Grand Bear Falls Indoor Waterpark
Overview
Expert Summary
Detailed Insights
Primarily a budget-friendly option for families with young children looking for a convenient, local indoor waterpark experience, particularly if staying at the connected lodge where waterpark access may be included. Its main appeal is the presence of water attractions like a wave pool, lazy river, and slides, which can entertain kids for a short visit.
Key Highlights
- ✓Features a zero-entry wave pool, waterfalls, and a lazy river.
- ✓Includes a yellow family slide and two larger slides (body slide, innertube slide).
- ✓Dedicated tot play area with a kiddy pool and slide for babies/toddlers.
- ✓On-site arcade provides additional entertainment for kids.
- ✓Cafe offers paninis, breakfast foods, and ice cream.
- ✓Wristbands for waterpark access may be included with room purchase at the lodge.
Standout Features
- ⭐On-site arcade.
- ⭐Cafe with a variety of food options (paninis, breakfast, ice cream).
- ⭐Zero-entry wave pool.
- ⭐Lazy river.
- ⭐Yellow family slide.
- ⭐Tot play area for very young children.
- ⭐Proximity to home for local visitors (Review 5).
Perfect For
Ideal For
💡Pro Tips from Reviews
- →Strongly consider bringing your own towels, as waterpark towels are tiny and run out quickly (Review 2).
- →Be prepared for dirty and poorly stocked locker room bathrooms (e.g., no toilet paper, only two flushing toilets) (Review 2).
- →Do not expect to store valuables; there are no lockers in the locker room, so bring all possessions to your table (Review 2).
- →Pack a cooler with your own food and drinks, despite 'no outside food' signs, as the cafe may be closed and others openly bring in coolers (Review 2).
- →Confirm specific slide and attraction operating hours *before* your visit, especially for Saturday mornings, as attractions may not open until 4 PM (Review 1, 4).
- →Do not expect proactive assistance from staff; be prepared to ask for all necessary information (Review 4).
- →Limit your stay to 1-2 days at most due to the overall condition and limited fully functional amenities (Review 4).
- →Avoid the hot tub due to severe cleanliness concerns and potential health risks (Review 1).
- →Monitor yourself and your children for burning eyes, coughing, or skin irritation, as poor air/water quality is a reported issue (Review 2).
Things to Consider
- ⚠Severe cleanliness issues: filthy windows, black scum on pool floor/sides, mold on walls, piles of sand/scuzzy grout in hot tub, dead beetle floating in hot tub, bandaid in hot tub, dirty bathrooms with mold in showers (Review 1, 2, 3).
- ⚠Significant health risks due to water/air quality: legs burning/itching after hot tub, reported sinus infection, burning eyes, horrendous choking cough, diagnosed chlorine cough/airway irritation from excessive chloramines (Review 1, 2).
- ⚠Poor maintenance and dilapidated conditions: Rust on splash tower and other fixtures/slides, splash tower looks like 'one tetanus case from being condemned', everything appears 'broken or on the verge of breaking', stained furniture in rooms, ripped off walls (Review 2, 3, 4).
- ⚠Unreliable operating hours: Slides, lazy river, wave pool, and waterfalls may not be turned on until 4 PM, even on a Saturday (Review 1, 4).
- ⚠Subpar water temperature: Water described as 'cold', 'freezing throughout', and 'chilly', despite a posted temperature of 83° (Review 1, 2, 4).
- ⚠Inadequate locker room facilities: Only one bench, two sinks, four bathrooms, and a few showers; bathrooms often filthy with only two flushing toilets and no toilet paper; no actual lockers available (Review 2).
- ⚠Poor staff engagement: Young teenage staff on phones, chatting; front desk staff not eager to assist and makes guests feel like an inconvenience (Review 1, 4).
- ⚠Overwhelming noise level: Packed on Friday night with screaming children, water dumping, waterfalls, and wave pool alarms making conversation difficult (Review 1).
- ⚠Potential for injury: Body slide was painful and forced water up nose; racked ankle on innertube slide; rough bottom for baby feet and multiple white grates create tripping hazards in tot play area (Review 1, 2).
- ⚠Resort-wide issues if staying overnight: Failing utilities (broken/barely working heat/AC), non-functional Wi-Fi, other amenities (like the main resort swimming pool/hot tub) also reported as dirty/broken (Review 3).
Price & Value
Described as 'kind of cheap, but not cheap enough,' suggesting that while prices may be lower, the value for money is poor due to the severe lack of maintenance, cleanliness, and operational issues. Wristbands are included with the purchase of a room, which can be seen as a value if the primary purpose is the waterpark and you accept the condition of the rooms. Expect potential hidden costs like having to buy new towels or being unable to use included amenities.
♿Accessibility & Special Needs
- •No specific comprehensive accessibility accommodations mentioned.
- •The wave pool features a zero-entry design, which can be beneficial for some mobility needs (Review 2).
- •Access to the two big slides requires a 'wooden staircase,' indicating potential limitations for some guests (Review 1).
- •The tot play area has a 'rough bottom' and 'multiple white grates that create tripping hazards,' which could be problematic for those with mobility issues or sensitive feet (Review 2).
🍎Food & Drink Policy
- •Signs are posted stating 'no outside food and drink.'
- •However, the on-site cafe may not always be open, and reviewers noted that many guests openly brought in coolers and snacks anyway (Review 2).
- •The cafe does offer snacks, drinks, paninis, breakfast items, and ice cream (Review 2, 4).
🚗Parking Info
- •Not explicitly detailed, but access to the waterpark is in the basement of a lodge, implying lodge parking is available, though no specific details on cost or capacity were provided.
👥Crowd Levels
- •Can be 'packed' and 'overwhelming' on a Friday night around 8 PM (Review 1).
- •Even when attractions are off, 'plenty of kids playing' on Saturday mornings (Review 1).
🛡️Safety Features
- •Staffed by 'young teenagers on their phones, chatting with each other' (Review 1), suggesting potential lack of active supervision.
- •Wristbands are used for entry (Review 1).
- •Significant safety concerns exist due to severe cleanliness issues (black scum, mold, dirty water), reported air/water quality problems causing illness, and dilapidated structures like the rusty splash tower (Review 1, 2).
- •Tripping hazards from 'rough bottom' and 'white grates' in the tot play area (Review 2).
⏰When to Avoid
- • If you prioritize cleanliness, hygiene, or safety from waterborne illnesses/respiratory irritation (Review 1, 2).
- • If you have high expectations for maintenance, fully functional amenities, or modern facilities (Review 1, 2, 3, 4).
- • Saturday mornings and early afternoons, as most water attractions may be closed until 4 PM (Review 1).
- • Friday nights if sensitive to loud noise levels and extreme crowding (Review 1).
- • If you require attentive customer service or staff supervision (Review 1, 4).
- • If you have babies with sensitive feet, due to the rough bottom and tripping hazards in the tot play area (Review 2).
- • If you are staying more than 1-2 nights, as the experience quickly declines (Review 4).
- • If you expect working Wi-Fi or reliable room utilities during an overnight stay (Review 3).
Pricing/Package/Events
Pricing & Packages
Birthday Party Package
Celebrate your Birthday in style at Grand Bear Resort. All packages include up to 10 guests. Price breakdown and specific package inclusions (beyond the Game Zone upgrade) are not detailed in the provided content.
Includes:
- •Up to 10 guests
Game Zone Upgrade (Birthday Party)
Duration: Additional 60 mins. in suite
Elevate your event to a new level of entertainment and excitement with Game Zone. With the Game Zone upgrade, your party guests can play, battle or build their way through our exciting game library!
Includes:
- •Additional 60 mins. in suite
- •4X 55+ inch TV’s
- •3X Xbox Gaming Stations
- •6X Gamer Chairs
Events & Schedule
Special Events(Last 2 months - Next 6 months)
Birthday Parties
Year-round (assumed, as no specific dates mentioned)
Packages include up to 10 guests (specific prices not listed, but Game Zone upgrade available).
Celebrate your Birthday in style at Grand Bear Resort. All packages include up to 10 guests. Game Zone upgrade available with additional time, TVs, Xbox stations, and gamer chairs.
🍎Food Policy
- • No outside food or beverage is permitted in the waterpark.
🛡️Safety Policy
- • Must be 16 years of age or older to enter the hot tub.
- • Must be 48" or taller to ride the tube/body slides.
What People Say
What's Great
- Fun and entertaining activities (mentioned in 2 reviews)
- Spacious play areas (mentioned in 6 reviews)
Areas for Improvement
- Can get crowded during peak times (mentioned in 2 reviews)
- Parking can be challenging (mentioned in 2 reviews)
Recent Reviews
Analise Potts
4 months agoThis place has so much potential, but is sorely missing the mark. A view of the waterpark room is available through dirty windows in the main lobby. All windows in the waterpark room were filthy.. Access is in the basement of the lodge. Upon exiting the elevator, a small arcade is available without an entry fee. You enter the waterpark room through a locker room with showers and toilets. The waterpark has plenty of chairs and tables around the edge. However, the waterpark itself is DISGUSTING. I've never seen a Waterpark this filthy. From the windows to the walls to the pools, the whole thing needs to be drained, power washed, scubbed down and disinfected. Black scum coats the pool floor and side while mold grows openly on the parks' walls. The heart-shaped hot tub has piles of sand on the floor and brown scuzzy grout, which is probably coated with 30 years worth of thousands of peoples dead sluffed skin. My legs started burning and itching within minutes of being in it and a dead beetle floated by, (I wouldn't have gone in except I was the guest of a friend and didn't want to be an ahole). This place closes at 9 and was packed at 8:00 pm on a Friday night. The volume was overwhelming; between the echos of screaming children, water dumping, waterfalls pouring and the beeping alarm of the wave pools, chatting in the crowded hot tub was difficult. There's a kiddy pool with a kiddy slide for babys, and a yellow slide into the wave pool that was packed with young kids. The wave pool connects to the lazy river through a double waterfall and a wooden staircase leads up to the two big slides. One is a body slide, and one uses an innertube. The body slide was painful to me, and forced a bunch of that nasty water up my nose, the innertube one was more enjoyable, but I still racked my ankle going down. These tube's go outside of the building but the ride down is mostly in the dark. It would be cool if you could see outside. These slides shoot you into a pool that feeds into the lazy river. The wristbands came with the purchase of our room and were good for Friday and Saturday. When we returned to the waterpark on Saturday at 11, nothing was on. The lazy river wasn't moving, the slides were closed, the water was cold and the wave pool wasn't in action. (There were still plenty of kids playing, running either way up and down around the lazy river but it wasn't as loud) The waterfalls were off and The hot tub had part of a bandaid in it. We learned that nothing gets turned on until 4 pm. On a Saturday! We live 3 hours away and weren't sticking around till then .. If we hadn't rushed down on friday night we wouldn't have gotten to experience anything other than the cruddy hot tub. The Waterpark is staffed with young teenagers on their phones, chatting with each other and drinking slushies. At least I hope that was slushy on the floor. I'm sure kids would love this place, but I wouldn't let a child in that water. Update: Two days later and I now have a sinus infection. Don't go in this cesspool.
Amber Williams
a month agoHotel rated separately from waterpark. Waterpark 2 out of 5: Bring your own towels or get the waterpark towels and make sure to hang them to dry. The waterpark towels are tiny and once they run out, they’re out. “Locker Rooms” consisted of one bench, two sinks, four bathrooms, and a few showers. When we used the lockers rooms, the waterpark had only been open for 3 hours and the bathrooms were already filthy. Only two of the toilets flushed. None had toilet paper so can’t imagine all the people going #2 then hopping back in the water. Mold in the showers. Oh and not to mention there are no lockers in the locker room so you’ll need to bring all your possessions to the table with you. As soon as you enter the waterpark, you’re hit with the chlorine. Been to plenty of indoor waterparks and I get there’s a normal amount of chlorine but our eyes all started burning immediately. By about six hours at the waterpark, everyone in our group had developed this horrendous choking cough. The adults recovered from it fairly quickly (overnight) but after 3 days I brought my kids to the doctor and they said chlorine cough and airway irritation from the excessive amount of chloramines in the air. Would’ve loved to have seen a water quality or air quality report for that day. Signs posted all over the place that no outside food and drink can be brought in but you can purchase snacks and drinks at the waterpark cafe. Cafe wasn’t open and everyone was bringing in coolers, snacks, you name it. So I guess that’s my fault for not preparing a cooler ahead. All pictures posted on their website of the waterpark after likely from the day they opened. The kids splash tower is really just like an outdoor playground that only has water running on it when the giant bucket drops water on it. Some serious maintenance needs to be done on that thing including an overhaul with rust-proof screws. It honestly looks like it’s about one tetanus case from being condemned. Redeeming qualities for the waterpark are zero entry wave pool, waterfalls, lazy river, and the yellow family slide. The tot play area was nice as well but an extremely rough bottom for gentle baby feet with multiple white grates that create tripping hazards (I would imagine that this is extra filtration for that pool though). Water was freezing throughout the facility though! Their posted temperature was 83° for the water but there was no way in h3ll. Maybe an extremely cold day in h3ll…
Ryan Sullivan
11 months agoBasically, this is a resort that has completely stopped investing in improving itself. It seems like everything is broken or on the verge of breaking. Will not be around for much longer. Pros: Kind of cheap, but not cheap enough. Cons: 1. Room condition: The rooms at Grand Bear Resort were OK. The furniture was stained and dilapidated, all three of our outdoor chairs had huge toilet-sized holes in them, things were ripped off the wall and not patched. It was clear that the rooms had not been properly cleaned or maintained in years. I don’t think we had bedbugs like we’ve seen others claim (we checked!). 2. Failing utilities: The utilities at Grand Bear Resort were a complete disaster. The heat and air conditioning was either broken or barely working, leaving us sweltering in the heat. And the Wi-Fi? Nope. Forget about it. It was like trying to connect to the internet with a potato. 3. Amenities: The amenities at Grand Bear Resort were a joke. The swimming pool was murky and reeked of chlorine, and the hot tub was so dirty that I wouldn't have wanted to get in even if it was working. The slide was not working with no notification to us, and apparently hadn’t worked for at least a week. 4. Customer service: The customer service at Grand Bear Resort was just as terrible as everything else. They weren’t rude, but they clearly were embarrassed about the state of their resort. Overall, I would strongly advise against staying at Grand Bear Resort. It was like they had given up on trying to make the place even remotely decent.
Amanda Kryska
10 months agoMy sister and I took our four young kids here for spring break for a night recently. The kids had fun in the pool and arcade area, and the cafe had great paninis, breakfast foods, and ice cream. I was overall pretty disappointed in the customer service. There was no eagerness to assist the guests at the front desk…almost like I had to ask them for information instead of them just providing it for me…I also felt like I was being an inconvenience for asking them basic questions. Definitely not the level of service you would expect from a place like this. The pool area seemed outdated, lots of rust on the fixtures and slides. The wave pool was also not open at the expected 4pm time as advertised, so my 8 year old nephew was very disappointed, especially since we only stayed for one night. Pool water was also very chilly. Overall, we had a decent time and made some good memories but sadly we won’t be returning. I would recommend no more than a 1-2 day stay.
Betsy Stalker
6 months agoMy husband and I brought our granddaughter for the day. It's my husband's and my first time here. It's a great place to bring the kids for the day or anytime. We will definitely be coming back again as it's close to home, that's what I love about it!!