We just got back from spending Labor Day weekend at Woodloch Resort in Pennsylvania. We had never been to the Poconos before or that area of PA, and it was our first time at Woodloch. A colleague turned me onto the resort and insisted we give it a try, and we were lucky enough to get to spend Labor Day weekend there and experience what I can only describe as family camp. Giving off the Dirty Dancing resort vibes, Woodloch is such a fun place to come with your family. It would actually be the perfect place to go with extended family for a family reunion, and there were a lot of families doing just that. I thought this might be one of America’s best kept secrets but after sharing about it on Insta, it seems Woodloch has a cult following and I can see why. If you’re looking to spend quality time with your family without having to worry about planning activities or meals or driving around and finding things to do and hoping it’s a hit with your kids, Woodloch is the perfect place for your vacation. I have spoken to people who love it in the fall and wintertime, and I’m sure they do just as an amazing of a job but my Woodloch Resort review will focus mostly on summertime since that’s when we went.
The Accommodations
Everything has a very low-key camp type feel to it, including the rooms. The rooms are unfussy with a charming lake house aesthetic. Our suite had two rooms — one with a pullout couch and the other with two beds, so it was a perfect setup for us and the kids. We put the big kids on the pullout and then slept in the bedroom with Brooks. We had a cute little balcony that overlooked the lake and pool and we were conveniently located by the pool and just a couple minutes walk to the main dining area.
The Meal Plan
Of course, I need to talk about the food in my Woodloch Resort review, because feeding your family on vacation can be such a headache and Woodloch takes that away with their meal plan option. The resort offers a bunch of on-site dining options, which is mission critical because there really isn’t anything for miles. We were on the meal plan (which you don’t have to do but I think I’d recommend). I liked the meal plan because we didn’t have to worry about figuring out what to eat/where to go and it kept us on a bit of a schedule with almost built in breaks for meals which is nice. If you’re on the meal plan, you eat in the main dining lodge for all your meals. Each meal has about a two-hour window so you can show up anytime during then and you’re seated at the same table and then there’s a menu that changes daily that you can order from. I love that it forces you to sit down as a family for every meal. It’s not easy with kids our age to do that but I thought it was really good practice and we didn’t bring ipads or anything so we could spend the time talking and practicing manners and just bonding. We don’t get to do that at home enough because the kids eat so early. The kids got to practice ordering and trying different foods but there were plenty of kid-friendly options on the menu and every meal comes with fruit or salad, an appetizer and/or bread and dessert. The adults menu has a great variety that Andrew and I were both pleased with and the breakfast crumb cake is to die for. Alcoholic drinks and specialty cocktails are extra but juice and soft drinks are included in the meal plan, which is always nice. On one of the days, they had a traditional cookout bbq outside for lunch and that was one of the highlights. Our kids loved it and it was really fun. It felt like the perfect Labor Day bbq but we didn’t have to do any of the cooking or clean up, so a total win. There’s a coffee shop, ice cream stand (Harry’s – so good!), pizza you can have delivered, sports bar, concession stands by the water and pools, and more that you can go to for meals if you’re not on the plan.
The Activities
Woodloch really feels like an enormous summer camp or camp campus. There are so many facilities and things to do but it’s all completely walkable. They also offer a shuttle that goes all over the property on a loop, so it’s perfect if your kids aren’t up for walking or you’re with grandparents or you’re just feeling tired. Each day, there is a lineup of new activities for the morning, afternoon and evening. They include everything from scavenger hunts to family olympics and sports games and competitions to petting zoos and magic shows. Some you have to sign up for on the app and some you can just show up for. And then on top of that, they have a list of activities that you can just show up for: bumper boats and cars, go karts, climbing wall, water skiing, sailing, pedal boats, kayaks, paddle boarding, water slide, indoor and outdoor water parks and pools, indoor and outdoor play areas and jungle gyms, mini golf, tennis, regular golf, and more. You will absolutely not run out of things to do. We spent a lot of time at the kiddie pools and water parks, the boats on the lake, mini golf and playgrounds and then doing the go karts, bumper boats, and playgrounds, both indoor and out. They also have a kids club and crafts. It’s not drop off – the idea is you bond as a family but you can certainly sit down and relax while your kids do some of the activities and there are staff leading it all.
I liked that breakfast, lunch and dinner broke up the activities and gave us a chance to come inside and cool off after doing a few activities. There were never long lines but there were tons of other little kids so our kids got to play with other families while we were there, which was fun too.
Overall Woodloch Resort Review
Overall, we had a really fun weekend. It was exhausting but I’m not sure any trip with kids isn’t exhausting, and we got to do so much bonding and have really fun new experiences with so little effort on our part. If we had gone anywhere else, we would have had to drive to mini golf, book go karting and drive there, find restaurants to eat at and hope our children didn’t get us kicked out, bring all our gear to the pool or beach etc. But this is all there for you and set up. Woodloch is so family-friendly and truly designed for families to have fun together and bond. I could see it being a really great place to take your kids as they get older and are less interested in hanging out with you – they would love the activities, evening entertainment, and I think it’s one of those places where parents can be fun and silly and that’s usually what I think our kids want and need most from us and we rarely get to give them.
Let me know if you have any questions or if there is anything I left out of my Woodloch Resort review that you’re curious about. I feel so lucky to have had the chance to experience this special spot, and it’s really a fun place to spend with your family.
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