We love going to Jellystone Parks. We’ve been to three different locations so far. We recently visited Birchwood acres with a number of our close friends and, overall, had a great time. The location is beautiful. Check in was very quick which was surprising as other locations we’ve visited took forever. Parking at the main office/store was very limited. So check in time was a little crazy in that area. Our cabin was in a nice, wooded spot and had a nice large deck. The interior needed some work and had an old, musty smell.
We visited the pool on several occasions. The large upper pool looked absolutely beautiful but we were quite surprised how frigidly cold it was. The Pool Attendant (no lifeguards) told us that the heater was broken. Speaking of lifeguards, there are staff members at the pool and the water zone. Their shirts say Pool Attendant and it didn’t seem as if they were certified lifeguards. One of the pool attendants sat in a shaded area looking at his phone for almost the entire time we spent at the pool that day.
The water zone, which was supposed to be the big deal for the 9 kids who were with us was a bit underwhelming as many of the water features didn’t work. The public bathrooms by the pool were very much in need of a deep cleaning.
On our last day, we watched our neighbors pack up and leave and a golf cart with two housekeepers show up. They got out of their cart, did not take ANY cleaning supplies with them and spent probably two minutes in the cabin before they locked the door and left. That was very concerning to see at the end of our stay. There’s an expectation of cleanliness when you rent a hotel room or a cabin.
Lastly, this really isn’t the fault of anyone in particular, but be aware that the lake, arcade and snack bar are across a public road. SOME cars slow down as they pass the campground, others were flying down this road. As much as we wanted to give our older kids freedom to explore, this part worked us.