Wildlife Safari Park is an official part of our destination’s northern California parks system! Called the Safari Park, it is located at Californis state road 243 Red Bluff, CA 96080.
Its total area is over 900 acres, that are separated into different zones with different themes. The most popular areas are the African zone, with giraffe feeding and lion feeding activities being very popular. Also, there is a petting zoo (called East Africa) where children can play with miniature donkeys, goats and sheep.
Wildlife Safari Park features lots of animals within different species including bison, giraffes , ostriches, zebra , blackbucks , emu (and many more). And of course, it also features the “African Safari” experience which includes safari jeep tour through lion and giraffe areas.
Wildlife Safari Park is open every day except Thanksgiving and Christmas days.
The admission varies depending on age group (children under 1.2m tall are free) and includes a train ride to East Africa petting zoo. There is an additional fee for the Safari Tour (C$34 per adult).
The park has different tour paths through each area, with some including rides on their safari jeeps (the tours last around 1 hour) and some including self-walking.
The Safari Tour is very popular with children, as they get to feed lions and giraffes. The park features three lions, seven giraffes, two ostriches and many more animals. While there are no elephants at the Wildlife Safari Park , there is a new elephant rescue center right next to the park.
For every purchase made at Wildlife Safari Park online store, they get a small part of it and make a donation to either ZooMontana ( https://www.zomonatahoe.com ) or Elephant Sanctuary ( https://www.elephants.com/ ).
Among different activities, one of the most popular is a “safari tour” which visitors can either do with a guide in their safari jeep or walk through from the beginning to the end. It takes around 1 hour and covers almost 3 miles through mud paths that go into each section where they have different types of animals such as giraffes, ostriches, zebras and more.
Actually the guide doesn’t give much information about each animal (because it is out of his scope), but you will surely enjoy the experience! You get to feed lions for around $2 per person or $3 if you want to also feed giraffes too.
Each area also has a limited amount of animals, so it is very important that you arrive early to see all the animals and not just giraffes and lions. The park opens everyday at 9:00 AM.
The Safari Tour costs $34 per adult (children under 1.2m are free) and includes entrance to East Africa petting zoo, train ride to it and back to the entrance. The train leaves every half hour!
It’s worth mentioning that the park is not only about animals; it also has a very nice train ride through different parts of the Safari Park. It takes around 40 minutes (one hour if you decide to disembark and re-enter with a new ticket). The train doesn’t have many stops, but they are enough for some nice pictures along the way.
The park also has an African Village where you can learn about their way of life and buy some souvenirs ( https://www.wildlifesafaripark.com/west-africa-village ). There is also a store near the entrance with all kinds of items, apparel and food.
The park has many animals, but it is still missing some species. You will not find tigers, jaguars or elephants at this safari-style zoo. It also features two different species of bears instead of one.
The Wildlife Safari Park is a great place for children, especially during the weekends when they have face painting and different performances at their amphitheater.
They are located at 5555 Hwy 93 South, just 18 miles south from Lake Tahoe.
The most popular ways to get there are either by taking a taxi or joining the Safari Tour from somewhere in South Lake Tahoe. They also offer shuttle service.
The best time to visit is in the morning when they open (9 AM) since later in the afternoon it gets hot and you will only find the animals sleeping or hiding under some trees. Wintertime visitors can expect colder weather, but no snow which is great for animal viewing.
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How long does it take to go through the Wildlife Safari Park?
It takes around 1 hour to go through the Safari Tour. The park is not so big, so you can enjoy it in less than 2 hours if you decide to stay and play with all the animals. Visiting the park in wintertime will be different than summer since it gets really cold when they open in the morning (40F-50F) and when they close in the afternoon (high 70s-80 F).
What is there to do in Wildlife Safari Park when it’s raining?
The park is open everyday and they offer many activities such as train ride, African village tour, Safari Tour and more. It would be difficult to get bored even if it rains since you can find something to do. It will probably be more crowded, but it won’t stop the fun.
What kind of food do they serve at Wildlife Safari Park?
The park has very good restaurants associated with it (Nakoma Cafe, African Restaurant and fast food-style trucks) as well as picnic tables next to some animal exhibits. It is one of the best places to eat in Lake Tahoe!
What is the best time to go Wildlife Safari Park?
The best time to visit is in summertime when it’s warm and all types of animals are around (it gets very cold at night, so most animals sleep during winter). A weekday can be a good choice since it gets crowded on weekends.
What is the Wildlife Safari Park like in winter?
It’s beautiful! The colors are different with no leaves on the trees and all snow. Snow usually falls every night so it is a great experience. What is better than being next to lions or giraffes while it snows?
What are the most popular things for people to do at ?
The train ride is very popular because it is so different than you can find in any other place. All kind of animals also attract visitors since they are so close to them.
What do you wear to Wildlife Safari Park?
It’s a good idea to wear comfortable clothes and shoes since you might get dirty from all the animals. The African village is usually hotter than anywhere else so it’s better to dress lightly.
What color should you not wear on Wildlife Safari Park?
It’s a bad idea to wear any red clothes since it attracts elephants. However this rule doesn’t apply to the Safari Tour.
What is the most dangerous animal in Wildlife Safari Park?
It’s very hard to tell, but there are different opinions about this. Some say that the lions are the most dangerous animals because they can attack your car or you. Others think that elephants are the most dangerous since they never forget and always try to kill people, even after 10-15 years from the first time you meet.
Is it hard to drive around Wildlife Safari Park?
It depends on how often you drive, but it’s not hard at all. It is very easy to navigate around the park and everyone can do it.
What is there for kids at Wildlife Safari Park?
The park has many activities for kids including face painting and a theatre with performances every weekend during summertime. The train ride is also very popular since it is a great way to see the animals close.
What is the difference between a zoo and Wildlife Safari Park?
A zoo is a park where you get to see animals behind glass where they can’t get out. A Wildlife Safari Park is different since it has almost the same rules as in the wild. You get to go on a safari ride and see all type of animals from lions, zebras, tigers and more!
