We recently loaded up the kids and headed to Woodloch Resort in the Poconos of Pennsylvania for a weekend adventure. Never heard of Woodloch? Neither had we, and we quickly found out why . . . they barely advertise. This is because they don’t have to. The Resort is so popular with their guests, that families come back year after year, mainly because whether the kids are tots or teens, there is something for all.
Woodloch is as traditional as it gets . . . look up “traditional family resort” in the dictionary and if there was a listing it would say “see Woodloch”. The resort was founded in 1958 and is still owned and run by members of the original founding family, in fact we were greeted by at least one founding family member each night at dinner! This level of warmth, friendliness and service can’t be faked and permeates the entire resort and was clearly demonstrated by the long good-bye hug our daughter gave to the incredibly kind and lovely Tracy, our dining attendant for the weekend.
Upon arriving at the resort, we discovered that Woodloch lives up to its name -- the grounds are completely forested. Trees are everywhere and the feeling of being at a camp in the woods is inescapable. And of course the lake (loch) offers up a beautiful backdrop for the scenery. Lodging is spread out around the resort and ranges from small suites to entire guest houses. Our suggestion is not to book a room bigger than you’ll need, because with all the activities, you’ll hardly spend any time there. A quick look at their website counts at least 65 activities to choose from.
We visited “in between” season in late March, and still couldn’t sample them all, and yet we were still overwhelmed with choices. For tots who love the water, there’s a dedicated indoor splash pool with little slides, water fountains and more for cooler weather, and an outdoor kiddie pool for the summer months. There’s a dedicated toddler room, the “forest” a dedicated indoor playground for younger kids and toddlers, and a host of playgrounds and outdoor sports and lakefront activities.
Dedicated to the older kids is the “bunker” which becomes “teen only” after 8:00PM. Older kids can participate in all kinds of sports and games from water skiing to the rifle range. Our 10-year-old was a bit intimidated at first, but was thrilled to shoot a real gun (.22), and we appreciated the professional, controlled environment for him to have that experience. There’s tennis, volleyball, sailing among other Summer activities for teens, and in the Winter there’s ice skating, tubing, and skiing nearby.
And consistent with the resort's ability to please all, the dining was a pleasant surprise. With so much experience catering to kids, there were the usual choices from the kids menu that were a hit. But the real surprise came for us grown ups. The food at dinner was good! Not just OK (we’ve been to quite a few family resorts where the food is adequate at best), we had a fish entrée one night that was delicious, and prime rib the other night that was cooked just right.
This resort “walks the walk” about creating memorable family experiences. There are no “drop off” facilities for kids. You will experience the resort as a family. This may seem a bit old-fashioned these days, but in reality was refreshing and made the whole trip that much better. We did it all as a family, from swimming in the indoor pool, to battling in bumper cars to getting trounced in the family scavenger hunt.
If you attempt the scavenger hunt and this is your first visit, prepare to have fun... and come in last. As we said at the outset, families return year after year, but even so, we were shocked by the level preparation of some of the families for this event. We’re talking walkie-talkies to communicate around the resort during the hunt, laptops for the trivia questions, cameras (required) with extra batteries and more. Needless to say, we came in last, but I have great memories of running around the resort with my daughter on my shoulders as we took pictures of the requested items as quickly as week could.
I know we left a ton activities out (including the Spa, great for Mom and teen treatments, golfing and more), but take our word for it, Woodloch Resort is just the antidote for over scheduled plugged in kids of any age.
