GoCampingAmerica.com | Posted September
    2nd, 2016

    Zoos and Animal Parks

    Happy Camper Blog

    We’re lucky to
    have so many fantastic zoos and animal parks to choose from in our country.
    They offer a fun way to spend a day. To help you narrow down your choices,
    here are a few great picks from coast to coast:

    San Diego Zoo Safari Park |
    Escondido, California Primate

    While the San Diego
    Zoo
    gets much of the attention in southern California, the San
    Diego Zoo Safari Park (formerly known as the San Diego Wild Animal Park) is
    also well worth a visit. It covers 1,800 acres near Escondido and houses more
    than 300 species of wild and endangered animals from the contents of Africa,
    Asia, Europe, North and South America and Australia. The park also operates a
    tram ride where you can observe animals such as antelopes, giraffes, buffalo,
    cranes and rhinoceros as they roam in free-range enclosures.

    Find a campground
    nearby.

    Northwest Trek Wildlife Park |
    Eatonville, WA

    At this wild animal park, you can take a 50-minute Discovery
    Tram Tour that winds through 435 acres of meadows and forests and offers
    views of moose, Roosevelt elk, bison, beavers, wolverines and other animals
    in their natural habitats. Along the way, a naturalist will narrate the tour
    and share fun facts about the animals. The park also has a paved walking
    trail that is stroller and wheel chair-friendly. Twice a day, the park offers
    trailside encounters where you can see animals up close and ask an animal
    keeper questions. The park also offers “Zip Wild,” a series of five
    exhilarating zip line/challenge courses that run through the park’s tree
    canopy. There’s even a “Super Kid Course” suitable for kids ages five and up.

    Find a
    campground nearby.

    Out of Africa | Camp Verde,
    AZ

    This wildlife
    park
    , located 90 miles north of Phoenix, makes it possible for you
    to experience an authentic replica of an African bush safari. It houses
    nearly 40 exotic big cats, including lions, tigers. leopards, jaguars and
    cougars, as well as hundreds of mammals, birds and reptiles. The preserve is
    designed to allow animals to move about freely as they would in the wild,
    which means that visitors can see free-roaming giraffes, antelopes, zebras,
    ostriches, water buffalo and many other animals. Adrenaline junkies will
    appreciate the Predator Zip Line, a two-and-a-half hour tour where they’ll
    “fly” from tower to tower (seven in all) as they view the wild animals below.
    Out of Africa is also known for its “Tiger Splash” show that features Bengal
    and Siberian tigers interacting in a large pool.

    Find a
    campground nearby.

    St. Louis Zoo | St. Louis,
    Missouri

    Located on 90 acres in the city’s Forest Park, the St. Louis Zoo is home to more than 600 species
    of animals, many of them rare and endangered. It is also one of the few free
    zoos in the country. Animal exhibit highlights include Polar Bear Point, Sea
    Lion Sound, Penguin & Puffin Coast, Bear Bluffs and Big Cat Country.
    The zoo also contains a separate children’s zoo, and the Zooline Railroad and
    a 17,000 gallon stingray pool are among its many other
    attractions.

    Find a campground
    nearby.

    Cheyenne Mountain Zoo
    | Colorado Springs, Colorado Giraffe

    This attraction has the distinction of being America’s only mountain zoo. Exhibits include the Australia
    Walkabout, All About Giraffes, Encounter Africa, Making Waves and Rocky
    Mountain Wild. The zoo also features two unique attractions. One is a
    carousel that was originally used at the 1933 Century of Progress Fair, and
    the other is the Will Rogers Shrine which was built in the 1930s to honor the
    late cowboy humorist. The top deck of the shrine is at an elevation of more
    than 8,100 feet, so it offers spectacular views of Colorado Springs and the
    Pikes Peak area. Admission to the shrine is included in the ticket price for
    the zoo.

    Find a campground
    nearby.

    Toledo Zoo & Aquarium |
    Toledo, Ohio

    This 74-acre
    zoo
    makes it possible for you to “travel” from the Arctic tundra to
    the wilds of Africa and from the tropical rainforest to the Sonoran Desert
    and many points in between – all in one day. It houses more than 700 species
    of animals and features exhibits such as The Rescue Roost for bald eagles, a
    Primate Forest, Great Apes, the Tiger Terrace, Flamingo Key and a ‘Keet
    Retreat for parakeets. The zoo also includes the largest collection of Works
    Progress Administration (WPA) era buildings in one location.

    Find a
    campground nearby.

    Cape May County Park & Zoo |
    Cape May Courthouse, NJSealion

    This attraction includes both a park and a zoo, and admission to
    both is free! The 85-acre zoo contains more than 500 animals
    representing 250 species, including lions, alpacas, camels, snow leopards,
    black bears, zebras and giraffes. It also has a fun wildlife carousel where
    riders sit on zoo animal figurines instead of the traditional carousel
    horses. The 200-acre Cape May County Park Central, which includes the zoo,
    has forests, picnic areas, walking paths, bike paths, fishing ponds, a disc
    golf course, playgrounds and more.

    Find a campground
    nearby.