.
Tent sites offer a firepit, picnic table, Wi-Fi, low-level lighting, and 20 amps of electric.
There is no shortage of attractions for the family to enjoy, including:
- Wagon rides
- Lifesize chess
- Peddle carts
- Volleyball
- Splashpad
- Arcade
- Mino golf
- Jellystone Park Theater
- Jumping pillow
- Basketball court
- Game room
- Water Zone
- Swimming pool
Conclusion
As a nationwide resort chain (and with some locations in Canada as well), Jellystone is a highly sought-after destination for campers whenever there’s one in the vicinity.
Whether you like to travel primarily on the east coast, the west coast, or the between-coast, you have plenty of excellent Jellystone parks and lodges to add to your itinerary!