Jellystone Park Columbus North: Where Fun and Adventure Collide!
Last week my family packed up the minivan and headed 45 minutes north to go camping. Yes, you read that right. I went camping. My kids were shocked. My husband was shocked. I was shocked. My husband and kids love to go camping and typically go several times a year so this was an elevated camping experience to my brand new experience. They have been trying to get me to go with them and I always refused until we found Jellystone Park Columbus North. Now I can’t wait to go back.
We arrived shortly after 4 pm on our first day and got started exploring right away. When we checked in they gave us a map and the keys to the cabin as well as the golf cart that we’d end up using a lot over the next few days. Check-in is located at the Ranger’s station which is also an enormous convenience store + gift shop. It has everything you could possibly need while camping plus so much more. Our kids liked stopping by for ice cream and other fun treats during our stay.
The cabin exceeded my expectations. It was clean and equipped with a refrigerator, microwave, stovetop, running water, and two bedrooms. One room had a queen size bed and the other had two sets of bunk beds. Perfect for our family of six. Outside, we had a nice-sized deck with a picnic table and a firepit nearby. We also rented a golf cart that fit all six of us (with seatbelts!!) and the kids LOVED IT! They’ve already asked my husband to buy one for all of the other times they go camping :)
Let’s get into all of the activities…
On the first day, we drove around to find all of the fun things we wanted to get into. We took the time to get comfortable with the area, get unpacked and settled, and create a game plan for the next few days. Around 8 pm Boo Boo Bear showed up at our cabin to tuck the kids in with some milk and cookies and a story. The kids LOVED it! When I asked about their favorite part of the entire trip this was at the top of each of their lists. You can add items like this to your stay through their website when you book your reservation or through the ranger station. Some add-ons are only offered on certain days so not everything is available all the time but you can see the list here.
When we woke up the next morning Cindy Bear brought us donuts and then we were quickly off to the train ride. I shared a little about this in my reel on Instagram but each day they have a train ride and a wagon ride - we did both and the kids even got the train to go around a second time :)
Once we were back from the train ride we got ready for water activities. I had brought lifejackets for the kids but because they are required on the lake (thankfully) we rented one for me and one for my husband. We’re pretty good swimmers but I’m glad we had them because chasing the kids around the obstacle course caused a few falls lol
The rest of our day was spent at the lake going down the huge water slide or playing on the obstacle course. We luckily had the course all to ourselves which helped but time moved so quickly that before I knew it 2.5 hours had passed. We decided to go grab some food and head to the pool for the rest of the afternoon before we had to be back at our cabin at 5 pm for the smores delivery.
I really enjoyed having dedicated times we had to be back at our cabin because it helped us make the most of our time there. This is completely optional though and you don’t have to choose these additional experiences and could have complete control over your schedule.
At 5 pm we were joined by Cindy Bear and Boo Boo as they delivered a basket full of everything you could possibly need for smores by the campfire. The rest of the night we spent time by the fire roasting marshmallows and playing games together as a family. While my husband was getting the baby to sleep I took the older kids to the activity center for a silent disco. Definitely a fun experience for all of us.
When we woke up the next morning I focused on packing up while my husband helped the kids cook breakfast over the fire. After a few rides on the golf cart as we said goodbye to the park, stopped by the ranger station for souvenirs, and then we were off. Headed home to see our pups and tell everyone about the experience we just had.
What questions do you have about Jellystone Park Columbus North? Leave them in the comments and I’ll try to respond quickly.
