As the pandemic doldrums of the previous two years lift, this summer is shaping up to be a major one for family-friendly recreation.
We've already told you about the new theme parks and thrill rides debuting in time for summer vacation.
Now comes an intriguing development for outdoorsy (and cost-conscious) family travelers.
Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park Camp-Resorts, the chain of more than 75 campgrounds across the United States and Canada, is expanding to new locations and upgrading existing properties with new attractions, accommodations, and activities.
Jellystone's five new woodsy spots where you can go tent camping, hook up an RV, or stay in a cabin are located in North Monmouth, Maine; Chincoteague Island, Virginia; New Douglas, Illinois; Petoskey, Michigan; and North Lawrence, Ohio.
All five properties will be open for the season by the middle of May. Onsite attractions and activities include water playgrounds, mini golf, boating, tubing, games, and interactions with Yogi Bear and Boo-Boo. (Offerings vary by location; keep a close eye on your pic-a-nic baskets.)
(Credit: Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park Camp-Resorts)
Other Jellystone sites are adding fresh features and unique lodging options this year, too.
“Nearly every one of our locations will be introducing exciting new or expanded attractions, activities, and character interactions,” said Trent Hershenson, the brand's vice president of marketing, in a press release.
Among the most eye-catching additions:
• a three-story lookout tower and 3,540-foot-long alpine coaster in the mountains of Bostic, North Carolina
• a virtual reality room where headset-wearing players take on ghosts in Williamsport, Maryland (sounds to us like a job for Yogi's fellow Hanna-Barbera creations from Scooby-Doo)
• a 50,000-square-foot water park with pools, 165-foot-long water slides, a "hydrostorm" dump bucket, and interactive features in Glen, New Hampshire
• furnished glamping options such as covered wagons outfitted with beds, air conditioning, and bathrooms in Milton, Pennsylvania, and Texas Wine Country just outside the German-inflected town of Fredericksburg
(Credit: Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park Camp-Resorts / PlainsCraft Covered Wagons)
In its press release, Jellystone recommends booking stays for the summer now because the busiest dates are filling up fast. For more information or to find the camp-resort nearest to you, go to JellystonePark.com.
