Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park™ Camp-Resort: Clay's Resort

So incredibly disappointed. We loved coming here, and we take scooter rides as a family when we camp. We've stayed in 30+ sites across the US. I have never once come across rules like this place... Absolutely no electric bikes or scooters, AND NO RIDING BIKES AFTER DARK! I get limiting liability, but holy smokes that's way too far. God forbid kids be kids. Security yessing at kids for being on bikes at dusk? We were told the first time that we will be thrown out of seen on an ebike or scooter again, keep in mind we were one of very few actually following the 5 mph speed limit. Meanwhile, people that are 28 beers deep can drive a 6 seater golf cart (that weighs1500lbs) with people hanging all over it as fast as they want, riding around bumping music. The campground is big enough to need something to ride around on, and golf carts easily sell out. Get with the times Jellystone Clay. We have been coming here for years and unless the policy changes it will undoubtedly be our last visit. Do better!

We were really looking forward to our stay at Clay’s Resort Jellystone, and while the water attractions themselves were fun, the overall experience with the park’s rules and staff was frustrating enough that we will not be returning.

We brought e-bikes with us the only bikes we own. We planned on not even using the electric function—the batteries were removed—but security told us we were not allowed to ride them in the park. I accepted that and asked if we could rent a golf cart instead, only to be told there were none available.

What makes this especially frustrating is that I called before our trip specifically to ask about bringing our own golf cart. I was told we could not bring one because we are not handicapped. I saw multiple non-resort golf carts on sites around ours, preferred pull through. Our campsite is roughly a half-mile from the swimming lake, so after being told we couldn’t bring our golf cart, couldn’t use our bikes, and couldn’t rent a golf cart because none were available, our only option was to walk back and forth every time we wanted to go to the lake. We came with a class A motorhome and no other vehicle.

Another frustrating experience was when my boys, ages 10 and 12, walked to the general store and were told they could not be in the store without a parent so had to walk back to get me to purchase fishing worms.

I understand that resorts need rules, and we were willing to follow them. The issue was the combination of restrictive rules, lack of reasonable alternatives, and the rude and unwelcoming attitude we encountered when trying to work within those rules.

The water attractions are great and the boys had fun with them, but unfortunately the way we were treated overshadowed a lot of the positives. For a resort centered around family camping, we expected a much more welcoming and accommodating atmosphere.

This will be our last visit to Clay’s Resort Jellystone.

First time here, came for my son’s birthday. Overall, great experience for us. We stayed in our own pop up camper, spots were a little tight for standard camp sites but thankfully we had a field behind us the kids could run through. (Site 345)

The campground is huge & beautiful. All the permanent sites have their sites decorated so pretty.

The waterpark area is an absolute blast, so many things to do. The lifeguards all did a fantastic job of keeping people & kids in check when needed.

Staff were all very friendly!

Concession food was decently priced & very good!

We also ate at the John Os restaurant and that food was delicious for the whole family.

Rec room was cool, couple arcade games & some free things like big Tetris, big connect four, big jenga, etc.

Only thing I would say that needs worked on is more cleanings of the bathrooms and around concession stand area. So much trash everywhere (not workers fault, all the people’s fault who trash the place) but there should be designated workers who clean up hourly and same with bathrooms, floors & sinks/countertops were always gross which sucked.

All in all can’t wait to stay again!

Our Friends and Family look forward to this trip every year. The kids love all the amenities! I would like to thank Mary and Lynn for coordinating with me and all the help they provided. Lynn and Mary provide such excellent customer service and professionalism. They make my job easy getting this trip together every year. Thank you ladies-YOU ARE THE BEST!

Jellystone was a bit of a mixed experience for our family. The daytime activities were excellent and easily the best part of our stay. The kids loved the pools, splash pad, lake, giant inflatable obstacle course, slides, paddleboards, and kayaks. We also enjoyed activities like tie-dye shirts, the Yogi Bear wagon ride, and ending the trip with s’mores. There was always something fun happening during the day, and the park does a great job keeping kids entertained.

Unfortunately, the cabin itself left a lot to be desired. One thing future guests should know is that cabin guests need to bring their own linens. To be fair, this information is listed online in the tips section, but we missed it when booking. It’s also worth noting that bringing pillows, blankets, sheets, and towels isn’t exactly easy when you’re flying in from out of state, so it caught us off guard when we arrived.

The biggest issue was the cabin comfort. The air conditioner ran constantly but never seemed capable of cooling the cabin below about 85 degrees, making it uncomfortable during much of our stay. One bright spot was a staff member who saw what we were dealing with and went above and beyond by lending us her own personal air conditioner. Out of respect for her privacy, I won’t mention her name, but her kindness made a huge difference for our family. Without her willingness to help, the cabin temperature likely would have been the final straw for us, and we are extremely grateful for what she did.

We also had problems with the cabin Wi-Fi, which never worked properly during our stay. Since the TV relied on the cabin Wi-Fi connection, we were unable to use streaming services like Netflix or YouTube in the evenings. After the park activities ended for the day, there wasn’t much to do inside the cabin, especially with kids.

The park itself offers a lot of fun activities and does a great job during the daytime. We made some great family memories, and the kids had an absolute blast. However, between the lack of linens, the ineffective air conditioning, and the non-working Wi-Fi and TV, the cabin experience was disappointing.

We would absolutely return to enjoy the water attractions and activities again, and we’d even consider purchasing day passes in the future. However, we would not stay in the cabins again. If we returned for an overnight trip, it would be in our own RV where we could control our accommodations and comfort.