Yogi Bears Lodi: Experience And Review

Earlier this month I got the pleasure of camping at Lodi's very own, Yogi Bear's Campground. All places have their pros and their cons, Yogi Bear's was no exception. In some areas, they exceeded all of my expectations but in others, they fell way short. So here are my pros and cons for if you decide to take a trip to Jellystone Park.


PROS:

- The entire site is HUGE. It takes around twenty minutes just to walk from one side to another. In fact, they provide rentable golf carts and bikes just for getting around. You could barely walk five feet without being passed by someone on a scooter or bike.
- The campsites are grass instead of dirt, which saved our feet from becoming too dirty. It was enjoyable to be able to put our bare feet onto the ground and not become encased in a layer of dirt and grime.
- There is a lot of different activities for your little ones to do. Every hour (starting at 10 am) is a craft or activity in the Pavilion. Along with that, there are two pools, a playground, a jumping pillow, basketball, sand volleyball, miniature golf and more. So, you don't need to worry about hearing "I'm bored" every few minutes.
- Each campsite had a tree which provided lots of shade. Plus, the trees were beautiful with huge elegant leaves.
- All of the workers were really nice and helpful; everybody made you feel welcome.
- There's a shop which sells everything you could possibly need on your trip - even tamales.
- There's two food stands inside the campgrounds. One selling delicious food while the other sells snow cones.
- There's a waterfront grill and a snowcone shop on the Delta.




CONS:

- The check-in was CONFUSING. There were no signs telling you where to go or what to do. We ended up entering the wrong way, then having to flip around just to wait in a line for thirty minutes. They definitely could have done it better.
- The ENTIRE place is absolutely littered in huge orb weaver spiders. We were sitting on our site and watching spiders dangle from the trees. Everywhere from the bushes, to the benches, to the store has been taken over by spiders. They were on our tents and even in our car.  Also, their outdoor movie theatre is also covered. We were sitting and watching the spiders fall all around us, so we quickly left. So if you cannot handle this - stay away!
- It didn't feel at all like traditional camping. Everywhere you look are people and cars. It's more like a fun park than a campground.
- The first day we got there, the bathrooms were spotless. However, nobody cleaned the bathroom for the entire week we were there. At one point, there was a s'more smushed onto the counter. Towards the end of the week, there were even piles of poop on the floor. Keep in mind of course that they are understaffed, but there is no excuse for this.
- They don't enforce any of their rules. In some cases, this is a good thing but in ours, it almost ruined our trip. We were unlucky enough to be next to people who partied the entire night, and their staff did nothing to enforce their "Quiet Time" rule.
- They sell hard liquor in their store at a kid-oriented campsite. This is asking for trouble.


Overall, my trip was enjoyable and I would gladly visit again. However, I expect them to get their act together in the months to come.

Have you already visited or are you planning to take a trip to Jellystone Park? Let us know in the comments! We want to know about your experience.