TYLER, Texas — Are you looking for a place for the family to cool off that’s close to home? Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park in Tyler is making a huge splash with a new addition.
Tucked away in the Piney Woods is a resort inspired by the cartoon classic, Yogi Bear and Jellystone Park.
The East Texas version, Yogi Bear and Jellystone Park Camp and Resort, is a 47-acre resort near Winona and Hawkins.
"Between people coming in and camping, people coming in and using the park for the day. It's going to be that go to family attraction," said General Manager Kyle Mohler.
Just in time for summer, the resort has expanded with a 130,000-gallon mega water zone.
"There's fountains, there's squirt guns. There's everything in there. There's no way you can walk from the bottom up here to this top and not get soaked," Mohler said.
It’s an escape from the East Texas heat -- just ask Rhonda Hardin, of Frankston, a grandmother of seven.
"Kids love playing outside and its just too hot for them to be outside on swing sets. So, this along with keeping them hydrated and let them play in the water is just a great thing for kids to do in the summer," Hardin said.
And she’s not alone.
"The wife looked it up and saw they the new pool out here, decided it would be a good spot to cool off and get away from the heat," said visitor Zack Woodfin.
Jayci Jones, 9, says her visit was a great escape from East Texas' sizzling heat.
"It's super hot but today, it was super fun to come here and I saw the bears and we're going to have a pizza party," Jones said.
So why highlight this East Texas oasis? People might miss it if they didn’t know it was here, and everyone is looking for a little fun before summer is done.
"Being able to change that mindset of there's nothing to do, there's nowhere to go, there are places," Mohler said.
The park is located at 5583 FM 16 East in Tyler and more information can be found on their website.