Making Memories at Jellystone Park™ Kozy Rest

Sometimes you need a little getaway from the hustle and bustle of work, school and busy schedules. Recharge your batteries and embark on a new adventure in Butler County—camping.

Credit Tiffany Hernandez

My family and I had our first camping experience together and Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park at Kozy Rest Kampground made it a memorable one. Our evening started with a warm welcome by the staff who led us to our cozy cabin in the woods, the Boo Boo Bungalow. The cabin was one of their newer models and pet-friendly, so we got to bring our dog Duke along. It was rustic, charming and featured a bedroom with bunk beds, bathroom, a full service kitchen, air conditioning and even a flat screen TV & DVD player. We also had our own picnic table and fire ring.

On the first night, we sat by the crackling fire and indulged in a few s’mores. In the morning, I found myself being woken up by the sounds of birds chirping. I proceeded to make some coffee and spent the morning on the front porch soaking in the sights and sounds of nature. It was such a peaceful time to reflect and not feel the need to look at my phone, browse social media, tend to household chores or run errands.

We started our day with a hike in the woods followed by a bike ride through the park, but not just regular bikes, three-wheel and four-wheel bikes. My family and I had so much fun making laps around the campground on our nifty bikes. These bikes were very popular among kids and adults, as we saw several people riding throughout the day. You can rent a variety of bicycles and safety helmets, which is one of their many amenities.

Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park at Kozy Rest Kampground offers a wide variety of activities for the whole family to enjoy. My son’s favorite thing to do was gem mining. All you have to do is purchase a bag of sand enriched with gems, fossils, emeralds and rubies, take it to the sluice and sift through it. The water washes the sand away and what is left is all the pretty gems and fossils you get to keep. Each “panner” also receives an identification brochure so you can take it home and identify all your new gems. I love that gem mining was fun and educational at the same time. This became a perfect opportunity to explain the mining process and why it’s important. My son felt like he hit the jackpot when he discovered all of his stones, especially the fool’s gold and Obsidian.

Kids will absolutely love it here! Scheduled activities take place throughout the day, like a meet and greet with Yogi Bear and friends, train rides, arts and crafts at the recreation center and more. There’s also a swimming pool, mini golf, an arcade, dog park, playground, jump zone and even a few new additions for 2018 like Laser Tag, an RC Track for remote control vehicles and Gaga Ball, a fast paced, high energy sport played in an octagonal pit.

Our last evening was spent around the campfire roasting hot dogs and discussing the highlights of our day. Much to our surprise, Yogi Bear and Boo Boo stopped by for a visit. These wonderful characters spent time at our site, took pictures with us then proceeded to visit other campers.

Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park at Kozy Rest is an award-winning campground and ranked in the top 1% nationwide. It truly is an exceptional place to visit, and one that you should put on your list. Whether you’re a tent camper, an RV camper, or plan to rent one of their cabins or yurts, you’re sure to have an incredible camping experience in the great outdoors of Butler County.

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