America's Top Stay and Play Locations

Looking for a summer vacation that’s sure to delight everyone in your crew? These play-and-stay destinations offer the ultimate in family fun, pairing unforgettable outdoor adventures with convenient and comfortable overnight accommodations.

The following list includes excellent play-and-stay resorts dotted throughout the U.S., so chances are there’s an option within a road-trip-worthy drive of your home. Don't see anything in your neck of the woods? These six destinations are worth planning an entire vacation around, airline tickets, and all!

Bear Rock Adventures, New Hampshire

Bear Rock Adventures RZR Rentals New Hampshire


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Nestled in the heart of New Hampshire’s ‘Great North Woods’ region, Bear Rock Lodge lets guests embrace their inner trailblazer by offering Polaris RZR side by side rentals to explore 1,000-plus miles of interconnected trails featuring lakes, rivers, and mountain climbs. With a knowledgeable staff that can steer your group in the right direction based on your experience and skill level, Bear Rock Adventures is a great destination for families that are new to off-roading as well as families of experienced off-roaders. After a day of exploring, you can hit one of the local restaurants (Buck Rub Pub is a favorite) or make dinner at your lodge or campsite.


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You’ll need a comfortable place to catch some ZZZs after a day spent off-roading! Choose the Bear Rock Lodge with direct access to the surrounding off-roading trails and easy access to local restaurants and shops. The lodge rental option includes four bedrooms, one full bathroom, and a kitchen where you can cook up a hearty breakfast before you hit the trails. At night, you can enjoy the crackling campfire behind the lodge while you plan your next day of adventuring.

If glamping is more your speed, Bear Rock offers standard- and grand-size tents with names like Secret Pines and Secluded Paradise—all equipped with beds, wood stoves, picnic tables, fire pits, and your own private outdoor shower.


Albany Lodge, Wyoming

Albany Lodge Wyoming Stay and Play


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Albany Lodge calls itself “your headquarters for summer,” and it’s easy to see why. Nestled in the Snowy Mountain Range region of Wyoming, Albany Lodge offers Polaris UTV rentals and guided tours on 500 miles of roads and trails that will get you to gorgeous natural landscapes that would be virtually impossible to reach by foot. A string of lakes stretches along the base of the nearby mountain peaks, and depending on when you visit, you’re likely to see beautiful wildflowers dotting the hillsides and meadows. And be on the lookout for wildlife, too—black bear, mountain lions, mule deer, and elk call this part of Wyoming home. Add some mountain stream fly-fishing, hiking, boating, or biking to your itinerary to create a true outdoor lovers’ dream vacation.

Cabins at Albany Lodge Wyoming Stay and Play


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Albany Lodge offers everything from hotel rooms to three-bedroom cabins that can accommodate 10 guests and include fully equipped kitchens and porches with amazing forest views. Planning a family reunion or other large summer gathering? The team at Albany Lodge can help you figure out the best way to accommodate your entire crew. You can enjoy the fun of preparing meals together, but if you want to take a break from cooking, you’ll be richly rewarded at the Albany Lodge restaurant. Head over for breakfast, lunch, and dinner to enjoy everything from delicious breakfast burritos to chicken fried steak, with all kinds of pastas, pizzas, burgers, and salads in between.


Arrowhead Mountain Adventures, Colorado

Arrowhead Mountain Adventures Colorado Stay and Play


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Explore the western Colorado backcountry on a Polaris side by side with Arrowhead Mountain Adventures, ideally situated at an elevation of 9,500 feet just outside the northeast corner of the Uncomphagre National Forest. Located an easy and beautiful four-and-a-half-hour drive from Denver (and an even shorter drive from Colorado Springs), Arrowhead Mountain Adventures attracts people willing and eager to get off the beaten path to pursue truly pristine and unspoiled natural beauty with no risk of summer crowds.

Arrowhead Mountain Adventures and Lodge Colorado


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The on-property hotel, Arrowhead Mountain Lodge (AML), is a 12-room boutique mountain resort open year-round with a full-service restaurant and bar. Forget the notion that you have to be close to a major city to eat well. At AML, your family can sit down to relax and enjoy candied bacon, delicious burgers, grilled wild salmon, and nightly specials. In the summer, the AML Summer Music Series draws visitors and locals alike to hear live blues, rock, country, and honky-tonk performances nearly every Saturday in the lovely open-air beer garden.


Best Bear Lodge & Campground, Michigan

Best Bear Lodge Stay and Play Michigan


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Best Bear Lodge & Campground puts you in the heart of Michigan’s outdoor action. Located in north central Michigan, Best Bear can easily accommodate your family in a variety of Polaris side by side rentals, including a model that seats six. All rentals are self-guided, meaning you can explore the adjacent Manistee National Forest at your own pace, seeing an abundance of gorgeous scenery and wildlife along your way. Vehicle navigation systems will keep you on track and help you maximize your time exploring. Want to tour the area’s beautiful scenic byways, as well? Rent a Slingshot - an open-air, three-wheeled roadster. If you enjoy the open road, this experience will be next-level!

Best Bear Lodge and Campground Michigan


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Encompassing 20 acres, this family-owned resort offers premium accommodations in well-appointed cabins featuring an assortment of sleeping arrangements (bunks, queens, twins, and more). Own or renting an RV? The Best Bear Lodge & Campground RV park boasts 62 full hook-up sites with picnic tables, fire rings, and charcoal grills. You can have fun cooking your own meals or patronize some of the local dining establishments, including Irons Café, which draws lots of visitors for breakfast seven days a week.


Spearfish Canyon Lodge, South Dakota

Spearfish Canyon Lodge UTV Rentals Black Hills


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Adventure is waiting at Spearfish Canyon Lodge! Located in the Black Hills National Forest, Spearfish Canyon Lodge is equidistant between Sundance, Wyoming, and Rapid City, South Dakota. You can easily fill a full week here by trying out many outdoor activities, including fly fishing, fat tire or road biking, hiking, and enjoying the scenic 19-mile drive through the canyon, featuring popular stops at Roughlock Falls and Bridal Veil Falls.

South Dakota Waterfalls Spearfish Canyon Lodge


(This drive is especially memorable when enjoyed in a Polaris Slingshot open-air roadster, available for rent through the resort.) For many Spearfish Canyon Lodge guests, nothing beats renting side by sides to explore the area with the unforgettable fun of an off-road vehicle. In addition to hundreds of miles of trails, you can visit the site where Dances with Wolves was filmed and cap off your day by taking in the breathtaking views from Cement Ridge Lookout, perched at 6,000 feet elevation.

Spearfish Canyon Lodge South Dakota Stay and Play


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Spearfish Canyon Lodge is a grand and rustic resort nestled between two 1,000-foot limestone bluffs. The resort features 44 perfectly appointed rooms, 10 unique suites, and one private cabin—all featuring log furniture and cozy warmth and charm. After a day of outdoor adventures, gather your family to relax by the soaring, 40-foot fireplace in the resort’s great room. Then head to dinner at the Latchstring Restaurant, in operation since 1909 and featuring delicious fare like BBQ wings, trout almondine, and crème brulee. The restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner seven days a week.


Harpole's Heartland Lodge, Illinois

UTV Rentals and Lodging Illinois


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Ready to explore Illinois’ largest ATV/UTV park? Your crew is guaranteed to enjoy maximum off-roading fun at Harpole’s Heartland Lodge, featuring more than 100 miles of scenic trails. You can choose from a two-person Polaris General or six-person Polaris Ranger, both of which will deliver a safe and comfortable ride. You can also tack on some other outdoor pursuits to your visit: Fish in the resort's four stacked ponds, enjoy a horseback ride, go morel mushroom hunting, try sporting clays, take a river tour, or experience a guided catfishing excursion. Harpole’s Heartland Lodge is less than two hours from St. Louis by car, and is also drivable from Kansas City, Indianapolis, and Chicago.

Harpole's Heartland Lodge Stay and Play Illinois


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There are many accommodation options at Harpole’s Heartland Lodge. Traveling with multiple families? Ask about the Heavenly View Cabin, boasting four suites and rooms (three with king-size beds, one with two queen-size beds). Single-room options exist at other lodge buildings on the resort. Many suites feature fireplaces, sitting areas, and decks for taking in the gorgeous sunsets. Add the meal package to your room reservation for hearty brunches and dinners, all made from scratch. Get ready to feast on entrees like country ham, pork chops, gourmet mashed potatoes, and corn casserole—along with mouthwatering desserts that are putting Harpole’s Heartland Lodge on the culinary map.