We love Great Wolf Lodge! Just a two hour drive from DC, the Perryville, MD location has many on-site amenities that’ll keep the whole family entertained from a huge ropes course to the giant waterpark and signature MagiQuest Adventure. Let’s unpack a few tips to start planning your winter adventure.
We’ve visited Great Wolf Lodge Maryland in Perryville a few times since it opened in 2023. I’ve been able to score some great deals, most often for stays during the winter season. I’ll share tips here and update this blog each time we visit.
Did I also mention my kids LOVE GWL? I’ll share their favorite activities too.
Notes: This blog does not contain any affiliate links; nor has GWL paid for this blog to be published. I’ve done partial partnerships previously as well as paid for our own stays.
The opinions shared are of my own and/or my family’s. I will continuously update this blog; however, I encourage you to also click the links and navigate to Great Wolf Lodge’s official site for the most up-to-date information and deals.
In this guide
Snowland at GWL Maryland
Quick Tips
- Is GWL Maryland right for your family? Here’s their list of activities by age group!
- Sign up for the Great Wolf Lodge Voyagers Club – It’s the lodge’s membership that’s free to join and you can earn rewards with each visit!
- If you’ve never been to Great Wolf Lodge Maryland, try a day-pass to get a feel for the waterpark and general experience prior to booking a full length stay. Note that day pass guests can’t add an attraction or dining package to their booking.
- Download the GWL App prior to visiting to explore lodge offerings! You can also check-in/out or order food ahead of time using the app.
Planning your Visit
Best Times to Go
Timing makes a difference when it comes to crowds & price. When booking try to score a trip during:
- Either right before the holidays or right after including the first two weeks of November and December, and/or right before/after MLK Day and Presidents’ Day.
- Weekdays during the school year are less crowded and often cheaper.
- Holiday trips can be booked at cheaper rates; book as early as possible. For Christmas trips, I’ve heard booking the first week of August is best!
4DMV Travel Tip: If it’s your first trip, try a Sunday-to-Monday stay. Rates are lower, and the crowds thin out once the weekend rush heads home.
Booking Tips & Packages
Each time we’ve visited, we’ve used some sort of promo code or discount. Great Wolf Lodge Maryland sends promotions frequently via their email list!
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- You can also sign up for the Great Wolf Lodge Voyagers Club – It’s the Lodge’s membership that’s free to join and you can earn rewards with each visit!
- Check Groupon, AAA or Auto Club for family discounts.
- Save with Packages: There are a variety of packages & attractions you can add to your stay that’ll save you money in the long run. Be wary of the length of your stay though! We’ve purchased attraction passes before and ran out of time. Remaining attraction pass perks can be redeemed during future visits!
- Current promotions: Early Black Friday = 40% off stays booked by 11/16 & Early Saver Deal = 50% stays after 1/9/2026
Suite Selections
There are a variety of room selections you can choose from. I highly recommend choosing a themed room for a unique experience!
- Standard suites are like basic hotel rooms and sleep up to 6 people!
- Themed suites are bigger and include bunk beds and fun decor. They sleep up to 7 people.
- Premium suites are the largest rooms GWL offers and can sleep up to 13 people. We booked one of these when we traveled with a separate family.
Note: All suite bookings include water park passes for each guest as well as daily events and activities including arts & crafts and family dance party, and standard wolf ears for all guests 12 & under.
Length of Stay
How long should you stay at Great Wolf Lodge Maryland?
My recommendation is 2-3 nights is best if you want a full experience. Anything over 3 nights can begin to feel repetitive given that the attraction and activity schedule remains the same from day to day.
Note that:
- Check-in time: 4:00 pm or as rooms are available (You can use the waterpark as early as it opens on the day of arrival.)
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Check-out time: 11:00 am (Late check-out is 2:00 pm for an additional fee; however, you can still use the waterpark until the end of the day at no additional cost.)
What to Pack
Swim Essentials
The waterpark store is pricey so make sure to bring your:
- Extra swimsuits – I’d say bring at least 2-3 depending on the length of stay.
- Goggles & water shoes – shoes especially due to slippery surfaces!
- Waterproof phone pouch – It’s around $40 for one on-site!
- Wet bag for wet swimsuits & a Large bag for lugging your essentials.
- Don’t bring: floaties or life jackets; they’re provided for you. Inflatable toys are also not allowed in the park.
There are paid lockers on-site. We’ve never used one, just draped a towel over our bag but they’re there if you need them!
Comfortable Clothing
Most people walk around in PJs all day at the lodge! Make sure you have:
- Lounge clothes for exploring the attractions & activities
- Pjs especially for the nightly storytime in the lobby
- Hoodie and/or light sweaters
- Comfortable shoes like sneakers, crocs and flip-flops
Snacks & Drinks
Food & drinks can get expensive so I highly suggest bringing a small cooler for ride to and from the lodge + snacks to last the duration of your trip! Here are some tips:
- Notice the food deals upon arrival to maximize the benefits! You can buy a fancy popcorn bucket and get free refills for the duration of the stay, which is worth it if you and your family love popcorn!
- Bring refillable water bottles and small grab-and-go snacks.
4DMV Travel Tip: There’s a Dunkin’ in the lobby that can get pretty crowded in the mornings. You can order ahead via the GWL app!
Indoor Waterpark Tips
Great Wolf Lodge Maryland has the largest waterpark of all Great Wolf Lodge resorts, which means you could plan to spend an entire day there.
"My favorite part is the waterpark!"
Best Times to Visit
- Early mornings before noon
- Evenings after 5pm
Indoor Waterpark Attractions by Age Group
- Toddlers:
- Otter Spring: younger kids play area with 3 slides and splash zones
- Slaptail Pond: wave pool
- Crooked Creek: lazy river
- Children (ages 5+):
- Otter Cave Waterworks: huge water fort treehouse with gigantic bucket splash zone & three smaller tunnel slides
- Mountain Edge Raceway: racing slide
- Chinook Cove: basketball hoops and lily pad obstacle course
- Older Kids & Teens:
- Otter Slides ‘N Falls, High Paw Holler, Forest Flume: huge body slides with loops and turns (4 slides total)
- Chesapeake Plunge, Coyote Cannon & River Canyon Run: tube rides for groups
- Wolf Tail: high speed slide with a floor drop
More Indoor Waterpark Tips
- Don’t be discouraged by the long line in the early morning. Once it opens, the line goes quick.
- There are bag checks to get into the waterpark. No outside food or beverages are permitted but you can bring water.
- There are free-to-use life jackets on-site so no need to bring your own, as well as towels!
See more info about the GWL Maryland waterpark.
More Activities & Attractions
Again, there’s so much to do at Great Wolf Lodge Maryland in addition to the huge waterpark! Here’s a rundown of those activities:
Free Daily Activities
- Morning Yoga starting as early as 9:00 am
- Coloring + Arts & Crafts
- Character Meet & Greets with Great Wolf Lodge’s Wiley, Violet & friends
- Evening Dance Parties & Storytelling Experiences as late as 8:45 pm & 9:30 pm
"One of my favorite activities at Great Wolf Lodge is the morning yoga class."
MagiQuest Adventure
One of Great Wolf Lodge’s signature attractions! Kids can roam the lodge on a magical quest using a wand, critical thinking and a bit of imagination.
Things to note:
- MagiQuest is recommended for ages 6+.
- There’s a game & wand bundle to help save money!
- Wands can be reused each trip.
- Wand mods aren’t necessary for completing the quest.
- There’s a daily MagiQuest Ceremony welcoming newest members into the order of the Magi (for those who complete the quest). It’s free to participate in the ceremony.
- The quest itself takes a while to complete. There’s a lot of walking back and forth to find hidden objects throughout the main level of the lodge.
See more info on MagiQuest at Great Wolf Lodge Maryland’s website.
Additional Family-Friendly Activities
Other pay-to-play attractions include:
- Northern Lights Arcade (open 24 hours)
- Make sure to set a spending limit! We’ve gotten carried away here.
- Build-a-Bear Workshop
- Located inside of the Buckhorn Exchange Gift Shop (gift shop at the main entrance)
- Ten Paw Alley (mini bowling)
- Moonstone Mirror Maze
- Oliver’s Mining Co. (gem mining)
- Howl in One Mini Golf
- Howlers Peak Ropes Course (closed toe shoes required)
4DMV Travel Tip: If you plan to incorporate multiple experiences into your trip, consider purchasing an attraction pass to save money. Attraction passes don’t have expiration dates so you can use them on future visits too.
Dining at GWL Maryland
There are plenty of on-site dining options from breakfast to lunch and everything in between at Great Wolf Lodge Maryland. Check out dining credits and packages to save on extended stays.
Breakfast Options
- Dunkin’
- Pretzelmaker (breakfast sandwiches)
- Campfire Kitchen (breakfast buffet)
Lunch + Dinner Options
- Hungry as a Wolf (pizza, pasta & salads)
- Timbers (burgers , chicken tenders & salads)
- Barnwood (sit-down dinner starting at 5:00 pm)
- Campfire Kitchen (buffet starting at 5:00 pm)
Snacks, Appetizers & Desserts
- Dunkin’ (closes at 5:00 pm)
- Pretzelmaker (pretzel bites & lemonade)
- Freshwoods Market (grab and go market)
- Wood’s End Creamery (ice cream treats & sweets) ~ our fave!
For adults, The Watering Hole (located in the waterpark) & Barnwood has great mocktails & cocktails as well!
See more info on dining at GWL Maryland.
Lessons Learned to Date
I learn a new lesson each time we visit!
- Prepare for the 1.5 – 2 hour road trip depending on where you are in the DMV.
- Leave the cash at home. You can use your wristband (given at check-in) as a room key & form of payment or you can order using the GWL app.
- Explore all dining options in person upon arrival to find the best deals on reusable cups, popcorn, etc. I noticed there are (sometimes) different deals in different places.
- Folks wear pjs 24/7 at GWL so cozy, comfortable is the vibe!
- There’s not much located near Great Wolf Lodge Maryland in terms of shopping, food etc. There’s a Wawa on the grounds of the Lodge and a Walmart within 15 minutes driving distance.
- Remember to have fun!
The Lodge can be overwhelming. The best way to plan your trip is to view what they have before travel, plan to check out a couple of activities and go with the flow when you arrive. Don’t run yourself ragged trying to do everything all in one trip. I can almost guarantee many of the activities will still be up & running the next time you visit!
Visit the Great Wolf Lodge Maryland website to begin booking your trip.
