Wilderness Hotel & Golf Resort is a large water resort in Lake Delton, Wisconsin. It is one of the largest indoor waterpark complexes[citation needed] in the world with a combined size of 240,000 square feet (22,000 m2). It is part of a chain of two resorts, the newer and smaller one being Wilderness at the SmokiesinTennessee. The chain also includes four small outdoor waterparks.
Wilderness Hotel & Golf Resort is owned and operated by the Helland and Lucke families, and the grandsons of the original founder. Tom Lucke, co-owner of Wilderness Hotel & Golf Resort; Peter Helland Jr., co-owner and vice president; Tim Lucke, co-owner and project manager; and Pat Helland, co-owner and director of development. Their late grandfather, Oliver “O.P.” Helland, was the founder of the Riverview Boat Line back in 1921. He is known as one of the first local river men to arrange boat touring for the purpose of sightseeing along the Wisconsin River.
O.P. Helland, well known during his time as a civic rights activist and esteemed entrepreneur, was instrumental in evolving the area into what is now considered one of the premier tourist destinations of the Midwestern United States; he would prove to make history by forever changing the entire face of the local economy in The Dells.
A short time after Riverview Boat Line was founded, O.P. Helland began the process of developing a restaurant and series of retail shops using the income that he earned from tourists. He had purchased adjacent land along the river and among these bustling properties included Hotel Helland; a hotel located directly across the street from the local train station. Building a hotel in this specific location proved to be an excellent decision; the busy area proved to provide steady business as the hotel would accommodate a flurry of business travelers and vacationers.
In 1952, operations of the company were taken over by Peter Helland Sr, attorney Hans Helland, and Virginia Helland Lucke; three children of O.P Helland. They are the direct predecessors of the current owner-operators of the resort; Pat Helland and Peter Helland Jr. are the sons of Peter Sr., Tim and Tom Lucke are the sons of Virginia, and Hans is their uncle. Virginia served as the head of the retail department of the company, while her brother Peter Sr. took the greater task of overseeing daily management of the company.
At the age of 28, Tom Lucke acquired a motel property called The Riviera. This would prove to be his first descent into a local hotel industry that he would historically and singlehandedly redefine in regard to the unique combination of indoor and outdoor water park properties with quality lodging accommodations.
In 1995, the 443-unit Wilderness Hotel & Golf Resort opened its doors. It is Tom Lucke’s fifth and most heavily themed resort in The Dells tourist region. Tom also developed the tropical themed Polynesian Hotel, the Atlantis, the Bahama Bay, and the Caribbean Club resorts.[1]
In 1995, the Wilderness Hotel and Golf Resort opened for business along U.S. Highway 12 (Wisconsin Dells Parkway) with a 35,000-square-foot (3,300 m2) water park named Fort Wilderness. In 1999, the hotel added its second indoor waterpark, Klondike Kavern, and an additional sixty guest rooms.
In 2002, the resort opened the Wild West region of the hotel which has 162 guest rooms. It also includes Dodge ‘Em City, a 30,000-square-foot (2,800 m2) indoor play park featuring Timberland Playhouse and Lake Wilderness outdoor waterpark. In 2003, the Wild West Waterpark opened for business.
In 2003, a 108-condominium, upscale resort, called Wilderness on the Lake, opened for business. It is home to Cubby's Cove, a 35,000-square-foot (3,300 m2) indoor/outdoor waterpark complete with an Infinity pool overlooking Lake Delton.
In the summer of 2005, to mark the resort's 10th anniversary, the Wilderness Hotel & Golf Resort opened two thrill rides, the Hurricane and Black Hole waterslides.
In April 2006, the Wilderness opened its largest indoor waterpark yet, the Wild WaterDome. This 70,000-square-foot (6,500 m2) waterpark is home to a large indoor wave pool, the Dueling Mammoths family raft ride, and a toddler play 'n spray area. The waterpark also features a FoilTec roof that is permeable to UV rays, allowing people to tan indoors. The resort also closed Fort Wilderness Waterpark, its first indoor waterpark.
In July 2006, Glacier Canyon Lodge, the Wilderness's third property, opened along with a 3.2-acre outdoor waterpark called the Lost World.
In 2008, the Wilderness unveiled Wild Rock Golf Club, a championship 18-hole course containing a difficult hole 17 called "Boneyard North" and renovated the Klondike Kavern waterpark.
In 2009, the Wilderness unveiled three indoor, 3-D, blacklight mini-golf courses, an outdoor mini-golf course, go-karts and a zip line adventure. The resort also opened Tombstone Town Haunted Hotel and Mineshaft Mirror Maze.
In 2010, the Wilderness renovated all of the Wilderness Hotel & Golf Resort guest rooms.
In 2012, the Wilderness opened the Northern Lights Sky Ropes Course, located in the Wild West region of the hotel. The resort also added the Lunar Loop and Cosmic Drop Whitewater West Drop Slides at the Lost World Water Park.
In 2015, the resort would redo the Klondike Krash Water Slides would be turned in the Claim Jumper Challenge Water Slides, two dueling Whitewater West Slide boarding slides.
Today, the Wilderness Territory occupies over 600 acres (2.4 km2) of land and provides guests with 1,163 lodging options among its three main properties (Wilderness Hotel & Golf Resort, Wilderness on the Lake and Glacier Canyon Lodge), in addition to its freestanding Vacation Villas, Cabins and New Frontier Condominiums. The Territory is home to four indoor and four outdoor waterparks totaling nearly 500,000 square feet (46,000 m2). The resort also features Wild Rock Golf Club, and the Wilderness Woods Par 3 Family Course. A skywalk is connected to the Glacier Canyon Lodge, and boats take guests to the Wilderness on the Lake Resort.[citation needed]
Wilderness on the Lake is an upscale, 108 condominium resort. The property features a 35,000 square feet (3,300 m2) indoor/outdoor waterpark, called Cubby's Cove, which features a pool overlooking Lake Delton. This area is only connected to the main resort by a 10-minute shuttle bus ride, year-round, and a ferry service in the summer. The area is built to appeal to young adults with small children.
The newest resort of the three Wilderness properties located on the Wilderness Territory, this facility is a condominium resort with 460 units. It has an outdoor waterpark (Lost World), which with an interactive river, three hot tubs, activity pools, and Halley's Comet Racers. This area also includes a 55,661-square-foot (5,171.1 m2) Conference Center, a mega-arcade, go-karts, and nature trails. Half of this area is owned by Wilderness Territories, the other half is owned by Wyndham Resorts.
Lost Canyon Carriage Tours, private, not advertised by Wilderness, only accessible outside the resort. The land is leased to Lost Canyon Riding Stable by Wilderness Territory.
The Wilderness operates a shuttle bus system with three lines:
Blue Line - between the main campus and Wilderness On The Lake
Red Line - between the main campus, Sundara Inn And Spa, Wild Rock Golf Course, Wilderness Condos, and Wilderness Vacation Villas.
Green Line - between the main campus, Glacier Canyon Lodge, and Wyndham Glacier Canyon. Stops at many more locations on the main campus than the other two lines.
In addition, Wilderness Territory operates a ferry service called Wilderness Water Shuttle between the Wild Rock Golf Course, Wilderness On The Lake, and two other Lake Delton harbors during the summer.
