Jellystone Park Warrens — Hotel in Warrens

We stayed here 8/22/2022 - 8/28/2022.

We had to cancel a waterpark resort trip last year due to the pandemic, much to our daughter's disappointment. We bought our RV travel trailer in May, so when looking for a nearby RV campground, I wanted one with as many waterpark features as possible for her. Jellystone Park Warrens offered the most activities and waterpark features of all those I'd looked at!

One thing to keep in mind is that this is first and foremost a CAMPGROUND. We've stayed at many waterpark resorts and Disney World hotels. Those are attractions with the rooms mainly being a place to sleep. This is a classic campground with added attractions--and it has a LOT of them!

There are 3 regular swimming pools, one 8" deep kiddie pool, a family hot tub, an adult hot tub, a wave pool, a lazy river, a splash pad with 3 water slides, the big, green luge-style water slide, the big blue & yellow racing water slide, a swimming lake with a large sandy beach and water playground, a paddleboat lake, a fishing lake with a small dock, TWO 18 hole mini golf courses, a Water Wars game, the very popular jumping pad, 2-3 playgrounds, a volleyball court, a baseball diamond, a walking trail through the woods, a craft center, an outdoor movie theater, a train ride and a hay ride. The Ranger Station has a little restaurant with concession-style snacks and homemade ice cream, and a fairly well-stocked store (they had the daytime cold medicine and marshmallow skewers we forgot, along with a bunch of other stuff) and firewood. There's also a small but nice dog park.

Other reviewers have mentioned broken pool basketball hoops and too few float tubes for the lazy river, but those issues were clearly fixed by the time we were there.

The staff was mostly friendly (we only ran into one young life guard who was a bit curt), but you can tell they were short-staffed. It's important to remember if you visit that ALL of the service industry is short-staffed right now and there's also a national shortage of life guards. Remember that the kids who are there are the ones who showed up and ARE working and they are doing the best they can to cover all of the attractions. Be nice, don't forget to thank them and tip at the restaurant!

While our camp site (which was very close to the waterpark area on Booboo Lane) wasn't spotless when we arrived, it was a lot better than other camp sites we've been to. While we were there, we observed staff cleaning up other camp sites, cleaning the bathrooms and showers, emptying garbage cans, clearing off tables and cleaning up/raking the sand beach. We also saw a bunch of new cabins lined up, waiting to be installed.

From what we could tell, our site was possibly in an older part of the campground (near the waterpark and Ranger Station) and seemed retrofitted because of the odd way it was set up. We had a back-in site, but the electric and water were on the camp side with the fire ring and picnic table, while the sewer was on the opposite side. We had enough hose length to reach the water, but one thing we hadn't had a chance to buy for our RV yet was an electrical extension cord. Before we could even start setting up, we had to unhitch the truck and drive 10 minutes to the Tomah Walmart, which (thankfully) had the 30 amp extension cord we needed. The newer RV spots had water, electrical and sewer all on the same side, where most RVs now have their hookups.

While there are still some uncovered umbrellas, the splash pad needs paint and the Pic-A-Nic basket water feature still wasn't working, it's clear that the new owners are making improvements to bring the campground back to it's former glory. At the pace they're going, I wouldn't be surprised if--when we return in a year or two and we WILL return--it's been completely restored. With the proper staffing, I could see it being a yearly destination for us, located just 2.5 hours away from home and 6 nights only costing us around $580.

We very much enjoyed the campground nostalgia and the numerous attractions, so we'll...

We just left Jellystone in Warrens, WI after a 3 night camping stay (Aug. 2025). Here our the pros, cons, tips for guests and our final thoughts!

Pros -A large variety of activities and recreational attractions to enjoy for all ages! Most are included with the base wristband that each Jellystone guest gets on arrival.

-Multiple water-related attractions (ie. Pools, Waterpark, swimming pond, waterslides & Wibit).

-Camper Parking Tip—Campsites have a post with your campsite number on it. These can easily be pulled from the ground to make getting in & out of the campsite easier on arrival or departure days.

-Staff were pleasant & helpful with each interaction! Yogi, Cindy, Boo Boo & Mr. Ranger characters were a hit with our family!

Cons -Camping Reservations— We had 2 campsites that we booked together in the back of the resort (38K area) due to having young kids. We did not pay the added fee to guarantee our campsites. On arrival, we learned that one of our campsites got switched to one up by the jumping pillow and the other was still in the way back. The office stated that the computer just does this if you don’t pay the added guarantee fee. Staff did help get the other campsite moved up closer to us but ultimately we were not next to each other like how we originally reserved it.

-Hours of Operation—Lack of transparency for hours that attractions are open/closed. I searched their website, the Jellystone App, activities printout at bathrooms & our arrival paperwork, but couldn’t find the hours for the Wibit, pools, mini golf, store, office, etc. I did talk to office staff regarding this & they were going to look into creating something for future guests.

-Wi-fi & Cell Service (Verizon) — incredibly limited & spotty connection. It was difficult to use the Jellystone App & text others.

-Public Showers—We tried 2 different bathhouses — both were disappointing. Some showers were out of order, others were fully operational & clean—but subpar. They have a push button to start the shower, but it only lasts 3 seconds and the water was ice cold. I’d love to see these upgraded to warm water & at least a 3 min. run time. I’d even pay for quarter showers for this improvement.

Tips for Future Guests—

-Pack: Glow sticks, floaties, water shoes (for the lazy river—the floor is rough), cash for mini donuts.

-Pools—The warmest pools are behind the store. The coldest pool is the Picnic Basket kids pool in the Waterpark. Some pools have dark brown/red stains likely due to iron in the water. Nothing you can do about that for this part of the region.

-Premium Wristbands—Skip this added expense. You can do so much with the base wristband you get on arrival (ie. Both mini golf courses, all pools and water slides, train rides, jumping pillow, characters, etc). Some added expenses include: Wibit ($15/hr—pay at the golf cart shack), mining for gold, duck races ($2/duck), outdoor Laser tag, mini car safari rides, etc.

-Recreation Center — Crafts & event info here. Moved to former arcade building next to Yogi & Boo Boo’s bedroom.

-Golf Carts— I couldn’t find a way to reserve one online before our trip, so we waited until arrival—they were sold out. Next time, I will call ahead. Bicycles for the kids saved us.

-On rainy days, get a day pass at the indoor waterpark at the Three Bears Hotel next door. (Check Groupon for deals)

Final Thoughts— Personally, I’ve been going to this resort on & off for 35 years. While many things have remained the same (candy bar bingo, the blue waterslide, bandstand dances, outdoor amphitheater, the characters), so much has become commercialized (like flashy golf carts, premium cabins, a huge waterslide tower, etc.). Now, the resort feels less of a “campground,” but more like a Wisconsin Dells vacation. It’s not a bad thing—but more bittersweet. However, if you and your family want a less overwhelming or overstimulating experience, try weekday camping and/or staying towards the back...

We’ve been visiting Jellystone Park in Warrens since 2018, a summer tradition for our family. Unfortunately, the experience has been slowly deteriorating since The Jenkins Organization acquired the property in 2021. While the park has undergone visual improvements and now appears more polished and flashy, the overall atmosphere has become increasingly corporate and, frankly, soulless.

Staff & Service: One of the most noticeable shifts is in staffing. Many of the long-time employees, who knew the park have been replaced with younger seasonal staff who clearly haven’t received adequate training. This isn’t a criticism of the teens themselves; they’re trying their best, but it’s obvious they haven’t been equipped to answer basic questions. The park now relies heavily on fine print in confirmation emails rather than training staff to provide consistent, guest-friendly guidance.

Lodging: We stayed in the Hooded Merganser cabin, and while I’ve previously overlooked minor issues because we were “camping,” this year’s experience was very disappointing. For the price we paid, the quality simply didn’t match: -No fitted sheets, just two flat sheets and a plastic fitted sheet on every bed. While I appreciate a plastic sheet, I don't expect to sleep on it. Flat sheets kept falling off the bed. -The oven kept triggering the fire alarm within five minutes due to leftover debris inside. This made our tradition of baking pizzas frustrating. This was never an issue in past years. Woke up napping children. -The floors were only superficially swept; black, sticky spots were visible in the kitchen. -The bathrooms had soap dispensers—but no soap. We’ve never encountered this level of neglect in previous years.

Park Cleanliness: Cleanliness throughout the resort left much to be desired. At the café near the Ranger Station, only two tables were clean enough to sit at, and no one seemed to be cleaning up between guests. I gave it the benefit of the doubt, but by our third day, the same food spills near the register were there. It doesn’t appear that dining or communal areas are being cleaned on a routine basis.

Activities: The activities, once a highlight of our stay, have become frustrating due to a lack of organization. In past years, tie-dye and craft stations were supported by staff who helped both adults and kids. Now, the materials are left out for self-service while three employees chat behind the counter. Even the t-shirt coloring activity has changed, what was once a display wall with samples and sizes has become a chaotic pile of over 100 rolled-up shirts. It took us 20+ minutes to find the right size and a t-shirt that wasn't...Halloween themed (our stay was in July). The time we had hoped to spend actually enjoying the activity was taken up by trying to find the correct size t-shirt.

Policies & Fine Print: A final caution, read everything in the fine print of your email confirmation. Management now keeps your credit card on file and will charge you for any policy violations, even if you were misinformed by staff. We were charged for a late golf cart return after being told the incorrect return time at pickup. While this was ultimately on us for not double-checking, it left a sour taste given the inconsistent communication.

Final Thoughts: Individually, none of these issues may seem huge. But when you’re traveling with young kids, all the small things add up. What used to feel like a welcoming, clean, family-oriented park with friendly faces has been replaced by a corporate-run facility with minimal hospitality and inconsistent service.

Given today’s pricing standards, there’s an expectation of quality and service that simply wasn’t met. The elevated price point did not reflect the experience delivered.

We truly miss the charm and heart this park once had. I'm not sure we will be back for our 8th year next year.

Lastly, I addressed these concerns directly during our stay, but they weren’t met with...