Wilderness Territory facts for kids

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Quick facts for kids
Hotel facts and statistics
Location	Lake Delton, Wisconsin
Coordinates	43°35′12″N 89°46′59″W / 43.58655°N 89.78294°W / 43.58655; -89.78294
Owner	Helland and Lucke families
No. of rooms	1,163

The Wilderness Hotel & Golf Resort is a huge water park resort located in Lake Delton, Wisconsin. It covers a massive area of about 240,000 square feet (22,000 m²), offering tons of fun for families! This resort is part of a larger group of resorts, with a smaller sister resort called Wilderness at the Smokies in Tennessee. The Wilderness family of resorts also includes four smaller outdoor water parks.

The Wilderness Story: A Family Adventure

The Wilderness Hotel & Golf Resort is owned and run by the Helland and Lucke families. These families are the grandsons and children of the original founder, Oliver “O.P.” Helland. O.P. Helland started the Riverview Boat Line way back in 1921. He was one of the first people to offer boat tours for sightseeing along the beautiful Wisconsin River.

O.P. Helland was a well-known person who helped his community and was a very successful business owner. He played a big part in making the area a top tourist spot in the Midwestern United States. He truly changed the local economy in The Dells forever!

After starting the boat line, O.P. Helland used his earnings from tourists to build a restaurant and several shops. He bought land near the river, and one of his busy properties was Hotel Helland. This hotel was right across from the local train station, which was a smart move! The busy location brought in lots of business travelers and vacationers.

In 1952, O.P. Helland's three children, Peter Helland Sr., Hans Helland, and Virginia Helland Lucke, took over the company. They are the parents and uncle of the current owners. Virginia managed the retail side of the business, while her brother Peter Sr. took on the bigger job of overseeing the company's daily operations.

Later, Tom Lucke, Virginia’s son, bought a motel called The Riviera when he was 28. This was his first step into the local hotel business. He changed the industry by combining indoor and outdoor water parks with comfortable places to stay.

In 1995, the Wilderness Hotel & Golf Resort opened its doors with 443 rooms. It was Tom Lucke’s fifth and most themed resort in The Dells tourist area. He also developed other resorts like the Polynesian Hotel, the Atlantis, the Bahama Bay, and the Caribbean Club resorts.

When it first opened in 1995, the Wilderness Hotel and Golf Resort had a 35,000 square foot (3,300 m²) water park called Fort Wilderness. In 1999, they added a second indoor water park, Klondike Kavern, and 60 more guest rooms.

In 2002, the resort opened the Wild West area of the hotel, which included 162 guest rooms. It also featured Dodge ‘Em City, a 30,000 square foot (2,800 m²) indoor play park with Timberland Playhouse and the Lake Wilderness outdoor water park. The Wild West Waterpark officially opened in 2003.

Also in 2003, a fancy resort with 108 condominiums, called Wilderness on the Lake, opened. It has Cubby's Cove, a 35,000 square foot (3,300 m²) indoor/outdoor water park with a special infinity pool that looks out over Lake Delton.

For its 10th anniversary in the summer of 2005, the Wilderness Hotel & Golf Resort added two exciting waterslides: the Hurricane and Black Hole.

In April 2006, the Wilderness opened its biggest indoor water park yet, the Wild WaterDome. This 70,000 square foot (6,500 m²) water park has a huge indoor wave pool, the Dueling Mammoths family raft ride, and a fun play area for toddlers. The water park also has a special roof that lets in UV rays, so people can even tan indoors! At this time, Fort Wilderness Waterpark, their first indoor water park, closed.

In July 2006, Glacier Canyon Lodge, the third Wilderness property, opened. It came with a 3.2-acre outdoor water park called the Lost World.

In 2008, the Wilderness introduced Wild Rock Golf Club, an 18-hole golf course. They also updated the Klondike Kavern water park.

In 2009, the Wilderness added three indoor, 3-D, blacklight mini-golf courses, an outdoor mini-golf course, go-karts, and a zip line adventure. They also opened Tombstone Town Haunted Hotel and Mineshaft Mirror Maze.

In 2010, all the guest rooms at the Wilderness Hotel & Golf Resort were renovated.

In 2012, the Wilderness opened the Northern Lights Sky Ropes Course in the Wild West area. The resort also added the Lunar Loop and Cosmic Drop Whitewater West Drop Slides at the Lost World Water Park.

In 2015, the Klondike Krash Water Slides were updated and became the Claim Jumper Challenge Water Slides. These were two dueling Whitewater West Slideboarding slides.

Today, the Wilderness Territory covers over 600 acres (2.4 km²) of land. It offers guests 1,163 places to stay across its three main properties: Wilderness Hotel & Golf Resort, Wilderness on the Lake, and Glacier Canyon Lodge. There are also Vacation Villas, Cabins, and New Frontier Condominiums. The resort has four indoor and four outdoor water parks, adding up to nearly 500,000 square feet (46,000 m²) of water fun! You can also find the Wild Rock Golf Club and the Wilderness Woods Par 3 Family Course here. A skywalk connects to the Glacier Canyon Lodge, and boats take guests to the Wilderness on the Lake Resort.

Wild Rock Golf Club

The Wild Rock Golf Club is an 18-hole championship course. It offers a challenging and fun experience for golfers of all skill levels.

Exploring the Resort Areas

New Frontier Area

This part of the resort looks like the forests and mountains of the Western United States. Its buildings are painted brown with green and black accents.

Fun Features in New Frontier

Klondike Kavern Indoor Waterpark

• This water park is 65,000 square feet (6,000 m²) in size.
• It opened in 1999 and has a Klondike theme.
• Claim Jumper Challenge (1999): Two 500 foot (150 m) tube slides that were updated in 2015 with Slideboarding.
  • These slides were known as Klondike Krash from 1999 to 2015.
• Mine Shaft (1999): Two fast body slides. One slide is for guests 150 pounds (68 kg) or less.
• Bonanza Brook (1999): A 500 foot (150 m) lazy river where you can relax and float.
• Bonanza Bluff (2007): A fun water play structure.
• The Hurricane (2005): A thrilling raft ride for 2–4 riders. It was originally an outdoor slide, but the funnel was covered later in 2005.
• Sulfur Springs (1999): Indoor and outdoor spas and pools.
• Kodiak Kanteen: A snack bar for quick bites.

Wild WaterDome Indoor Waterpark

• This is a huge 70,000 square foot (6,500 m²) indoor water park.
• It opened in 2006.
• It has a special transparent roof that lets in sunlight, so you can even tan indoors!
• The Great Wave (2004): A large indoor wave pool. It first opened outdoors as The Great Tsunami, and the Wild WaterDome was built around it.
• Mini-Mammoths Cove: A shallow play area for toddlers.
• The Dueling Mammoth (2006): Exciting racing family raft rides.
• Survivor's Bar & Grill and Wooly's Eatery: Places to grab food and drinks.
• Private cabanas are available for rent.
• Margarita's Swim-Up Bar (Summer 2014)

New Frontier Outdoor Waterpark

• This outdoor water park is 110,000 square feet (10,000 m²) and opened in 1996.
• Gold Rush Tube Slide (1998): A 400 foot (120 m) enclosed tube slide.
• Gold Rush Body Slide (1998): A mostly open body slide.
• Timber Falls Tube Slide (1996): A tube slide that starts from a 30-foot (9.1 m) tower.
• Prospector's Creek (1998): A 600 foot (180 m) lazy river.
• Toddler's Cove: A shallow play area.
• Banana Slides (1996): Short body slides for small children.
• New Frontier Springs: A large hot spa.
• Bear Foot Island Spray ground (2013): A fun area for children under 48 inches (120 cm) and their parents.
• Raccoon Saloon: A place for snacks.

New Frontier Atrium

• Wilder woods Arcade: A place to play arcade games.
• Wildwoods Go-Kart Trail (2014): A 525 foot (160 m) go-kart course.
• Take Flight (2020): A thrilling flying ride experience.
• Tommyknockers Bar, Wild Canyon Cafe, Fast Molly's Gift Shop, Survivor's Bar and Grille: Places to eat, drink, and shop.

Guestroom Area

• Polka Dot Pots: A pottery studio where children can create art.

Wild West Area

This area is designed to look like the American West in the 1800s. Its buildings are painted red with brown accents.

Fun Features in Wild West

Wild West Indoor Waterpark

• This water park is 70,000 square feet (6,500 m²) and opened in 2003.
• It has a Western gold mine theme.
• Fantastic Voyage (2003): A family raft ride.
• The Black Hole (2005): A single-rider, multi-sensory bowl slide. It was originally an outdoor slide before being covered in late 2005.
• High Plains Hot Springs: An indoor and outdoor spa.
• Grizzly's Grill and The Swimm'n Chick'n: Places to eat.
• The Twisted Trails Dueling Tube Slides and The Warped Wagons Dueling Mat Slide: Exciting racing slides.
• Ransack Ridge V2 (Opened October 1st, 2022): A new interactive water-play structure.
• Yeehaw's Watering Hole: A swim-up bar.

Lake Wilderness Outdoor Waterpark

• This outdoor water park is 40,000 square feet (3,700 m²).
• Rafter's Rage Tube Slide (2002): A 300 foot (91 m) tube slide.
• Rafter's Rage Body Slide (2002): A 220 foot (67 m) body slide.
• Lil' Chutes Banana Slides (2002): Two side-by-side body slides for little ones.
• A children's wading pool with interactive water features.
• Island Pool: A 13,000 square foot (1,200 m²) lazy lake with lounging areas.
• A lap pool and water basketball.
• A fun lily pad obstacle walk.
• A volleyball pool.
• Hot spas.
• Mackinac Tap & Snack Shack and Midway Macs Outdoor Grill: Places to eat.
• 9 private poolside cabanas are available for rent.

Wild West Area - Dodge 'Em City

• Northern Lights Arcade (2002): A large arcade with many games.
• Northern Lights Ropes Course (2012): An exciting ropes course above the arcade.
• Timberland Play Park (2002): A children's play structure.
• Wild Abyss Mini-Golf (2009): An indoor, glow-in-the-dark mini-golf course. It was updated in 2020.
• Lost Cabin Lazer Tag Arena (2020): A fun laser tag game.
• Clip 'N Climb Challenge Walls (2019): Climbing walls for all skill levels.
• Pistol Pete's Ice Cream (2004), Thirsty Buffalo Bar And Grill, Candy Cabin, OP's Marketplace, The Trading Post, Giddy-Up Pub: Places to eat, shop, and relax.

Guestroom Area

• Fitness Center: A place to exercise.

Wilderness on the Lake

Wilderness on the Lake is a fancy resort with 108 condominiums. It has a 35,000 square foot (3,300 m²) indoor/outdoor water park called Cubby's Cove. This water park features a pool that looks out over Lake Delton. This area is connected to the main resort by a 10-minute shuttle bus ride all year round, and a ferry service in the summer. It's designed to be appealing to young adults with small children.

Cubby's Cove Waterpark

• This indoor/outdoor water park is 35,000 square feet (3,300 m²).
• It opened in 2003.
• Cubby's Cove (2003): A fun water play structure for kids.
• Indoor and outdoor hot spas.
• Water basketball pool and a water walk.
• Vanishing Edge Lagoon (Outdoor): A beautiful infinity pool.
• A shallow play and spray area for small children (Outdoor).

Glacier Canyon Lodge

Glacier Canyon Lodge is the newest of the three Wilderness properties. It's a condominium resort with 460 units. It has an outdoor water park called Lost World, which includes an interactive river, three hot tubs, activity pools, and Halley's Comet Racers. This area also features a 55,661 square foot (5,171.2 m²) Conference Center, a huge arcade, go-karts, and nature trails.

Fun Features at Glacier Canyon Lodge

Lost World Outdoor Waterpark

• This is the largest outdoor water park at Wilderness Resort, covering 3.2 acres (1.3 ha).
• It opened in 2006 and has a dinosaur theme.
• Lost World Adventure River (2006): An interactive lazy river.
• Halley's Comet Racers (2007): A four-lane mat racing slide.
• Fossil Falls (2006): A play-and-spray structure with a 750-gallon (2,800 L) tipping bucket.
• Crocodile Cove (2006): An island pool perfect for lounging.
• Dino Mania (2006): An area with water basketball, a lily pad water walk, and two sport slides.
• 15 private, poolside cabanas are available for rent.
• Lunar Loop (2012): A 5-story slide with launch capsules.
• The Cosmic Drop (2012): A 5-story body slide with launch capsules.
• Three outdoor hot spas.
• The Big Dig Restaurant, Dinosaur Crossing Restaurant, T-Rex Retreat, Jurassic Joe's: Places to eat.

Outdoor Area

• Go-Karts and Kiddie-Karts (2009): Fun racing for all ages.
• Jurassic outdoor mini-golf (2009): A dinosaur-themed mini-golf course.
• Wyndham outdoor pool.
• Jurassic Journey Nature Trail: A trail to explore nature.
• Lost Canyon Zipline (2009): An exciting zip line adventure.
• Picnic area.
• Lost Canyon Carriage Tours: Private carriage rides.

GCL Conference Center

• A large Conference Center for events.
• Bean Bodega Coffee Shop: A place to grab coffee.
• Convenience store.

Wyndham Lobby

• Canyon Ridge Tap Room And Restaurant: A place to eat and drink.
• Campside Coffee Shop: Another coffee shop.

Dining Outlets

• Field's Premier Steakhouse: A steakhouse located on Wilderness property.
• Sarento's Italian Restaurant: An Italian restaurant a short shuttle bus ride away.
• Monk's At The Wilderness restaurant: A private restaurant advertised as part of the resort.

Getting Around: Wilderness Transportation System

The Wilderness Resort has a shuttle bus system with three different lines to help guests get around:

• Blue Line: Travels between the main campus and Wilderness On The Lake.
• Red Line: Connects the main campus with Sundara Inn And Spa, Wild Rock Golf Course, Wilderness Condos, and Wilderness Vacation Villas.
• Green Line: Runs between the main campus, Glacier Canyon Lodge, and Wyndham Glacier Canyon, making many stops on the main campus.

In addition to the buses, the Wilderness Territory also offers a ferry service called the Wilderness Water Shuttle during the summer. This ferry travels between the Wild Rock Golf Course, Wilderness On The Lake, and two other harbors on Lake Delton.