Planning a Trip to Virginia Safari Park
Planning a Trip to Virginia Safari Park? Here’s all you need to know about the fun, drive-thru safari and the quaint town of Natural Bridge, Virginia.
I first went to Virginia Safari Park about 8 years ago. I was in desperate need for a weekend getaway with my two small kids while my husband was gone for work. I researched what there was to do around our new duty station and stumbled across Virginia Safari Park in a town called Natural Bridge, Virginia. Well, after that first trip, I was hooked! I brought my mom there shortly after my first go, and I just got back from my third trip. I love it there so much I decided to write a post for you all in case you ever get a chance to go!
Natural Bridge is a very small town, but it is definitely worth a visit! The tiny town boasts a hotel, Natural Bridge State Park, Natural Bridge Caverns, maybe a cafe or two, and my favorite part of the area – Virginia Safari Park, a 180-acre, 3-mile drive-thru safari!
My family and I just celebrated my birthday a couple weeks ago and you know how I chose to spend it? I went back to Virginia Safari Park to feed wild animals out of my car. I’m not kidding when I tell you that it’s one of the funnest things I have ever done!
Spoiler Alert: The only food we’ll be talking about in this post is a bucket of animal food pellets :)
If you’re like me and the best part of going to the zoo was always the kid’s petting zoo, you will LOVE Virginia Safari Park! It’s basically a drive-thru zoo that has animals you would normally never get to see up close, let alone pet or feed. Some of the animals you might get to feed in the drive-thru are: ostrich, llama, elk, bison, zebra, emu, deer, camels, water buffalo, Watusi Cattle, rhea, pigs, and more!
So you pay to get in the park and buy your buckets of animal feed. Then you drive through the entrance and see a slew of wild animals coming right to your car. I was a little nervous (some of the animals are BIG) and excited to have that first animal come up to the side of my car. This is not their first rodeo, they know exactly what’s going on. They’re saying, “feed me, lady.” Some animals are shy, some are bold (I see you llama!), some are gentle giants, and some will steal your bucket of food!
As you slowly drive through the park, you will have the not-so-shy animals come right up to your car. Some are bashful, but if you shake your bucket and hang it out the window, they may come for a snack. Some llamas want to stand right in front of your car and not move, so be patient. It’s all a part of the fun! My favorite animal was the bison. He was the biggest animal we saw so we were kind of nervous as he approached our car, but he turned out to be the sweetest, most gentle animal. The Zebra were beautiful and absolutely stunning to see up close! Where else would you get to feed zebras or bison!
Word to the wise regarding the emu/ostrich – they peck into the bucket aggressively, so hold onto it tightly with two hands! Also, don’t wear any dangling earrings…an emu took one of the earrings my mom was wearing!
As if feeding wild animals isn’t great enough, you also get the opportunity to watch them in their own habitat. I saw water buffalo wading in the pond, elk charging through the woods making their loud calls, baby animals lying with their mothers. It was just so special, you would have to see it yourself to truly grasp how magnificent the experience is.
That’s not all, folks! After you’ve driven through the safari, park your car and walk to the Village Walk-Thru, which is like a mini zoo! The Village Walk-Thru is included in your visit. There, you will get to see several types of monkeys swinging through the trees, tigers, kangaroos, anteaters, African Penguins, reptiles, and more! Plus, you can feed goats in the petting zoo, giraffe romaine lettuce, and budgies in a huge aviary (my kids loved it!). In addition to being a fun place for the family, feel good knowing that Virginia Safari Park is all about animal conservation. You can read all about their projects on their website listed below.
TIPS & INFO:
- There’s a possibility that your car can get bumped/scratched by the horns of animals. Leave your Ferrari at home.
- FYI: Your car will be filthy inside and out afterwards. Animal food pellets will be everywhere – on the floor, in your seat cushions, between the seats, down your window, in your shoes, everywhere.
- Military gets a free bucket of animal feed. Bring your ID.
- Your admission is good for the entire day. You can go around and around or leave the park and come back with your receipt for another go later that day!
- Virginia Safari Park offers wagon rides that include a bucket of feed if driving through in your car isn’t possible.
- The park is closed during the winter. Check their calendar to see when they’re open.
- There is a gift shop and a snack bar for your convenience.
- You can get more information on the Virginia Safari Park HERE.
Natural Bridge, Virginia
So you are Planning a Trip to Virginia Safari Park and want to know what else there is to do in the area? All three times I have gone to Natural Bridge, I have stayed at the Natural Bridge Historic Hotel. It’s a beautiful, colonial-era hotel with lots of charm. Some rooms are pet-friendly, some are updated, and some aren’t. I have always stayed in the older rooms and have found them to be adequate. The Natural Bridge Historic Hotel is also where the majority of dining establishments are in town. Their Colonial Dining Room is a sit-down restaurant that serves a breakfast buffet, breakfast menu, and full-service dinner. For lunch and cocktails they have the Red Fox Tavern. I always eat at the hotel because there isn’t much else to choose from and I have enjoyed their food each time I’ve come.
Across the street from the hotel is the Natural Bridge Visitors Center which is where you can buy souvenirs and tickets to explore Natural Bridge State Park, a beautiful place for hiking and exploring. In the state park is Cedar Creek Trail, which takes you to the famous Natural Bridge landmark and through the Monacan Indian Village, which is a living history where you can see the people dressed and living life as they did over 300 years ago. Make sure you get to the end of the trail so you can see the Lace Falls Waterfall.
Lastly, just up the street from the hotel are Natural Bridge Caverns, where you can descend more than 34 stories deep to check out the stunning display of caverns and formations. You can get a bundle package for tickets to The Caverns at Natural Bridge and the Natural Bridge State Park for a discounted rate.
If you want to do everything, I would recommend at least two full days in Natural Bridge. It’ll take you about half the day to do Virginia Safari Park, half the day to see the Natural Bridge State Park, and extra time to do the caverns.
I really hope you get a chance to visit the Virginia Safari Park in Natural Bridge! I have done it three times and will definitely go again! It’s great for the whole family, and you’ll probably leave the place singing the words to SpongeBob’s song, “Best Day Ever…”
If you go to Virginia Safari Park, please, please let me know in the comments! I want to hear all about it!
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