Texas Answer To A Safari Plan A Visit To Fossil Rim

Texas' Answer to a Safari â€" Plan a Visit to Fossil Rim

When you think of a safari, often Africa comes to mind. Maybe you see a rickety jeep in the grasslands surrounded by wild animals. Want to take a safari but stay in the U.S.? Then you should consider Texas' Fossil Rim. There you can see a variety of animals roaming together on 1500 acres of land from the comfort of your own car. Or for the more adventurous, take a guided mountain bike tour and get a closer look.

Some of the animals you might see include zebras, cheetahs, wolves, chickens, rhinos and more. Add this to the stunning scenery and you will swear you had driven into Africa! The trip is a 10-mile scenic drive that you take at your own pace. Most of the animals (except for the carnivores and rhinos) can be seen roaming free. You can even get up close and personal by purchasing feed to feed the animals.

Fossil Rim began as a big game ranch, but in 1987 became focused on saving endangered species. It has several captive breeding programs, including a renowned one for Rhinos (ten calves in about 10 years) and cheetahs.

Prices are reasonable, with General admission at $16.95 for adults and $10.95 for children ages 3 to 11. Park officials recommend planning a minimum of two hours for the ride. To enhance your experience, audiotapes, binoculars, and the animal feed are all available at the Visitor's Center. Bring a picnic lunch and enjoy it in the picnic area after your ride. Or stop at the halfway point and get a meal at the Overlook Café. The views over Chalk Mountain are unbelievable, and the Nature Store has a variety of gifts and souvenirs.

If you want a more personal experience, consider one of the guided tours. The Behind the Scenes tour takes guests our in an open-air vehicle for a more realistic experience. A naturalist comes along to point out the sights and answer questions.

For those who would enjoy some exercise through the beautiful landscape, a bike tour might be perfect. Tours range from easy rides, designed for families with children, as well as more extensive, adult-only trips.

Another great thing about Fossil Rim is that it can be visited in all types of weather. Rain or shine, the animals will still be out. So you can save your sunny vacation days for the amusement park and still make the most of your time. The park is also open on Sundays. You can still enter the park as late as 5:30 pm and have a full two hours to drive, plus the park tends to be less crowded. All the facilities and tours will be open and available.

Fossil Rim can be a very educating vacation destination as well. Since the park is so involved with the conservation of different species, it can be a good starting point for a discussion on being earth-friendly. Talk to your children about things that they can do at home, such as fund-raisers for endangered species, and reducing, reusing, and recycling things around the home.

If you are planning on going deeper into studying the animals at Fossil Rim that are in need of conservation, you may want to brush up on your terms. Endangered animals are in direct danger of extinction if things are not changed. Vulnerable or Threatened animals are in risk of becoming endangered. Domesticated animals are the ones that have direct human contact. Population stable animals maybe decreasing in population, but have not gotten to a point where they are in danger. Lastly, animals that are recovering in the wild have increasing populations.

For teachers, the park also offers classroom-oriented activities. You can bring your class to the park, or the park can bring some of the animals to you. Some of the current programs available include learning activities with insects and studying the weather. With insects, children can learn about dying with ink made from bugs, keeping arthropods alive in a classroom, and studying insects out in their own playground. For the weather, students will learn how to use thermometers, barometers, rain gauges as well as equipment to test wind speed and humidity. Programs discussing mammals and plants are in the works for the near future.

So make Fossil Rim a part of your next vacation and have a stop that is both fun and educational!