I have been a passenger in the car from Salt Lake City to St. George and back dozens of times throughout my life...and somehow I've been asleep during the drive through Scipio every time. But when a friend made a recommendation to stop by, I stayed awake and took the exit to the petting zoo. It was SO MUCH FUN to visit the animals. There are some (rabbits, goats, lambs) that you can visit inside their enclosures. The others (mini horses, turtles, llamas, emus and more) can be pet through the fence. There is popcorn and seeds that you can purchase to feed the animals, which they really like. The facilities seemed to be in good shape and the animals well cared for. Everything is run on donations, so bring a few bucks to put into the collection box and make your next fuel stop one to remember! read more

See all

The sweet little gas station/stop no longer appears to be owned by the same person. The popcorn is gone, the petting zoo is no longer taken care of and looks abandoned- the few peacocks left seem to be scrounging picnickers leftovers. read more

I never thought I'd sit down and write a review for this petting zoo, which is located just outside of a gas station in Scipio, but one of the animal caretakers named Eddie was so kind to us and deserves a five-star review. Eddie gave us a rundown of the animals--they currently have about 50, all of which are rescues. The zoo tries to find permanent homes for nearly all of the animals, which I think is really nice. This place has lambs, goats, bunnies, chickens, ponies, zonkies, horses, peacocks, llamas, alpacas, tortoises, a camel, and a miniature cow. Our group got there right as the zoo opened for the day, and Eddie let us feed the sheep, goats, and tortoises! What once was a "I don't really care, it's a petting zoo" exit will now be a regular stop on my drives south on I-15. read more

See all

I absolutely love this place! Every time I drive by, I make sure to stop in. So happy the place gets better and better each time. They have made a lot of improvements over the years. Alpacas , camel, zonkey, turtles, bunnies, lambs, goats, chickens, ducks and peacocks. read more

See all

I saw a comment about the camel being in the heat... Wondering how hot it was for the person reviewing to be concerned. Camels live in the dessert (mostly Middle East) they can handle temperatures as high as 130. I wasn't too worried about the camel, I would be more worries about the Rabbits and the Zonkey (zebra/donkey mix) The goats do have this grass/carpet they walk on instead of walking on hot concrete. I went to this zoo mid August, right next to gas station. I think what these animals need is just a bit more space. The man taking care of this place was very nice! read more

Scipio Petting Zoo - Petting Zoos Near Me - Scipio, Utah

The wife and I were headed from Las Vegas, Nevada to Salt Lake City, Utah in 2021. Midway we stopped at a random gas station. Low and behold we stopped next door to the Scipio Petting Zoo. No entrance fee so we stretched our legs. Rabbits, Goats, Peacocks, Turkeys great you as you first enter, further inside you'll meet large tortoise's, llama, a camel, and zonkeys. Here we were driving to Salt Lake City for something and suddenly we're petting goats, llamas, and zonkeys! In the middle of nowhere we're looking at a camel and petting zonkeys! How cool. A few days later we were driving back to Las Vegas, we stopped for another visit. For something that had no entrance fee and wasn't planned, I can't complain. 2022 saw another trip through Utah, this time my 15 and 13 year old kids we're with us and loved every minute of being there. The kids stopped to hold and pet bunny rabbits first. I was asked by one of the caretakers if I would like to feed the camel. You bet I did, can't say you pet let alone fed a camel every day. Turns out the camel goes by the name Wednesday. I had just turned my back to Wednesday when I was out of food for her. My family had watched me and as I turned to speak to them, something happened, it felt like Wednesday had tried to take a bite off the top of my head. I turned back towards Wednesday and all I could hear was my family and the caretaker laughing. "Did Wednesday just try to take a bite off my head?" Still laughing the caretaker informed me that Wednesday wanted to give me a kiss. As I was feeding the camel, I was also petting her chin and front of her neck, apparently this is something she loves. Can't say you've been kissed by a camel every day. read more

See all

I always stop because it's right next to a pilot truck stop you can see the animals but I can't figure out if it's still open. Wish the camel had more room to roam read more

Scipio Petting Zoo - Closed - Petting Zoos Near Me - Scipio, Utah

This poor camel had NO space to turn around, and I couldn't see ANY water for him. It was over 100 degrees. There were a couple of peacocks, but when they turned, they hit their feathers on the fence. This is RIDICULOUS. This is awful. We couldn't see more - it was dilapidated and appeared to be closed. Someone needs to rescue this poor camel. He was LAYING ON THE GROUND FLAT. Camels don't usually lay flat like that. I am worried this animal is ill. We drove by and then I learned a friend drove by too. We BOTH saw that poor camel. read more

Incredibly cruel. The animals don't have nearly enough space or stimulation. They even have a camel by itself. So sad, I nearly cried.

Very cute little petting zoo next to the gas station. It is well-maintained and you can tell that the owners truly care for the animals. There are two types of food that you can feed the animals and they are eager for some snacks! As an ex vet tech, I can tell you that the animals appear very healthy and not stressed. Yes, the camel is out the heat; camels like heat and there is shade and water available. There is no cost, only donations. I recommend a visit. read more

They can proudly flaunt their USDA approval if they like but this is an obvious example of animal cruelty as I've ever seen. The camel is a social animal. I've stopped there at the gas station 2x in the past month and that poor camel is always laying down moping. There is not enough room for these animals to truly be happy. Won't be stopping here for gas again and will be further looking into how to end this cruelty. read more

I am concerned about the camel. May or may not have died today. He looked sad so i talked to him for a bit. Then he rolled over and was unresponsive. I fear for his life. read more

Scipio Petting Zoo - I told the camel he was being abused and he appeared to roll over dead. Not sure. - Petting Zoos Near Me - Scipio, Utah

See all

We came here when it was closed but the girl working there let us come in to look at the animals anyway :) lots of birds and animals here including a camel and a cute little mini-horse. The animals seem happy. Great view of the sunset! read more

Scipio Petting Zoo - Zonkey - Petting Zoos Near Me - Scipio, Utah

See all

Wow! What an awesome experience seeing these unique animals! Eddie is an absolute gentleman and we can't wait to drive through this spot to visit with our family again!! read more

See all

I had an amazing time here! super friendly staff, very friendly animals and it was free! I really enjoyed my time here and felt very safe. 10/10 recommend! They also have a rabbit area that visitors are allowed to go in and pet the bunnies. They have the same for the baby goats and sheep and there's no extra charge for the GOGA read more

See all

If you haven't taken the time to stop here when it is open, you should. This is the most random place in the middle of nowhere but my kids love it. And I do too. Unfortunately, it was closed when we drove passed in January, but the animals were out so we could see them. Last time I went and it was open, entry was free but the patrons were encouraged to donate. You could pet goats, get close to chickens and emu, and they had some turkeys running around. I think the animals there change from time to time because I swear I've seen a camel there at one point. Give it a try, it won't disappoint. read more

Adorable petting zoo in the middle of nowhere on the way to st George or to Las Vegas from Salt Lake City. Or if you are heading from St George or to Salt Lake City from Vegas, it's just off the I-15 North or South. Emus and chickens. You can't walk your dogs on the petting zoo area because of the other animals but it's still a cute area near the gas stations that is a nice spot to get out and walk your dogs (not in the zoo) or go to the bathroom, fuel up, or get snacks. read more

Best way to break up a road trip or even push past your destination to see the amazing and very well taken care of animals. Petting zoos can be a sad place when it comes to animal care. The Scipio zoo is very clean and attentive to their animals. They don't charge for admission so be sure to bring some cash to drop off in their tip box. read more

This place keeps improving over time. I and my girls have been coming here on and off for probably 2 years as we go down to Saint George/Vegas/Cali. They now have a bunny area, goat area, camel, zebra, deer, llama, Emu, and I feel like i'm missing one other type of animal... But for a ~FREE~ petting zoo they're fantastic! They used to put their food in little candy dispensers that you'd pay a quarter to get food out of but since they've built the enclosure they offer you food to feed the animals for free. I spoke with the gentleman that runs it and he said that he spent his life "watching from the outside" due to not being able to afford to do a lot of things with his family so they did away with the 25 cent charge for the food. Amazing! If you go here please donate to help them with costs either in the drop box or in the flying J. Nice people, nice opportunity! read more

Super cute little petting zoo just off I-15. Nice place to stretch out and see cute animals. Staff are very nice and helpful.

honestly super depressing and not cute at all. the poor camel had no companions and barely any space to even be an animal. exploiting animals in the middle of nowhere is never cute or fun. read more

Adding space! Very nice care taker gave us answers to all our questions. They are open every day except Tuesday! Love it!

These animals are kept in a small enclosure where they do not have room to roam. They did not acquire these animals in a humane way... purchased online. Locked up right now due to COVID-19 and the winter. Not open in the winter and animals are left to themselves. read more

I understand the concept of wanting to have an attraction for the public in the middle of nowhere but these poor animals deserve better living conditions. No grass, no bedding a few of the enclosures didn't even have water! This has been reported to the proper channels and the pictures proving no water and the animals being forced to lay in their own feces have been forwarded. Please thing twice before spending your money on something like this. read more

Unfortunately, we were unable to go inside the petting zoo because they are closed Monday-Tuesday due to State Regulation. They only allow the petting zoo to be open for specific hours per day and specific days per week because it is a free attraction. I'm giving this petting zoo 4 stars because the owner happen to be observing from a nearby truck across the parking lot and must have felt bad because he came over and brought out a bunny for my kids to pet. He also made sure my husband could hold up the kids high enough to see the Zonkey and other animals behind the privacy screen. He didn't allow us a special visit, complying with the state requirements, but he did make us feel important by the small ways he could. I hope to drive through Scipio again so I can visit this Petting Zoo during its normal business hours. My only complaint is that their operating hours are not posted on Google or Yelp. Had they been posted, we certainly would have stopped on the way out to WY from CA rather than pushing it off till the journey home. read more

the animals need attention asap. These people do not know how to take care of their birds, the peacocks are pulling feathers and the emus are thin. all the animals need baths and there is no place for them to stay warm. yes they do have water but it is very dirty. no food or hay is available to the animals when they are closed and I just chased the peacock back into one of the pens after it had a nice stroll around the gas station next door bothering people for food. read more