South Haven Jellystone Park

We’ve stayed at Jellystone South Haven almost every year since 2020. Unfortunately, it has began to decline, with less and less to do each stay. Our most recent stay was last weekend, for the Halloween themed events. It was disappointing to say the least. The dance was held in the outdoor pavilion (not good when it’s 50 degrees), when it’s previously been held in the event space, complete with heat, a dj, tables, a Photo Booth etc. This year- none of that. They had very few events for the kids, no hay ride, no golf cart parade, etc. On Sunday there were 2 events for kids, back to back- then nothing at all. Paintball and Laser Tag wasn’t open due to staffing. The haunted house also wasn’t open. The cafe closed at 4pm, with no notice. When we did order something from there, it took 2 hours (no exaggeration). I could go on and on, but I’ll stop there. You get the point. This is the last time we will stay here.

I will start this review by stating we stayed in the middle of the week in a 2 room cabin. The campground was not busy at all. We had a great location near the front of the park. If you need to use the bath house, pick a site near the front of camp, there are none near the back. All of the facilities were modern, working, and clean. Honestly, this campground had probably the most amenities we've ever stayed at. So much for the kids to do. Other reviews stated that the staff seems under trained. I could see that as well, but every request or encounter we had with staff was great. We stayed 3 nights and never left the campground. There was so much to do! We loved the cafe for afternoon ice cream! I attached photos since I didn't see any on other reviews.

We love coming here every year. Clean facility. Small enough campground he can let the kids go and have fun while feeling safe. Clean facilities and lots for the kids to do. Staff is always kind and friendly. We love coming as much as we can from Indiana. Also pricing is decent and not too expensive as some other Jellystone we have stayed at. A short drive to multiple nice beaches or a nice day in town or up the road to Holland. But we usually are to busy having fun at the campground. Definitely recommend.

The location is great for being close to South Haven if you want to leave the park and explore. The campsites are tight for RVs but that is pretty normal in most campgrounds. They had a pool, playgrounds, jump pillows, RC car track, disc golf course, arcade, and much more on site to keep kids entertained. The playground closest to our site wasn't as modern as the one in the back, but they can only update so much in a year and it wasn't a big deal to walk to the back of the park. They did pretty good with activities, but you had to download the app to get the information. They didn't have it posted anywhere. The staff was helpful and kid but a lot of them seemed new or in training, which seemed weird considering we are halfway through the summer season. My biggest complaint was the cleanliness of the bathrooms. I know campsite bathrooms get extra use, but they seemed to only be cleaned once daily. For the size of the campground, this wasn't frequently enough to keep it clean.

Overall the campground is very clean and neat. The pool was well maintained and the Ranger Station was well stocked. There are lots of employees that seem what to help. However, the bikes were old and many of them were broken. A repair person only comes once a week and at one time several bikes were waiting repairs, so the choices were very limited. Many times the bikes were not staffed so kids would simply pick out a bike and ride away - regardless it they had paid for a wrist band or not. The activities are planned out, but it is somewhat confusing where they are located. I noticed many staff members were in training and didn’t seem well informed when asked questions. The app could use updating with menus, etc. The Cartoon Cafe service was extreemly slow - it took almost 40 minutes to get 2 hot dogs and fries, and then the buns were stale and somewhat hard. Finally, the items in the park are way overpriced (a small can of Pam spray was over $9.00 and firewood was very expensive. You are forced to buy their wood) and they seem to nickle and dime the guests. All in all, we had an enjoyable time, but will ensure we have all supplies needed upon return.