About Great Wolf Lodge Anaheim / Garden Grove, CA

We Bring Joy to Families

Since opening our first lodge in Wisconsin Dells in 1997, Great Wolf Lodge has grown to 23 locations - and we're still expanding. We are proud to be North America's largest family of indoor water park hotel resorts. Our over 12,000 employees (we call ourselves Pack Members) are dedicated to our mission: Bringing Joy to Families. Every attraction, every experience, and every interaction is designed to create memories families will carry with them long after their visit.

Great Wolf Lodge Anaheim at a Glance

• Opened: 2016, the 13th location to join the Great Wolf Lodge family
• Address: 12681 Harbor Boulevard, Anaheim, CA 92840
• Suites: 603 suites in nine suite types, from 284 to 802 square feet, including standard, themed, and premium suites
• Largest suite: the Grizzly Bear Suite, which sleeps up to eight guests in 802 square feet
• Guest elevators: 8
• In every suite: mini-fridge, coffee maker, and hair dryer; an iron and ironing board are available by request
• Microwaves: shared microwaves in the vending area on each floor
• Check-in and check-out: check-in at 4:00 pm, check-out before 11:00 am; late check-out until 2:00 pm may be available for a fee
• Water park: 105,000 square feet, kept at 84°F year-round, plus a seasonal outdoor pool; open to overnight and Day Pass guests
• For little ones: Cub Paw Pool and Whooping Hollow, with geysers and kid-sized slides, plus the outdoor Tadpole Pond splash area
• Beyond the water park: MagiQuest, Laser Trail laser tag, The Virtual Frontier VR experience, Howlers Peak Ropes Course, Howlers Peak Adventure Trail, Howl in One Mini Golf, Ten Paw Alley mini bowling, Northern Lights Arcade and Build-A-Bear Workshop
• Meeting space: 21,226 square feet, with 12 breakout rooms
• Fitness center: none at this lodge
• Wi-Fi: included throughout the lodge
• Pets: service animals only; other pets are not allowed

Our Story

Great Wolf Lodge originally started as Black Wolf Lodge in Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin in 1997, and was one of the country's first indoor water park hotels. From here, we grew into a place where families could escape together, play together, and connect in a way that only a fully immersive resort experience makes possible.

Great Wolf Lodge Anaheim / Garden Grove sits at 12681 Harbor Boulevard in Southern California. It is just minutes from downtown Anaheim and about three miles from Disneyland Resort. The lodge opened in early 2016 as the 13th lodge to join the Great Wolf Lodge family and was the company's first California resort.

When you're ready to explore beyond the lodge, our guide to things to do in Anaheim has ideas for the whole family. In Garden Grove, visit Christ Cathedral or the Atlantis Play Center. In Anaheim, catch a game at Angel Stadium or the Honda Center, or grab a bite at the Anaheim Packing District. The guide also points the way to Knott's Berry Farm, Discovery Cube in Santa Ana and the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach.

As Great Wolf Lodge has evolved, we've continued to innovate:

2000s:

• Great Wolf Lodge opened its second location, in Sandusky, Ohio, originally called Great Bear Lodge, beginning the journey to becoming America's largest group of indoor water park resorts.
• Great Wolf Lodge goes international, opening its first location outside the United States in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada.
• We added an interactive magical scavenger hunt game called MagiQuest at all lodges.

2010s:

• We added indoor adventure parks, complete with ropes courses, rock walls, and other attractions to complement our water parks.
• The GWL (Great Wolf Lodge) Scholarship was founded. To date, more than two million dollars has been distributed to Pack Members and their families to support their educational goals.
• Lodges began special seasonal activities and events that have included things like a life-size gingerbread house during our winter Snowland, giant spiders made from balloons during Howl-O-Ween, and duck racing down waterslides during the Summer Camp-In.

2020s:

• We launched The Great Wolf Pack, an exclusive animated series, featuring our beloved characters, including:
  • Wiley Wolf – The adventurous, energetic leader of the pack. Wiley is curious, brave, and always ready to explore something new.
  • Violet Wolf – Wiley's sister. She's creative, kind, and loves music, art, and helping friends solve problems.
  • Brinley Bear – Friendly, thoughtful, and dependable. Brinley enjoys nature and often brings a calm, encouraging perspective to the group.
  • Oliver Raccoon – The inventive tinkerer. Oliver loves building gadgets, experimenting, and figuring out clever solutions.
  • Sammy Squirrel – Full of enthusiasm and optimism. Sammy is playful, energetic, and always excited to join the next adventure.

• We celebrated 25 years of making family memories.
• In Anaheim, we opened the Fireside, which features an outdoor theme and a range of American favorites for adults and children, including steaks, seafood, sandwiches and salads to provide a delicious and relaxed sit-down dining option for guests. Make sure to save room for Lodge S’mores or the Warm Skillet Cookie for dessert!
• We rolled out private cabana rental options complete with covered seating, mini-fridge, safe, TV, towels, overhead fan, and space for up to eight guests at all water parks.
• In Anaheim, between 2025 and 2026 we invested over $55 million in lodge-wide reservations including upgrades to suites, adding new experiences and attractions, including a new Laser Trail laser tag game, The Virtual Frontier VR experience, and a new MagiQuest game and new dining options like Fatburger and Pretzelmaker.

Today, with 23 lodges across the United States and Canada, we're proud to welcome more than 10 million guests each year. As we've expanded, we've worked hard to make sure there's a Great Wolf Lodge a short drive away, no matter where you live.

Rooms Built for Families

At Great Wolf Lodge Anaheim, our guest suites are designed with families in mind. Unlike a standard hotel room, our suites are built for families, with layouts that sleep two to eight guests, so families can be together with enough space to relax after a day of fun.

Each lodge is a little different, but they all feature themed suites which embrace the Northwoods feel, including a separate kids' sleeping area with bunk beds built right into the room, turning bedtime into part of the adventure. Unlike a standard hotel, we love to embrace the fun of a weekend get-away with kids.

At Great Wolf Lodge Anaheim, there are 603 suites across nine suite types, from 284 to 802 square feet. Our Family Suite offers 374 square feet, with two queen beds and a full sleeper sofa for up to six guests. The King Suite has one king bed for one or two guests. To make it easy to get to and from your room, the lodge has eight guest elevators.

Themed suites put kids' fun front and center. The KidCabin Suite sleeps up to seven in 411 square feet, with a queen bed, a bunk bed, a day bed and a full sleeper sofa. The Wolf Den Suite pairs a queen bed with a bunk bed and a full sleeper sofa for up to six guests.

Premium suites have room for extended families and groups traveling together. The Grizzly Bear Suite is our largest, at 802 square feet, with two bedrooms, two full baths, and three TVs. Its king bed, two queen beds, and full sleeper sofa sleep up to eight guests. The Grand Bear Suite has the same beds in 742 square feet. The Deluxe Wolf Den King Suite pairs a king bed and a queen bed with a bunk bed and a full sleeper sofa for up to eight.

Accessible versions of many suite types are available, and the Double Queen Suite and Great Bear King Suite are offered as accessible suites. Our accessibility page lists the lodge's accessible features.

Complimentary Pack 'N Play cribs can be reserved—first come, first served. Every stay includes water park passes for each registered guest, plus lodge-wide Wi-Fi and wolf ears for guests 12 and under. Every suite comes with a mini-fridge, a coffee maker, and a hair dryer. Irons and ironing boards are available on request. Microwaves are available for shared use in the vending area on each floor, and our Freshwoods Market convenience store is open daily.

Free Daily Events

Every lodge offers free daily activities for everyone who is staying overnight or visiting with a Day Pass. All these events are family-friendly and include things like morning family yoga, story time, character appearances, arts & crafts, games, and our signature nightly family dance parties.

Character appearances feature the Great Wolf Pack cast — Wiley Wolf, Violet Wolf, and their friends — which we know are meaningful for younger guests. We pay special attention to all the details to make sure our music is fun (and PG rated) and all activities work for every age group and ability level.

At the Anaheim lodge, the daily lineup includes Yoga Tails, Meet the Great Wolf Pack, Arts & Crafts, Epic Story Time, the MagiQuest Master Magi Ceremony, and our Family Dance Party.

Attractions

Beyond the water park, Great Wolf Lodge Anaheim is packed with indoor and outdoor attractions. Laser Trail is an interactive laser tag experience set in the animated world of The Great Wolf Pack, with two games to choose from. At The Virtual Frontier, your pack can team up to dive deep below the ocean or walk among the dinosaurs in virtual reality. The Howlers Peak Adventure Trail is a multi-story playground of rope bridges, towers, and slides, all safely enclosed so no harness is needed. On the outdoor Howlers Peak Ropes Course, families balance on ropes and cross bridges from the safety of a climbing harness. Play nine holes at the outdoor Howl in One Mini Golf in the warm-weather months, or roll a few frames at Ten Paw Alley mini bowling. Northern Lights Arcade and Build-A-Bear Workshop round out the fun.

MagiQuest is one of the attractions outside the water park that sets Great Wolf Lodge apart from other water park resorts. It turns the lodge into a live-action interactive fantasy adventure game where guests are the star. Players choose a magic wand, top it with extra powers, and set off on a quest throughout the lodge. The Southern California / Anaheim lodge has the Guardians of the Realm Portals version of MagiQuest that features real-time computer graphics and an interactive map that guides you through the game as you explore the fantasy realm of Vellara. Guests can play throughout their stay and the average Quest lasts three to four hours.

Every day, the MagiQuest Ceremony welcomes our newest members into the order of the Magi. MagiQuest is included in the Paw Pass and Wolf Pass attraction passes, and the Great Wolf app has the latest event times.

Water Park

Water Park Attractions

The indoor water park is the heart of every Great Wolf Lodge: a massive, climate-controlled space kept at a comfortable 84°F year-round, regardless of the weather outside. Inside the water park, expect pools, slides, toddler areas, a giant water-tipping bucket, and much more.

At Great Wolf Lodge Anaheim, the indoor water park covers 105,000 square feet. Thrill seekers head for Howlin' Tornado, a raft ride for up to four guests that drops into a six-story funnel. On Wolf Tail, the floor drops away into a nearly vertical 20-foot free fall and a 360-degree loop. Coyote Cannon sends tube riders on a 40-foot drop into a water-jet-fueled vortex. Alberta Falls races tandem tubes through four stories of banking turns, outside the building and back in again. Mountain Edge Raceway sends racers head-first down a four-story mat slide, and River Canyon Run takes the whole family down a twisting raft ride together.

For a slower pace, float the Crooked Creek lazy river, catch the swells at Slap Tail Pond, our wave pool, or shoot hoops at Chinook Cove. Cross the floating lily pads at Big Foot Pass, or climb the four-story Fort Mackenzie treehouse, packed with interactive water toys and body slides. Totem Towers has gentle slides sized for small and tall alike. Our youngest guests have their own spaces: Cub Paw Pool welcomes toddlers with geysers, zero-depth entry, tiny kiddie slides, and an 18-inch "deep" end. Whooping Hollow has smaller slides with gentle slopes, just right for little ones.

In season, the outdoor Raccoon Lagoon pool offers a three-foot, six-inch deep play area with plenty of poolside seating. Little ones can splash outside at Tadpole Pond, with water geysers and spray stations, while adults 18 and older unwind in the warm Hot Springs. Cabanas are available to rent daily. The water park is included with every overnight stay. Day Passes are available for families visiting for the day, including a Half Day Pass from 4:00 pm to close.

Safety

At Great Wolf Lodge we take safety seriously. We are proud to have a partnership with Ellis & Associates, the global leader in aquatic safety and risk management. Every lifeguard at our facility is trained through the International Lifeguard Training Program™ (ILTP®). This training includes advanced water rescue techniques and emergency care. Lifeguards must pass both written and practical evaluations and maintain proficiency through regular testing and certification renewals.

We also use the Ellis Aquatic Vigilance System (EAVS) which uses high-definition analytic cameras to help monitor every body of water in our lodges. We combine our diligent and well-trained on-deck lifeguards with the live feeds monitored by a certified lifeguard in the onsite control room to provide even more attention to safety.

Local Events

Plan your trip around local favorites like the Garden Grove Strawberry Festival and Disneyland. No matter when you visit, Anaheim and the rest of Southern California have plenty to explore on your way to or from the lodge.

Our Values

We take our company values seriously and incorporate them into how we treat each other and guests.

• We Are One Pack: We help every Pack Member feel they belong. We assume positive intent, and listen with empathy and curiosity.
• We Improve Every Day: We always reach for more. We value feedback as fuel for growth and stay adaptable in the face of change.
• We Get It Done With Care: We're creative in finding solutions, take pride and ownership in our work, and we celebrate the wins — big and small.

Accessibility

To support our mission of Bringing Joy to Families, we want all kids to feel welcome and supported in our lodges.

Sensory Accessibility

We have partnered with the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards (IBCCES), an organization that specializes in autism and neurodiversity training. You'll find sensory guidelines to help evaluate all water slides, pools, attractions, arcade, shows, and activities. Each item is rated and described for expected sound, lighting, touch, smell and movement. This allows families to plan activities based on their child's sensory preferences before arriving at the lodge. We know, with many kids, a little planning goes a long way.

As part of the IBCCES partnership, Pack Members receive training designed to help them better support autistic guests, sensory-sensitive children, and neurodivergent families.

Physical Accessibility

For guests with physical disabilities, we work hard to ensure guests can experience as many attractions as possible. We offer ADA-compliant guest rooms, accessible entrances and parking, pool lifts, sloped entries, or transfer systems (depending on the attraction), and closed captioning or transcripts for certain entertainment experiences, including MagiQuest content where applicable.

Service animals

Great Wolf Lodge permits trained service animals throughout the resort, including most public areas. Because of health regulations, service animals are not allowed in or immediately adjacent to pools, but they are welcome in other accessible areas of the water park.

Our Leadership

Great Wolf Resorts is led by a team of experienced hospitality professionals united by a shared passion for families, team members, and operational excellence. We are proud that many of our lodge General Managers and Assistant General Managers start as front-line Pack Members. Supporting Pack Members and providing training and professional development is part of how we Improve Every Day both at lodges and at our corporate support center, in Chicago, Illinois.

The General Manager of the Anaheim / Garden Grove, California lodge is Stephen Pastor, and the Assistant General Manager is Tchi Willette. They are supported by an experienced and professional staff leading Aquatics, Attractions and Retail, Engineering, Entertainment, Finance, Food and Beverage, Group Sales, Guest Services, Housekeeping, Human Resources, Security, and Technology. There is always a manager on duty to support guests with anything they may need during their stay.

Recognition

Great Wolf Lodge has been recognized repeatedly as one of the best family resort destinations in North America, including:

• 10 Best Indoor Water Parks — USA Today (2026)
• Best Family-Friendly Waterpark — WhereverFamily (2025)
• Best Play-filled Water Park - Good Housekeeping Family Travel (2025)
• 24 Best Water Parks in the U.S. - U.S. News & World Report (2025)
• National Family Travel Award – Parents Family Travel Awards (2023)

Great Wolf Lodge is a great place to work, and was cited by Newsweek as one of "America's Greatest Workplaces" for diversity, for women, and for Gen Z!

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Wolf Out With Us

With 23 lodges across the United States and Canada, you are probably just a short drive away from a great adventure for your pack. Each Great Wolf Lodge features our signature indoor water park, themed accommodations, restaurants, a full arcade, and free daily events and activities designed for every member of the family, from toddlers to grandparents.

Great Wolf Resorts, Inc. Chicago, Illinois www.greatwolf.com

Great Wolf Resorts, Inc. is owned by Blackstone.