Colorado Calling! Family Fun Awaits at Great Wolf Lodge

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fort makenzie at great wolf lodge colorado springs
Fort Mackenzie is a great place to start the day with some starter water slides before hitting the big thrill rodes. Photo credit: Liana Moore

Great Wolf Lodge is a wilderness themed family resort known for its extensive indoor water park. Located just south of Denver, Great Wolf Lodge Colorado Springs opened about five years ago. Even on snowy Colorado days, you can enjoy a waterpark. From wave pools and water slides to ropes courses and arcades, Great Wolf Lodge packs in a ton of family fun. Here’s what you need to know.

Great Wolf Lodge Colorado Springs offers a variety of family friendly rooms that sleep 5-9 people.  They have several delicious dining options, and they pride themselves on offering numerous gluten free and GMO-free choices.  Between the water park and Adventure Park, there’s endless entertainment right onsite.

story time at great wolf lodge colorado springs
Story time is held in the lobby area where beautiful mountain views can also be found. Photo credit: Liana Moore

Great Wolf Lodge Accommodations

If you stay on site at Great Wolf Lodge Colorado Springs, entrance to the fun indoor pool, waterslides and everything at the water park is included in your stay. And you can access it the entire day both on your check in and check out days.

It used to be that staying here was the only way to access the water park. But now, you can buy stand alone water park tickets and stay elsewhere. There’s so much more to do than just the water park, I personally think it makes sense to stay on property and make a vacation of it. But there are plenty of other Colorado Springs hotels if you choose to stay elsewhere and just enjoy the water park and Adventure Park with a day visit.

There are a variety of guest room types offered, from themed to standard or deluxe. If you have younger children, it may be worth it to splurge on the themed rooms like the Wolf Pup Den Suite. Older kids may not care quite so much about having their own bunk room. For them, the family suite should work well. Larger families may want to splurge on the Kid Cabin Suite or Junior Gray Wolf Suite. Most rooms have queen beds, bunk alcoves or sofa bed.

The themed rooms at Great Wolf Lodge will delight the younger kids. Photo credit: Great Wolf Lodge

The indoor water park is included free with your stay, as is a wolf ear headband for each child, that you pick up at the gift shop, story time, a fitness center and free WiFi/ internet access.  There is also free parking.

But there are many other fun things to do. This was the first Great Wolf Lodge to also have a dedicated “dry” adventure park, adding another layer of fun.

This Great Wolf Lodge location also has beautiful mountain views. These views are visible from some rooms, but also the lobby, conference center and two of the restaurants. We got to take in a pretty spectacular sunset on our last visit.

check in at great wolf lodge colorado springs
If you arrive early in the day, prior to check in, you can still get your wristbands at the front desk to access the waterpark all day long. Photo credit: Liana Moore

Check-In at Great Wolf

If you can, check-in early. The front desk will go ahead and give you your wrist bands which provide access to the water park and towels. You can also add the ability to charge to your room (or credit card on file) from the wristbands. This means that you don’t need to carry around a wallet.

If you plan on doing activities other than the waterpark, consider purchasing a Wolf Pass, Paw Pass or Pup Pass. These include a variety of activities that your kids will want to do while at the lodge.

What to Do at Great Wolf Lodge Colorado Springs

water slide exiting building at great wolf lodge colorado springs
The water slides at Great Wolf Lodge Colorado Springs actually run outside of the building. Photo credit: Liana Moore

Indoor Water Park

This is probably why you are here. This 50,000+ square foot indoor water park is fun year-round. It is much more than a swimming pool, with fun-filled water slides and other water attractions.

Some Great Wolf Lodges have lazy rivers and outdoor pools. Not this location. But that doesn’t mean there is any shortage of fun. There are plenty of thrilling slides and other fun water attractions for all ages. These are just a few of our favorite activities.

Alberta Falls

Alberta Falls can be ridden in either a dual or single inner tube.  Perfect amount of thrills to keep families coming back repeatedly, yet not-too-much thrill for a timid rider.

Howlin’ Tornado

This thrill ride wasn’t nearly as scary as I thought it would be. Two to four people ride on a four-person raft through large tubes and eventually get flushed out six stories later.

colorful water slides at Great Wolf Lodge
On your marks. Get set. SLIDE! Photo credit: Liana Moore

Mountain Edge Raceway

Compete against your friends and family in a speedy race on mats. Signs at the end show who makes it down the fastest. This was the ride that our family of ages nine to thirteen all enjoyed together.

Fort Mackenzie

This is treehouse with medium-sized water slides, water buckets and spray stations that’s great for all ages.

Fort MacKenzie Treehouse area. Photo credit: Liana Moore

Slap Tail Pond

This is the wavepool, which every age can enjoy. Our family spent time here both when the kids were little and then again on our more recent visit when they were older.

Whooping Hollow

This is the perfect playground for toddlers and young children. Small slides and other water features entertain the littles here.

Adventure Park at Great Wolf Lodge Colorado Springs

Great Wolf Lodge may be known for the splish spashin’ fun water park. But the Adventure
Park is just as fun.

Magiquest

Buy a wand, or a pass that includes one and adventure throughout the lodge on different quests to unlock treasure boxes. This is a great way to keep the kids entertained when other attractions may not be open. Even the older kids will enjoy waving their wand in front of a treasure chest to see it open.

magiquest at great wolf lodge
Magiquest wands open glowing treasure chests throughout Great Wolf Lodge Colorado Springs. Photo credit: Liana Moore

Howl in One Mini Golf

Who doesn’t love mini golf? Kids and adults alike enjoy playing this together. This is an indoor classic mini golf course, Great Wolf-themed.

Howler’s Peak Ropes Course

And last, our absolute favorite:  The Howler’s Peak Ropes Course!

This indoor, not-too-high version of a high ropes course was the biggest hit of our entire stay at Great Wolf Lodge.  I couldn’t get my kids to come down!  And fortunately, there is no maximum time limit.  They can stay up there and explore to their little heart’s content.

climbing wall and ropes course at great wolf lodge
Harness station for the Ropes Course and Climbing Wall at Great Wolf Lodge. Photo credit: Liana Moore

Oliver’s Mining Company

This picturesque, wood mining trough constructed in the center of the Adventure Park is more than just a scenic backdrop.  Purchase a pass to mine for gems at Oliver’s Mining Company, and receive a sifter trough to use, bag of sand filled with mystery gems and color chart to identify your prize finds.  You get to keep what you mine.

This was way more fun than we expected it to be. I was pleasantly surprised at how many beautiful, fascinating gems each bag produced.

northern lights arcade at great wolf lodge
Northern Light Arcade is an excellent place to entertain early-riser kids while you wait for the water park to open. Photo credit: Liana Moore

Northern Lights Arcade

Much more than a game room, Northern Lights Arcade is a cross between a Dave & Busters and Chuck E Cheese. There are lots of arcade games drawing the kids in with colorful lights. Tickets can be won at the games and then turned in for prizes.

Nightly Story Time

Every evening when the festivities start to wind down, families are welcomed in their PJs to the Grand Lobby area for story time.  With a kick-off show reminiscent of Disney’s Country Bear Jamboree, animatronic critters on stage warm things up by singing a couple of tunes.  Staff then follows this act up by reading from a giant story picture book, which also seemed to hold little one’s attention fairly well.

The whole affair takes place nightly, and although it primarily attracted younger ones, it was adorable and very fun.

Dining at Great Wolf Lodge Colorado Springs

Hungry as a Wolf

Located in the Adventure Park, visit Hungry as a Wolf for a casual pizza, pasta or salad.

Dunkin Donuts

While the kids are sure to want a donut, we also found Dunkin’ Donuts a great place to grab a breakfast sandwich and coffee early in the morning.

loose moost at great wolf lodge
Loose Moose is popular for breakfast. Photo credit: Liana Moore

Loose Moose

Loose Moose offers a breakfast buffet for a hearty start to the day. The dinner menu also offers a great variety for even the picky eaters in the family.

The Watering Hole

No need to leave the pool area for a drink. Open from noon to 7 p.m., drinks are available at this poolside bar. And, there’s a snack bar right outside of the pool area.

Barnwood

The Stanley Cup was happening during our visit. My husband found this as his go to place to catch some of the game.

great wolf lodge adventure park
The Great Wolf Lodge Adventure Park packs in a ton of fun. Photo credit: Liana Moore

Off Site Restaurants

The Northgate area of Colorado Springs, where Great Wolf is located, also boasts plenty of dining options. From Colorado’s first Whataburger to Torchy’s Tacos, there’s plenty nearby to please the entire family.

We saw many people rolling in coolers and their own food. And others picked up dinner from elsewhere and brought it in to enjoy in the public areas, often paired with a drink from one of the Great Wolf restaurants.

Other Things to Do in Colorado Springs

The Colorado Springs airport is convenient. But the Denver airport is also a reasonable drive away if you are coming from out of state.

Colorado Springs is a fun family destination in its own right. It is home to the Air Force Academy, Garden of the Gods and Pikes Peak. But families will also love the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. There is no shortage of fun free things to do with kids in Colorado Springs. So, make a vacation of it and explore the area while there.

Liana Moore lived overseas growing up, attending British public school for kindergarten in London. She then moved to Stavanger, Norway for nine years until age 15, growing up with friends of different cultures. Summers involved camps in Switzerland and Wales, plus USA time in East Texas and Minnesota. Liana sees things from others’ viewpoints, believing those experiences shaped the woman she is today. She’s instilling that empathy in her children, having fun along the way. Currently based in the mountains of Colorado, much of her time is spent exploring the Rocky Mountains. When she’s not marketing a resort property professionally, or traveling and writing, find her trying out new sports with her kids, like BMX biking, or debating with her teenager (and occasionally winning). Follow Liana’s adventures at Insider Families.
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