Spend the Weekend Splashing and Skiing at Timber Ridge Lodge in Lake Geneva

Visiting Timber Ridge Lodge in Lake Geneva is fun for the whole family. Located less than an hour from Rockford, Lake Geneva is situated on the shores of Geneva Lake. The area is a popular tourist destination for its picturesque downtown, beautiful beaches and abundant parks.

Timber Ridge Lodge is located only minutes from downtown Lake Geneva and has everything your family needs for a relaxing and fun vacation at any time of the year.

*Disclaimer: Our stay at Timber Ridge Lodge was sponsored. Our opinions are our own.*

Timber Ridge Lodge is a suites-only resort meaning that each room is equipped with a full refrigerator, stovetop burners (no oven), dishwasher, toaster, coffee maker, and sink. The suites also include basic utensils, silverware and dishes so you don’t need to bring your own. Money saving tip: Bring your own food and drinks to enjoy a meal or snacks in your suite.

Timber Ridge Lodge’s clean and spacious suites can sleep four to seven people depending on which suite you rent. One-bedroom suites include a balcony or patio, gas fireplace, a King sized bed in a private bedroom, a couch that pulls out into a Queen sized bed, and a whirlpool tub with seating for two in the bathroom. Two bedroom suites include all of the previously mentioned amenities plus a second floor with a lofted bedroom and Queen sized bed, TV, and private bathroom. There are also accessible suites available that include elevated toilets, grab bars, and other accessible features.

Each suite comes with waterpark passes for the day you arrive, the day(s) of your stay, and the day you check out. The waterpark has locker rooms where you can shower and change if you’ve already checked out of your room. You can also pay a small additional fee to move your check-out time from 11 am to 1 pm.

Timber Ridge Lodge Indoor Waterpark

One of the main draws of Timber Ridge Lodge is the large indoor waterpark which spans 50,000 square feet. The indoor waterpark is kept at a balmy 86 degrees all year long. 

One of the best parts of the indoor waterpark is the large play area for toddlers – Tiny Timbers! Tiny Timbers includes a zero depth pool with several areas for fun water play. There are two baby swings where little ones can be sprayed with hoses. There are three slides that end in water that is only a few inches deep. There is also a water table that toddlers will love to splash in. It’s often difficult to find things to do with toddlers at waterparks, but Timber Ridge Lodge can keep your little ones entertained for hours.

The waterpark is also great for school age kids and teens. There are two exciting 35 foot high slides that wind around the indoor waterpark. There is a tube slide, which allows single or double riders, and has several twists and turns and a moment of darkness, as well as a body slide. There’s also a family activity pool that includes a slide into four feet of water, basketball hoops, and a rope climb section. The family activity pool ranges from 3 feet a little over 4 feet deep.

If you want to relax, there’s a slow moving lazy river where you can float around the waterpark in a tube. There are also two hot tubs – one for adults only inside the waterpark, and another that has both an indoor and outdoor section and no age limit. We really enjoyed sitting in the outdoor section and feeling the 26 degree outside air while staying warm in the jetted hot tub.

Within the waterpark, there is the Hungry Moose, a food court where you can grab hot food like pizza, chicken tenders, and hot dogs as well as drinks and a variety of snacks including chips and slushies. They also sell alcoholic drinks, beer, and wine. If you want to set up a homebase within the waterpark, there are comfortable cabanas that you can rent for extra privacy as well as tables that are open to all.

If you’d like to sit down for a meal, there’s Smokey’s Bar-B-Que located on the main floor of the hotel. You get great views of the waterpark from inside the restaurant. The restaurant serves breakfast and dinner though hours may vary during the year. We had a delicious and reasonably priced breakfast of eggs, pancakes, and hashbrowns while we were there.

If you’d like a fancier meal, you can also make reservations to visit Geneva Chophouse or Ristorante Brissago at the Grand Geneva. 

Outside of the waterpark, there’s an arcade with a good selection of games including ones that dispense tickets and prizes. You can purchase reloadable cards to play the games and turn in tickets for prizes. The arcade is typically open for about an hour after the waterpark closes. During warmer months, there’s also mini golf on the waterpark’s outdoor patio.

Throughout the week, Timber Ridge Lodge has activities for families including movies, crafts, scavenger hunts, and more. They also have PJ storytime in the lobby on Saturdays at 8 pm that includes milk, cookies, and goodie bags.

Don’t forget to pick up a souvenir before you go! There’s a gift shop located in the lobby that sells toys, keepsakes, snacks, and Chocolate Shoppe ice cream. Be sure to check out the 10 foot tall Bruce the Moose made of more than 13,000 LEGOs while you’re in the gift shop.

Skiing at The Mountain Top at Grand Geneva

While staying at the Timber Ridge Lodge, we took advantage of one of the family vacation packages offered – Learn to Ski. There are several packages offered for on-site fun throughout the year. These packages include activities such as skiing or character breakfasts and special events like the upcoming Big Balloon Build.

During the summer, you can also book activities like bike riding, archery, disc golfing, and horseback riding. The Grand Geneva also has two 18 hole golf courses – The Brute and The Highlands – which are rated as some of the best in the Midwest.

The Mountain Top Ski Resort is located a few minutes drive from the Timber Ridge Lodge in the same complex as the Grand Geneva Resort. These sister resorts share the mountain for skiing. 

We were able to take ski lessons, rent ski equipment including helmets, and spend a few hours learning how to ski the slopes. Both of my kids (ages 8 and 5) were placed with excellent instructors who took their time to make sure the kids were comfortable at all stages and felt confident navigating the practice hill. There are a variety of lessons available for first time skiers including group lessons and private lessons. You can view a list of available lessons here.

The Mountain Top Ski Resort has a small practice hill and several larger hills that you can access by riding the ski lift. There are seven beginner trails and ten advanced trails at the resort.

When the kids get tired, you can head upstairs to Leinenkugel’s Mountain Top Lodge where you can get a warm drink or a bite to eat while watching the skiers carve the slopes. You can also just relax and warm up by the fire.

The Mountain Top Ski Resort is one of the closest ski resorts to the Rockford area. Not only can you ski there, but you can also snowboard, go sledding, and ice skate (weather permitting). Season passes are available.

It was our first time skiing and we really enjoyed taking a lesson and practicing on the bunny hill. We will definitely be back in the future to try some of the more advanced hills.

Spending the weekend at Timber Ridge Lodge is a great idea any time of the year, but we’d highly recommend booking a visit during the winter so you can enjoy the natural beauty of the area and try skiing. There are many fun winter events in the Lake Geneva area including Lake Geneva Winterfest which holds the U.S. National Snow Sculpting Championship in February each year. You could make an entire weekend around staying at Timber Ridge Lodge and enjoying what Lake Geneva has to offer.
If you want to enjoy a weekend of skiing and splashing, book your reservation to stay at Timber Ridge Lodge here.

Want to know more… watch this video of our stay!