Hello Zoochaters, I was wondering if you guys could help answer a few questions for a trip I am planning to the San Diego Safari Park. I am probably planning to go with a few family members in the beginning of June, however, we are not going make an issue of pricing because we know how special and how unique the whole experience is and also, we most likely won't be coming back for years to come. So with that in mind I have a few questions.. 1. I know the park is huge, but exactly how big and how hilly is it? I am pretty athletic and can handle long walks and all but some of my family members have feet issues. We are all committed towards seeing as much as we can see in within a day and aren't afraid to hike around. Just want to coordinate the times and how long it takes to walk from one point to the other. 2. I see that there are multiple safaris and they all seem wonderful. However, which ones do you think are the best when it comes to a large coverage of animals, personal interactions with animals, and informative discussions. My guess it the twilight Caravan Safari which seems amazing but I would love some more input based on personal experiences. Also, I was looking at the Tiger or Lion behind the scenes (p.s. we are willing to do two safaris) Would you say those are pretty great? Does it cover more species and interactions than what the description says? Are there better behind the scene safaris? 3. How is the parking situation,? Are there trams if we get a really far parking spot? 4. What days are most crowded? I would assume Fridays and weekend but who knows. 5. Are there any animals not on exhibit? 6. Is the Balloon Safari worth the hype? 7. Any specific shows or talks you would recommend? 8. Are there lots of pathways that aren't show on the map? 9. This doesn't specifically relate to our trip but I'm curious, I saw on google maps that there were a bunch of enclosures outside the main park. What animals do they hold there other than rhinos and is there anyway one can get access to see them? Thank you!
First of all, since you are relatively new, welcome to ZooChat! One friendly tip - instead of posting this under "general zoo discussion" you should post it under "USA - San Diego Safari Park." I have already reported this thread to the moderators and asked them to move it for you. It's no big deal, just part of learning your way around the forum. Parking - Yes there is a parking tram if you are in the lower lots (which is paid for by their very expensive parking fee). However I would STRONLGY recommend arriving before they open to get a good spot and see some of the park before crowds arrive. Park opens at 9am but you should arrive at 8:30-8:40am (I think the ticket booths are open by then). Walking - Yes the park is big but should be walkable for most people. A few years ago they added a large elevator to eliminate a very steep and dangerous descent to the bottom. This elevator also has a viewing deck on top which is great and offers basically the same view as the balloon. Therefore I think the balloon safari is a ripoff and should be skipped. Walking (part2) - The one very far hike you can skip is the botanical gardens in the far north end of the park. Unless you or your family are really interested in botanical gardens, there are no animal attractions and no visitor amenities and it is a steep and long hike. Extra Safaris - When they replaced the monorail with the new tram, they cut off the large field exhibit with Asian animals. Now the only way to see those is from a cart safari or photo caravan, so I would look for one that specifically goes to the Asian field exhibit. Off exhibit areas - The animals in the main park that are off exhibit are dholes, which are in the old tiger exhibit. There is no way to see them. The other large enclosures you saw on GoogleMaps is their off exhibit breeding facility (much of it for cheetahs) and there is no way to see that either.
Besides what Arizona Docent mentioned, there is also a bird breeding compound with ~80-90 species. It houses just about anything, from kagus to cranes to birds of paradise. You can actually see everything, with the "Ultimate Safari" that is offered. It's $690 a person for five hours but they will do anything you want. Ultimate Safari I want to do it, but not that badly... maybe in the future. There are also off exhibit yards for some animals the park has excess of. I know a pair of lions were kept there before heading out to another zoo. Sometimes there is space which serves as quarantine, too, for both the zoo and park.
If any facility is likely to have Hawaiian animals, it would probably be one of the San Diego parks. However, they never published a species list so there's no way to know. They did in the past, and SDZ Global runs the Hawaiian crow reintroduction program, so I suppose it's possible.
So, is the cart safari (Asia) a worthwhile experience? The price is not enormous ($50) - but not so small that it can be thrown in the air. More importantly, the 'safari' would take up a significant chunk of what might be only one day at the Safari Park; this would be no problem if it were a genuinely interesting experience, but would be frustrating if what could be seen on it was aimed at the less discerning visitor! Anyone done it?
No. There is a single male, Kinohi who lives there for reproductive research. ‘Alala: We’re Getting Closer | San Diego Zoo Global Blog
I have not done a cart safari but I think yes it would be worth it if you are interested in Asian ungulates. The cart only holds half a dozen people and there is a chance you or your group would have it all to yourselves. The driver is there to answer any questions and I would assume they have to be knowledgeable to be a driver (more so than the general tram drivers).
Neither the SD Zoo or SD Safari Park have any of the Hawaiian bird species on exhibit (except maybe nenes). They run a facility on Maui for breeding crows and other species that is not open to the public. Hawaii Forest Institute – Promote awareness of the intrinsic value of Hawaii’s forests
Oh yeah I know that, it was late and I realized it was on the wrong thread right when i put it up. I couldn't figure out how to delete it so I put it up on general lol
I go to the Safari Park once every couple of months,but our typical San Diego expert is still Betsy (though I don't know if she does the SP anywhere near as often as the Zoo). That being said I'l try to answer a couple of these. 1. The park isn't that bad a walk, at least not in my opinion. I'm by no means in fabulous shape,and I as well have foot issues,and I find it to be quite a moderate walk to see the entire zoological collection (I haven't done the gardens walk in a while but it's not that much extra). It's helpful that about halfway through,depending on the route you go,the tram provides a break. 3. Parking has not been a problem for me in a long time. I do try to go on weekdays but I also go on Saturdays on occasion and I can get within a very reasonable distance. I normally arrive around noon for reference. If you want absolute assurance of close parking,be sure to arrive early. And yes,a parking lot tram is available,but I've never used it,so I'm not too knowledgeable on that front. 4. Fridays and Weekends,yes. On weekdays it's normally mothers with strollers looking for an exercise and to entertain the kids,and a few tourists,maybe a school group,but generally the crowd is hardly noticeable. I'll honestly say of my 7 years of semi-routine visits,I've never been in a situation where I've felt the crowds were extreme. It's no Disney Park. The only place I notice real crowding is for the Cheetah Run show. 5. Animals not on exhibit would be the entirety of the Asian Plains,in which they are technically on exhibit,but only if you pay for certain Safaris. I don't know about any other off-exhibit animals at this time. 7. As for shows, the Cheetah Run is impressive if you've never seen anything like it,but I find it to be a "one and done" sort of deal. I nowadays take that time to go on the Africa Tram a first or second time,since the crowds that are normally there are diverted to the Run. I like the bird show, I can't be sure if there's any real rarities,but I do enjoy the show,as I love birds. There's little keeper demonstrations that you pass by on the entrance to the park,and those can be neat (I've seen lesser hedgehog Tenrec,bat-eared fox,and tawny frogmouths in that area),but other than that I can't think of any show-type things. 8. Pathways not shown on the map...I don't see any big problems. Just be aware that back-tracking will be required due to the disconnection between Tiger Trail/Botanical Gardens/Condor Ridge and the rest of the park,and that is shown on the map,it's just kind of annoying. 9. Depending on what you mean by outside of the main park,those would be the enclosures seen on the Africa Tram,which is where the African rhinos are, and on the Asian Plains,where the Indian Rhinos are,which is only accessible by the extra charge tours. There's also a breeding center but I believe everything in that is visible elsewhere. The only other thing is to enjoy your trip! It's not Disney,so don't stress about crowds,but be aware they exist,and be aware of the weather in June. I don't know where you're from but it does hit 90 in June in Southern California. Heck,it hits 90 in April in southern California.
Good point about the weather. The Safari Park is far inland and in summer can be twenty degrees hotter than the Zoo near the coast. Thankfully for you June is not the hottest month for southern California; that would be August or September. Still be sure to wear sunscreen and expect 90 degrees as Shellheart says. As for free demonstrations, there is an informal presentation of an ambassador animal a couple times a day on the lawn in front of cheetah exhibit. I have seen a couple of unusual species as far as ambassador animals go. One was a warthog on a leash and the other was a fossa on a leash.
