What is The Wilds??

You likely haven’t heard of The Wilds if you’re outside of Ohio. It may not have the reputation of some of the larger zoos, but it’s no less incredible in the work being done there!

The Wilds is a private, non-profit conservation facility in southeast Ohio. The nearly 10,000 acres The Wilds sits on used to be mined for coal from the 1940s to the 1980s. In the mid-80s, the Central Ohio Coal Company (a subsidiary of AEP) gifted the land to The Wilds, and in 1992 the first species – the Przewalski’s horse – was introduced to the pastures.

Fast forward 30 years and this humble safari park is aiding conservation efforts both around Ohio and across the globe. Local efforts include supporting Hellbender and American Burying Beetle populations. International work, meanwhile, includes assisting with research on the Himalayan-native Sichuan takin, and helping to repopulate a species of oryx that had gone extinct in the wild.

The Wilds has plenty more to boast about, but I’ll let their staff have the honor of sharing those details with you when you do one of their tours!

The Open-Air Safari Tour

The open-air safari is the standard tour at The Wilds. You board a bus, and your tour guide takes you around the entire facility to introduce you to most of the animals on the grounds. It’s a great introduction to The Wilds and lets you see just about everything in one tour.

This tour is also the least expensive, which is perfect if you’re on a budget or have your own little herd of family members to pay for. Prices vary by day with weekend tours being a few dollars more, but generally range from $35 to $40. Of course, you can get a 50% discount if you’re a Columbus Zoo member, or a free tour if you’re a member of The Wilds. All open-air safari tours need to be reserved in advance and take place from May to October.

It’s worth noting that the pastures at The Wilds are pretty big. While you’re likely to see several species up close, some may be further away. You might be interested in taking binoculars. If you’re planning to photograph the animals, I’d suggest a lens that allows for close range (right beside the bus) as well as distance. If you have the equipment, you could do two camera bodies with close-range and long-range lenses as you won’t want to change lenses during the tour.

The Scimitar-horned Oryx is one of the many conservation success stories at The Wilds.

The Wildside Tour

This tour is perfect for those looking to get up close and personal with the animals at The Wilds! Instead of being on a bus, you’ll be seated in trucks so you can off-road and get within arm’s reach of the animals. You may not see each type of animal housed at The Wilds, but you’ll be able to feed rhinos and giraffes and spend more time with a few species versus the open-air tour. These tours are lead by Animal Management staff, so they’re often more familiar with individual personalities in the animals.

Not surprisingly, this tour is more costly than the open-air safari at $139 for non-members and $110 for members. But seriously, how often do you get to hand-feed a rhino?! Definitely bring your camera on this tour!

If you can swing it, I absolutely recommend doing both tours. Start off with the open-air safari so you can get a good overview of The Wilds and all the animals and conservation projects they’re involved with. Then follow it up with a Wildside Tour so you can interact and spend more time with a few of the more people-friendly species. (Note: if it looks like a horse, it might bite. Don’t pet those.)

Parking

There is a parking lot right beside International Road, from which you’ll catch the shuttle bus up the hill to the visitor center where you’ll check in for your tour. Parking is $7 for non-members and free for members. You can pay for parking when you make your reservation, or wait and pay for it when you arrive.

Please note that the parking lot is gravel, and the walk to the shuttle stop may be several yards away. You can stop at the kiosk and drop off anyone with mobility difficulties so they’re just a short walk from the shuttle stop.

Another option is premium parking. This option is $25, and there are a limited number of these per day. However, then you can park at the Bing Overlook, which is a paved lot. It’s about a 200 yd walk to the visitor center where the open-air safaris load up, and in the same lot where the Wildside Tours load.

Taking a selfie during the Wildside Tour while another guest distracted this One-horned Greater Rhino with food.

Food Options

There are two places for food at The Wilds. One is a grill located at the carnivore habitat. The main option is located at Bing Overlook. And the name doesn’t disappoint! It’s a great overlook over the facility to appreciate how much land the animals have. So grab yourself some lunch and enjoy the view!

Of course, you can also pack your own lunch and take it with you. If you have premium parking, you can leave your food in a cooler in the car and snag it when you’re ready. If you’re in the main lot, you’ll either need to grab the shuttle back down the hill (it’s a short ride), or carry your food with you in your backpack.

Other Tours at The Wilds

While the Open-air Safari and Wildside Tour are the most popular, there are several other tours on offer. Open-air and Wildside are only offered from May to October. However, you can reserve winter tours, such as the Winter Wildside Tour or the Rhino Experience. And if it’s any additional motivation, a Southern White Rhino baby was born in November 2022, so this winter is a great time to go see the little tyke!

Have you seen “Secrets of the Zoo” on Disney+? If you haven’t, make a note to see it! Seriously, I had a much greater appreciation for all the conservation efforts being done at The Wilds after seeing that show, which made my visit that much more enjoyable. Once you’ve seen it, you may be interested in doing a Secrets of the Zoo Wildside Tour, which is lead by one of the Animal Management staff from the show.

There are several other tours on offer as well. You could do a fishing safari, a sunset tour, sunset wildside tour, horseback safari, sunset horseback safari… So many options!

The Sichuan takin, a Himalayan native. Chinese researchers have come to The Wilds to study this animal native to their own country…but these Takin are much easier to find!

Other Activities at The Wilds

Also on the grounds is the Butterfly Habitat, located across from the main parking lot. On route 284 near International Road is the Birding Station at Jeffrey Point. Ohio gets a lot of migratory birds coming through in May, as well as resident bald eagles and osprey.

For those who like a bit more action, check out the mountain bike trails off route 146 (see The Wilds website for details about use). Or perhaps you’d enjoy ziplining over the grounds and animals in the 5- or 10-point zipline tour.

Check out the Hellbenders, which are in the building adjacent to the Johnson Visitor Center. This is one of the conservation endeavors at The Wilds, which helps to rear Hellbender larvae to adults to increase their chances of survival in the wild. You can see some of the larger Hellbenders through the windows, but the building itself is restricted to staff. They do offer tours inside, however, so call ahead to ask about a tour if you want a good look at the world’s 4^th largest salamander species.

You could easily fill a day at The Wilds! Heck, you could probably fill a couple days depending on your interests. Admittedly, The Wilds is a bit rural, which just further adds to its charm. Rather than driving out of your way for the night, why not stay on the grounds? The Wilds offers a few lodging options, including cabins, a whole lodge if you have a larger party, and adult-only yurts on Nomad Ridge which have an incredible view.

Nearby The Wilds

Perhaps you do want to venture off-grounds, or lodging options are occupied. Jesse Owens State Park is a great place for free camping, with four campgrounds available. (Check out my other blog post about camping at Jesse Owens.) If you’re into craft breweries, Old Bridge Brewery in McConnelsville has some good beers! Another interesting stop is to see Big Muskie, the bucket of the dragline excavator that did some of the digging when The Wilds was still mining land. That thing is huge!!

It’s worth noting that this part of Ohio is quite rural. If your party includes someone prone to motion sickness, make accommodations for them ahead of time. Also, please use caution if you visit in the winter. The Wilds’ website recommends vehicles with 4-wheel-drive. Also, route 284 is curvier than route 146, so consider taking 146 if visiting in the winter or with someone who gets carsick.

Final Thoughts

If you’re passing through Ohio and enjoy wildlife, I absolutely recommend a visit to The Wilds! The various projects they’re doing for conservation are nothing short of astounding. Not to mention the area is beautiful, many of the animals are unlike others you’ll commonly see at zoos, and did I mention you can hand-feed a rhino?!

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