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Woodloch Winters: Then & Now

Woodloch’s Blog

Keep up-to-date with all things Woodloch on our blog featuring exclusive recipes, heartwarming stories, lifestyle content, contests and more.

Woodloch Winters: “Then & Now”

It might be hard to believe, but Woodloch is just about to enter its 64th winter! Though times have changed between now and then, the premise of getting away to the legendary and esteemed Pocono Mountains for a little bit of winter playtime is just as fun as ever.

Way back when, the idea of a winter vacation meant packing up the family roadster, ensuring that snow chains were on the ready, and making the long trek to the Pennsylvania woods. Upon arriving at Woodloch, guests were greeted by the Kiesendahl family and, with a little luck, mountains of freshly fallen snow. Patrons enjoyed horse drawn sleigh rides, sledding, and, of course, the legendary toboggan run onto the lake!


Nights consisted of warming up in the Main Lodge with a fireplace, wintry cocktails and live dance music from our famous house bands. Life was good and carefree, up until it was time to dig up the car from under the snowfall to start the long journey back home!

Flash forward to today. Much of the winter charm from days gone remains, with one exception. Through the wonder of science and technology, we have less dependence on Mother Nature to provide us with snow! Once temperatures become cold enough (consistently below 20 degrees or more), Woodloch is able to fire up our snow cannons and fluff up some powder of our own, on demand! So much, in fact, that an entire snow tube mountain is constructed on our lake front every year; no more rough landings onto the rocky
ice of the lake!


In winter, our famous athletic field becomes a snow-covered playground and plays host to the celebrated Woodloch Winter Olympics! Plus, famous Pocono Mountain skiing and snowboarding is just a short 15 minute trip down the road at Big Bear Ski Resort!


Whether it’s your first visit to the resort during winter or one of many dating back from the beginning, there’s no denying the sheer magic of a cold-month stay at Woodloch!

Poconos Christmas Vacation | Feliz Navidad! | Woodloch Resort

Woodloch’s Blog

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Feliz Navidad! A Poconos Christmas Vacation for the Ages

With autumn officially in the rearview mirror, it’s time to turn our attention to the most popular holiday in North America: Christmas. As we near 2020, more and more families are choosing to spend the holiday season away from home. And the best Christmas gift, after all, is a family vacation to a dazzling winter wonderland! Every winter, Woodloch Resort’s employees and guests are filled with the holiday spirit thanks to the countless Christmas-themed activities, the Festival of Lights, and, of course, the arrival of ole Kris Kringle himself. Don’t forget that our all-inclusive, Poconos Christmas vacation packages include family-style dining, modern accommodations, nightly entertainment, and over 30 daily on-site activities and amenities. Keep reading to learn more about our particularly beautiful property in the Pocono Mountains, which was recently named the top-rated family resort in the U.S.

A Christmas to Remember in Hawley, PA

No Poconos Christmas vacation is complete without a visit from Santa Claus, caroling under falling snow, and a traditional yule log hunt. But there are literally dozens of homegrown, holiday-themed activities ongoing on our sprawling, 135-acre campus. To ensure that your late December escape to Woodloch Resort is nothing short of flawless, we’ve compiled ten of our favorite Christmastime traditions. Many of these activities occur in the outdoors, which is often glossy and white thanks to our good friend, Old Man Winter. Guests can look forward to:

The Festival of Lights

Besides a visit from Santa Claus and his faithful reindeer, the on-site attraction that most guests look forward to is our annual Festival of Lights. This dazzling display of light, sound, and pyrotechnics is a visual treat for elves of all ages. For a peek at last year’s grand finale, please visit our website. All guests have the exclusive privilege to hop aboard a wagon ride through our wilderness trail where a lengthy, colorful display ensues. We’re continuously upping the ante and adding new state-of-the-art lighting and decor. After the wagon ride, retreat indoors to meet Santa Claus, sip on eggnog, and devour a plate of Christmas cookies. This short video gives you a glimpse of what to expect this December during the Festival of Lights.

All-Inclusive Poconos Christmas Vacation Packages

As we stated earlier, Woodloch Resort’s all-inclusive Poconos Christmas vacation packages include everything from decadent meals to a meet-and-greet with Saint Nick. We’ve evolved into one of the best Christmas vacations in the U.S., thanks to our never-ending pursuit of excellence. For couples looking for an adults-only, holiday-themed escape, we’re also home to a premier Pocono resort and spa: The Lodge at Woodloch. To book a long-overdue Poconos family Christmas vacation, please give us a call today at 1-800-966-3562. We’re happy to help piece together a package to perfectly suit your family’s size, style, and budget!

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"The Winds of Winter" – Major Poconos Snowstorms through History | Woodloch Resort

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Woodloch Pines sign after snow storm.

“The Winds of Winter”

A brief history of major Pennsylvanian snow storms at our resort!

Love it or hate it, it’s “snow” secret that colder weather is moving in for the long haul!

Our corner of the Pocono Mountains is infamous for some mega winter storms! While it’s yet to be seen if 2023 will feature historic snowfall, let’s take a moment to reminisce about some of the more memorable blizzards of our past!

1958

Believe it or not, just a few short weeks before Woodloch was purchased, Northeastern Pennsylvania was hit by four nasty winter storms in succession between early February and March, with snow piling up well over 90 inches in spots. United States Marines were called in to help those perilously trapped. Helicopters were brought in to rescue those well out of reach of any help. Weeks later, as the snow melted, Harry and Mary Kiesendahl purchased what is now our resort for $45,000, and the era of Woodloch began!

1971

An enormous, early-season, coastal storm that brought rain and 63 mph wind gusts to New York City also happened to bring almost 2 feet of snow to the hills of Northeastern Pennsylvania… on Thanksgiving weekend, no less!

The snow was very heavy and caused several trees to come down on electrical lines, killing the power just as Woodloch began to prepare their Thanksgiving feasts for our guests.

In what forever after would be known as “The Thanksgiving of 22 Frozen Turkeys”, guests settled for bologna sandwiches while hanging by the fireplace with blankets to keep warm. Not ideal, but it certainly brought us all together, and for that, we were truly thankful!

FUN FACT: This storm prompted Woodloch to purchase a generator for our kitchen and Main Lobby! Lesson learned!

1993

They called it “The Storm of the Century,” “The Grandaddy of Them All” and of course, “The Blizzard of 1993.” This unprecedented storm wreaked havoc on the entire east coast of the United States, extending from Canada to Honduras. It even brought snow to regions like Georgia and Alabama.

Needless to say, Pennsylvania got hit HARD. Local snowfall totals exceeded 35 inches while winds swirled at upwards of 70 miles per hour, causing monumental snow drifts.

I was eight years old at the time. I remember wanting to sled through the powder but settled for just jumping off the side of the deck into huge piles of snow. Meanwhile, my dad (gung ho on making the 18 mile commute to work here at Woodloch) attempted to dig his truck out of our driveway manually, only to find our road closed… with plow trucks stuck themselves! Schools were closed for a full week. (ed.)

1996

After the catastrophic Great Storm of 1993, history simply couldn’t repeat itself… could it? It came very close.

In early January 1996, a coastal winter storm was followed up by an “Alberta Clipper” from Canada, providing a vicious one-two punch of walloping wintry weather. Snowfall totals eclipsed 20” from New York City all the way to the Poconos.

Even worse temperatures were warmer than usual for January and the melting snow created flooding problems region wide.

2017

Just as we thought winter was over, Mother Nature proved otherwise. The Blizzard of 2017 ended up dumping just about 30 inches of snow over our corner of the Poconos in mid-March. There were widespread power outages, impassible roads, National Guard dispatches and even suspension of postal service… yet Woodloch remained open. Even crazier, our president and CEO John was on vacation at the time, pushing the third generation of Kiesendahls to step up and manage the crisis.

With employees not being able to get to work or back home, many staff members were stuck here for several days “I still remember a group of eight staff members going around and shoveling each other’s cars out after being at Woodloch for 48 hours straight,” says Patrick Kiesendahl. “We even all rallied and pushed a car up a hill after we shoveled. That type of camaraderie and teamwork can only be found at Woodloch. It was a difficult time, but we came out feeling a lot of confidence about the future after that. We got together, figured out a game plan and then dispersed and handled our areas.”

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Favorite Winter Activities at our Poconos Resort | Woodloch Resort

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GET ON THE MOUNTAIN FOR SOME COOL WINTER FUN

Winter is here. Actually, it seems like it’s everywhere throughout the continental United States! Ice in the south and lots of snow in the north have made it one of the best winter seasons. Especially when traveling to Pennsylvania for some fantastic winter fun. Here are our favorite things to do when the weather gets cold, and the snow begins to fall at Woodloch, our beautiful Poconos resort.

Fun on the Hills

Snow-tubing is one of our top favorite winter activities! We’ve got two hills that we’ve built, and we’re pumping human-made snow, every day! That means it can be a snow day here at our Poconos resort, any day of the week. You’ll zoom down the tube runs at lightning speeds while screaming with joy.

Winter Competitions

With the real Winter Olympics coming up in the next few weeks, challenge your family with our very own Woodloch Winter Olympics. You’ll embark on a series of challenges that will help get you playing in the snow and having a blast with your whole gang!

An Indoor Splash

Make sure you don’t freeze your toes off and warm up at our indoor waterpark, where balmy temps are always guaranteed! Our corkscrew water slide will have you zipping into endless fun. Plus, our 500-gallon water dumping station will keep the kiddos busy for hours. With all this water, we know you’ll have gallons upon gallons of fun this winter season with the whole family.

Whether you spend your days outside playing in the snow, sliding down our hills, enjoying some time indoors at our waterpark, or you just enjoy time with family and friends, we’ve got it all at our Poconos resort. All you have to do now is book your winter getaway to Woodloch Resort, and we’ll take care of the rest!

Woodloch Pines staff photo. Olympic game. Person in a cart getting pushed by a team member. Man and woman standing in the indoor pool Historic photo of Woodloch resort exterior.

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Woodloch Winter Activities Guide | Woodloch Resort

Woodloch’s Blog

Keep up-to-date with all things Woodloch on our blog featuring exclusive recipes, heartwarming stories, lifestyle content, contests and more.

Woodloch Winter Activities Guide

The new year is right around the corner here at Woodloch Pines Resort, which means the ball is about to drop! We’ll be leaving behind the old year and entering a new one, but that doesn’t mean winter is over, just yet! Head to the best family resort in America for your next winter vacation.

Winter is just beginning here in the Poconos Mountains of Pennsylvania. White, fluffy snow has fallen and coated the ground and we’re ready for our winter activities!

Winter Activities Guide:

  • Hit the slopes for some snow tubing
  • Enjoy a little competition with the Winter Olympics
  • Glide your way across the lake with Ice Skating

When the snow decides it no longer wants to fall, we fire up our snow-guns and make our own here at Woodloch. With our vast amount of snow, we sculpt the best mountains you can imagine. Then take the plunge in our snow tubes for some family fun! Whether you want a solo journey to reach high speeds or a partner in crime to adventure with. You’ll love spending your winter days at Woodloch Resort.

Another fun winter activity at Woodloch is Ice Skating. Once our lake freezes over, dust off those skates and hit the ice for some fun outdoors. Yes, you can enjoy gliding around our picturesque Pocono lake with your loved one or spend time playing pond hockey. You don’t need to be an olympian to enjoy our skating rinks to the fullest. We offer wide open spaces and plenty of training bars to help those learning to skate.

Enjoy the ice while you can!

Are you looking for a little competition? Grab your friends and family members for Woodloch’s, Winter Olympics. We transform our lakefront resort every winter into a battleground of frosty fun. Use your team skills to complete tasks and celebrate the winter season with us. Tube, skate, slide, and roll your way to the winner’s side.

Once you’re done with outdoor activities, head back inside to Woodloch Resort and warm up. No matter what winter recreations you choose this season, we know you’ll enjoy spending quality with new friends and old. Let Woodloch Pines Resort be your home away from home during those cold frosty days.

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