You Can Spend The Night At An Ohio Safari Park With Endangered Animals As Your Neighbors
Imagine waking up in Ohio with rhinos grazing somewhere beyond your cabin window. That unusual experience is possible at a sprawling wildlife conservation center covering nearly 10,000 acres of reclaimed land in Muskingum County.
Rolling hills and wide grasslands create room for rare animals to roam in settings that feel far removed from a traditional zoo. Guests can join guided safari tours, explore the property on horseback, or glide above the landscape on a zip line.
Overnight stays add another layer to the adventure, giving visitors more time to enjoy the quiet surroundings after the daytime crowds leave. The conservation work happening here is just as impressive as the scenery.
10,000 Acres Of Reclaimed Land
Few people realize that The Wilds, located at 14000 International Rd, Cumberland, Ohio 43732, was built on land that was once a coal mining site.
After the mining operations ended, the land was reclaimed and transformed into one of the most ambitious wildlife conservation projects in the United States. The transformation is genuinely remarkable, and you feel it the moment you arrive.
The property covers 10,000 acres of hills, meadows, and wetlands that now serve as home to dozens of species from around the world.
Standing at the edge of the open grasslands and watching a herd of Pere David’s deer move through the tall grass is the kind of moment that stays with you long after you leave.
The sheer size of the place means the animals have real room to roam, which is a big part of why conservation efforts here have been so successful.
That reclaimed history adds a layer of meaning to every visit, turning a fun day out into something that genuinely feels important and worth supporting.
Spend The Night In The Wild
Staying overnight at The Wilds is one of those experiences that sounds almost too good to be true. Guests can book yurts or other on-site accommodations, falling asleep knowing that rhinos, zebras, and giraffes are roaming the same land just beyond the treeline.
The overnight packages typically include dinner and breakfast, so you are well taken care of from the moment you arrive until the moment you leave.
Waking up at sunrise and knowing you can step outside into a landscape shared with some of the world’s most extraordinary animals is a genuinely rare feeling.
Reviews from guests who stayed at Straker Lake on the property describe the setting as peaceful and completely removed from everyday life. The remoteness of the location, about 17 miles from the nearest gas station, actually adds to the magic rather than taking away from it.
Booking an overnight stay also gives you the advantage of catching a second safari tour the following morning, when animals in different spots can make the experience feel entirely fresh all over again.
The Open-Air Bus Safari
Climbing onto the open-air safari bus at The Wilds feels like boarding a ride that no theme park could ever replicate. The bus rolls slowly through the property while animals approach at their own pace, sometimes coming close enough that you could almost reach out and touch them.
Tour guides on board share facts, trivia, and personal observations that keep the experience lively from start to finish.
Guides like Ethan, Brayden, and Violet have been mentioned repeatedly in visitor reviews for their warmth, humor, and deep knowledge of every animal on the property.
Those kinds of spontaneous, unscripted moments are exactly what make this safari feel different from anything you would find at a traditional zoo.
Booking your tour at least four hours in advance is strongly recommended, and the staff will remind you of this when you make your reservation, so plan ahead and secure your spot early.
The Wildside Off-Road Tour
If the open-air bus tour leaves you wanting to get even closer to the action, the Wildside tour is the answer. This off-road experience takes a smaller group into designated areas beyond the standard safari route, sometimes providing closer views of animals rarely seen outside wildlife parks.
On the Wildside tour, feeding a giraffe and petting a rhino are real possibilities, not just wishful thinking.
The smaller vehicle and off-road access mean the guide can follow animals wherever they wander, which is why many visitors who do both tours end up seeing completely different animals on each one.
The sunset Wildside tour adds another layer, wrapping up with a buffet dinner as the sky changes color over the hills. Guide KK has earned particular praise for turning the sunset tour into something her groups talk about for months afterward.
The Wildside experience costs more than the standard safari, but nearly every visitor who tries it describes it as absolutely worth every penny, and many book a second tour the very next morning.
One Of The Top Rhino Conservation Sites On Earth
Here is a fact that stops most people in their tracks: outside of Africa, The Wilds is one of the most successful rhino conservation programs on the planet.
The park has played a critical role in breeding and protecting white rhinos, contributing to efforts that help prevent the species from disappearing entirely. Visitors on recent tours have spotted baby white rhinos as young as one month old, which gives you a sense of just how active the breeding program is.
The conservation mission at The Wilds goes far beyond rhinos. The park works with dozens of species from both Africa and Asia, including animals that would likely face extinction without facilities like this one.
Understanding that your ticket purchase directly supports that work changes the way you experience every animal sighting on the tour.
See The Wilds From The Saddle
For those who prefer four legs over four wheels, The Wilds offers horseback riding tours that let you explore the property in a way that feels surprisingly personal.
Moving through the landscape on horseback slows everything down, giving you time to take in the rolling hills, the sounds of the animals, and the sheer scale of the land around you.
It is a completely different experience from the motorized tours and one that regular visitors often describe as their favorite way to see the park.
The horseback option is available for a range of ages and experience levels, making it accessible even if you have never ridden before.
Staff members guide the rides and share information about the animals and the land along the way, so you are still learning even while you are enjoying a more leisurely pace. The combination of being outdoors, on an animal, surrounded by other animals, creates a layered experience that is hard to put into words.
If you are planning a visit and want to do something that feels truly one-of-a-kind, adding a horseback tour to your itinerary is a decision you will not second-guess once you are in the saddle.
Zip Lining Above the Safari Landscape
Not many places let you watch rhinos and zebras from above while flying through the air on a zip line, but The Wilds is not like most places.
The zip line experience at the park gives visitors a bird’s-eye view of the property that is impossible to get from the ground, turning the vast landscape into a living map of everything happening below. The combination of adrenaline and natural beauty makes for a moment that is genuinely hard to forget.
The Zipline Safari is available to participants aged 10 or older who meet its weight, attire, and safety requirements, and it can be paired with a safari when reservation times allow.
The elevated view also helps you appreciate just how large the property really is, something that can be easy to underestimate when you are riding through it at ground level.
Adding zip lining to your visit is a smart move if you want to make the most of a full day at the park, and it gives younger visitors an extra burst of excitement to talk about on the drive home.
Smart Tips For A Smoother Safari
Getting the most out of a trip to The Wilds takes a bit of planning, and the staff there are upfront about what to expect before you even arrive.
The park is located in a rural area, so visitors should fill their fuel tank before making the final drive to the property. The drive through the Ohio countryside is beautiful, but running low on fuel in a remote area is not the kind of adventure most people are looking for.
Tours should be booked at least four hours in advance to avoid any last-minute complications, and if anyone in your group has mobility concerns, mentioning that at the time of booking is a good idea.
There is a mid-tour stop for refreshments that involves some walking, and the staff can prepare accommodations to make that easier.
Experiences vary by season, with summer safaris and adventure tours generally offered May through October and selected winter tours available November through April.
A little preparation before you leave home means you can spend your entire time at The Wilds focused on the animals rather than logistics.