We just got back from a weekend at Camelback Resort and Aquatopia. It was a birthday gift we got for Tommy who requested nothing for his birthday but “a night in a hotel with his family that had a cool indoor pool”. When we left he said it was the “best gift ever”. So if you are looking for a really cool experience gift Camelback Resort would be perfect.

The night before Tommy’s birthday I went on Camelback’s website and listed out some of the fun things we would do. I put a bow on it and gave it to him on his birthday. He loved reading it aloud to his siblings that would be joining the adventure!

Camelback Resort is 90 minutes from NYC in the Poconos. It’s so easy to get to right off of route 80. We left after school on a Friday and we were up there in time to get dinner and enjoy the resort that night.

Experience Gift: Camelback Resort

Indoor Activities at Camelback Resort

Because there are so many indoor activities, there is really no bad time of year to go to Camelback Resort. You could easily spend a weekend enjoying what’s inside.

We started out at Graffiti Pizza. It’s a cool spot down near the arcade where you pick toppings and create your own personal size pizza. There’s fun, decor and it’s a easy spot for a meal.

Next we enjoyed the arcade. This is the biggest, best arcade we’ve seen in a hotel. It was also super clean. Everything is on the game cards from tokens to play the games, tokens to do the other indoor activities and then your “tickets” to redeem for prizes.

As a parent, I tend to dread the end of the arcade time where the kids huddle around the glass counter to pick out what prizes they want… at Camelback there is a store! It’s inside the arcade but wide open and set up like a little store. The kids can clearly see what each item “costs” with their tickets and they scan the game card to see what they can “spend” and then use it to “pay”. This was a major highlight for the kids!

Next we went up a level to try out the indoor ropes course. This was COOL. Tommy had been waiting to see this since I listed it on his birthday gift and it was bigger and better than he imagined. All four kids were tall enough but Miles opted to do some of the other games in that area (riding a motorcycle and basketball with Dad).

You can grab drinks at the nearby coffee + bar and there are seats to sit and enjoy your drink while the kids climb and balance overhead.

The next day our indoor activity was what they were all waiting for: Aquatopia!

Aquatopia is Camelback Resort’s indoor waterpark. It’s in a huge dome and feels very open. There are some really huge slides for the big kids (and adults) and areas the family can enjoy together like the lazy river and wave pool. We didn’t bring Teddy on this adventure but I did notice a really cute little area for toddlers/little ones.

Our favorite slide was the Venus Fly Trap because we have never found a slide that 6 of us could do on one tube! It was a blast. There are also tons of options for 2 people, so we all took turns riding with one another and could take the boys with one of us if they were scared to try alone. Overall I was really impressed with all the slides, options, etc for our crew: ages 6, 8, 11, 12, adults.

We had a cabana for the day which was a fun thing to add onto Tommy’s birthday gift. It was our own little spot where we could hang out, keep our stuff and order food and drinks. You get a server dedicated to your cabana which is a huge perk for getting food and drinks throughout the day. There is also a family food option which was awesome: it came with more than enough food for all 6 of us, we added on a pitcher of soda for a real treat and Tommy felt like it was a party!

Outdoor Activities at Camelback Resort

Camelback’s Mountain Coaster

Saturday morning we had tickets to ride the mountain coaster right when it opened at 11am. We bundled up and walked over (it’s a quick walk from the back of the hotel). Tommy and Miles each rode with one of us and Maggie and Alex rode on their own. The kids had a BLAST. It’s a beautiful ride up to the top and a fast, fun ride down. You can control the speed so it’s really fun for any age that’s tall enough.

To our surprise, as we drove up the mountain to check into the resort it started snowing! It was our first glimpse of snow for the season. We were a few weeks to early for the winter activities at Camelback Resort but hope to visit again this winter or next to try them out.

Camelback has a new high speed lift this year, a terrain park, ski school and their awesome snow tubing park. You can ski in/ski out from the resort. We can’t wait to get back to Camelback Resort!