Waterpark description: The Wilderness Hotel & Golf Resort includes three Western-themed indoor waterparks with a combined total of 205,000 square feet of indoor aquatic space. The newest, Wild Water Dome, opened in 2006. Spanning 70,000 square feet, it has an energy-efficient Foil Tec glass roof that allows guests to tan while indoors. The Wild West Waterpark is the same size, and Klondike Kavern covers approximately 65,000 square feet. There also are two outdoor waterparks, Lake Wilderness and New Frontier, open seasonally.
The “it” factor: When operators opened Wilderness Hotel & Golf Resort in 1995, the property had little more than 79 guest rooms and Fort Wilderness Indoor Waterpark. Since then, they’ve expanded into much more. Today, there are three main properties — Wilderness Hotel & Golf Resort, Glacier Canyon Lodge condominium resort and the Wilderness on the Lake condominium resort. Combined, there are more than 1,000 lodging options and several on-site dining choices, including Sarento’s Italian Restaurant & Pizzeria, the Wild Canyon Café and Field’s at the Wilderness Premiere Steak House, operated by Robert John Field and Tim Field and designed by Frank Lloyd Wright protégé James Dresser.
The three indoor waterparks are open to guests staying at any property. One signature attraction at Wild Water Dome is The Great Wave Pool. At 15,450 square feet, operators say it’s the nation’s largest indoor wave pool. Wild West Waterpark features The Black Hole two-person tube slide and the six-level Ransack Ridge interactive play structure. Popular Klondike Kavern attractions are the 500-foot lazy river and the Bonanza Bluff family-friendly play structure. With the opening of the Wild Rock Golf Club last year, the resort has become a destination for golfers. Designed by the award-winning Hurdzan/Fry Environmental Golf Design firm, based in Columbus, Ohio, the course was named one of the top five new public courses of 2008 by Golf magazine. Other dry amenities include Dodge ’em City entertainment center — featuring the four-story interactive Timberland Play Park, the Northern Lights Arcade and the WildKids Club Activity room.
