Located on picturesque Lake Teedyuskung in Pennsylvania’s Pocono Mountains, Woodloch Resort has long been known as one of the country’s most family-friendly resorts. A recent winner of Good Housekeeping’s 2023 Family Travel Award and voted the top family resort in the U.S. by USA Today, Woodloch offers a generous mix of activities, all-inclusive dining, live musical performances and shows and so much more.
My family recently spent a weekend at the sprawling resort. It had been a while since we visited an all-inclusive with activities and I worried my teenagers (my son just turned 16 and my daughter’s 13) would be over it. I couldn’t have been more wrong. With more than 30 activities to choose from, my kids were making lists of what they wanted to do with the goal of packing in as much as possible.
A Warm Welcome
We arrived at Woodloch on a Friday night just in time for dinner. One of the nicest things about Woodloch is that homey feeling you get while you’re there and the dining room overlooking the lake lies at the heart of that. If you sign up for the meal plan, you’ll be seated at the same table for breakfast, lunch and dinner with the same server who gets to know you and your crew. Connie, our server, was so friendly and went above and beyond to make sure my kids got nut-free options they liked to accommodate their food allergies.
Members of the Kiesendahl family are often there (the resort has been family owned since 1958) to greet guests in the dining room and we even got a glimpse of a Ron Burgundy look-alike who came by to say hello and ask us how our stay was going. Beef tenderloin, walnut and rosemary encrusted salmon and four cheese ravioli were on the dinner menu along with strawberry Moscato tiramisu for dessert. Breakfast/brunch is our favorite meal and the options here do not disappoint. The menu choices and portions are generous. If you don’t get a meal plan, The Grille Room and Lake Bar are both great options, among others.
We stayed in a spacious one-bedroom suite with two queen-size beds, two full bathrooms, a living room area with a pull-out couch, a balcony, a huge walk-in closet area for everyone’s bags, a fridge, microwave and coffee machine. It’s a lot more comfortable than a hotel room and offers all the space you need without having to splurge on a house. For our family of four, the setup was ideal. There are also larger suites with a full kitchen and guest homes if you’re traveling with a bigger group. Woodloch is a favorite destination for extended family unions, milestone birthdays, anniversaries and more occasions where bigger accommodations are necessary.
Every morning at Woodloch begins with a double-sided sheet of activities to help you plan your day. There’s also an app you can download that links to daily activities, food and drink options at the resort, swimming, spa treatments at the neighboring adults-only Lodge at Woodloch luxury spa and more.
So Many Activities
The wide range of activities on-site and serene setting is what truly sets Woodloch apart. My son has always wanted to try disc golf so we began our day at a 9-hole disc golf course with our discs in hand. Still getting the lay of the land, we took a bus there. Buses run all day long and drivers go out of their way to guide you to where you want to go. After nine holes of disc golf and lots of steps, I managed to improve my distance shots. That’s part of the fun at Woodloch. It makes you feel like a kid again, excited to try something new and get better at it.
Next, we hit the lake for some kayaking and paddle boating. With two-and-a-half miles of Lake Teedyuskung, it felt so peaceful to be on the water. After boating, we sat at the lakeside bar with a Summer Shandy before heading to a BBQ (also part of our meal plan). This was our favorite meal for the laid-back outdoor picnic setup. There were burgers, hot dogs, vegetarian-friendly sandwiches, salads, ice cream sandwiches, watermelon and so much more. If you get the meal plan at Woodloch, you’ll never be hungry.
Next up, we hit the climbing wall for a race to see who would get to the top first. We rode the Viper Go-Carts, practiced shooting at the archery range, tried paintball and the shooting barn (an extra fee applies for this) and shot some hoops before dinner.
Saturday Night Fun
Saturday nights at Woodloch are extra special because of the live entertainment. This is your night to get dressed up and take a family portrait (an extra fee applies) since a Woodloch photographer is on-site. My kids decided to play Bingo, a vacay favorite, while my husband and I watched a Broadway-style theme show called “California Dreamin.” This was pure fun and featured countless songs you know the words to, from an Eagles tribute band to covers of songs by Harry Styles and Lady Gaga to oldies like The Ronettes, The Carpenters and Nancy Sinatra. There was also a mini performance of Disney’s “Encanto.”
After the show, we stayed for standup comedy by Steve Shaffer, whose family-friendly humor got the kids involved. His set got funnier as the night went on with jokes about married life, dog ownership and hilarious impersonations. This was our favorite part of the night’s entertainment. Saturday night options also included a magic show and movie viewings. The indoor pool is open until 10 and game rooms are open until 1 am. It’s hard to believe how much active fun and entertainment we packed into a single day here.
Most activities are included with your stay. There are also bumper boats, mini golf, scavenger hunts, indoor and outdoor pools, a jacuzzi and waterskiing on the lake. Hanging at the outdoor pool area was the most relaxing part of our day. You can also take a guided pontoon boat tour. In the winter, there’s ice skating, hockey and tubing. Woodloch offers a lot for younger kids, too, including an adventure playground with a climbing wall, rope bridges and balance beams. There’s also an outdoor playground at the lake, an indoor forest playground and junior go-carts. Scheduled activities range from art and jewelry making to Woodloch’s Family Olympic Games, a Wheel of Fortune contest and an ’80s-style carnival with games, contests and prizes.
There are also tennis, bocce and pickleball courts. Playing pickleball turned out to be one of our favorite parts of the weekend because we could play doubles as a family and came home wanting to keep playing together. If you’re a parent of teenagers, you know how rare and special this is. That’s also part of what makes Woodloch such a unique place. Your teens will actually want to do fun, active things with you. Really. We were having so much fun that we put our phones down and truly connected as a family. Our weekend getaway felt like it was a lot longer because we did so much. We can’t wait to go back and make more memories.
Woodloch Pines Resort
731 Welcome Lake Rd
Hawley, PA
Rates vary. Two-bedroom suite rates start at $249 per adult for a midweek stay and $325 per adult for the weekend.
Watch an Instagram reel of the activities at Woodloch!
Read More:
Here’s What’s New at Disney in 2023
History Buffs and Foodies Will Love Asheville, North Carolina
Visit Cape May’s Beaches and Victorian Houses
Your Next Family Trip Should Be To Nashville
Teach Your Kids the Benefits of Traveling
