Recently planned a meet up at Wilderness trails zoo with some family. It had been a few years since any of us have been there, and seeing it now, with many renovations completed, it looks fantastic, and functions with a much better flow. The entrance, and gift shop, is easily 4 times it's original size; and they always have the cutest collection of plushes. The grounds, and habitats appeared well maintained. The animals were all quite active, playful, and seemed to be healthy; the petting farm area is always a must stop when you visit. The staff are great too; friendly, knowledgeable and helpful. The zoo now offers animal experiences for an extra fee, which can be purchased online or at the entrance, adding a more private element of fun. I will say though, I was really bummed that the Rainforest area was now only open as an "experience" purchase. Years ago it was easily my favorite exhibit, but unfortunately is now out of my price range, especially for a family (as I found the experience costs to be a bit high), so we were unable to see it. Overall we all really enjoyed our outing at the Wilderness Trails Zoo. They did a great job keeping the walk area around the zoo shaded, you could find animal feeding stations and hand sanitizer in many locations, seating widely available, a picnic/eating area, prepackaged ice cream bars/dippin dots in store, children's playground, clean restrooms, and plenty of parking available as you first arrive. This zoo is definitely worth the visit, and I'm sure I'll be having another day trip here again soon. read more

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Booked a lemur encounter here with the ruffed lemurs. It was nothing short of amazing! We got to go into the cage with Marshmallow and Smores the lemurs. Got to feed them and one had a grand ole time licking my feet. The rest of the zoo was very neat. You can buy cups of carrots to feed other animals as well. I also saw an animal here that I had never seen before, a Zorse. They are beautiful and loved the carrots! read more

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The cages and homes for these animals are way too small. I just visited this zoo with my partner and cannot believe that a place like this is still open in 2025. I've just signed multiple petitions to try and have these animals relocated to a better fitting home. Truly heartbreaking to see. read more

I must say that I cannot really review this zoo on its animals and their enclosures. We were in the area when the temperatures had already dropped and we had entered the holiday season. What Wilderness Trails does during these cold months is put up lights all over the zoo property to turn it into a drive-through holiday light display ... and that is all I can comment on in this review. For a drive-through holiday light display, this was a very nice experience. The drive is pretty long as you wind around all the animal enclosures, and you probably won't see many animals at all ... but the light displays are really wonderful. This is the kind of thing one might want to do with your young kids ... load them into the car with their PJs on and drive them through a winter wonderland of lights. Kids would love it. So from our point of view and regarding only the drive-through holiday light display, this was a lot of fun. That said, we hope the animals are treated well and provided for all year round. read more

Ghetto ahh zoo, the animals look miserable. The animals were pacing around the zoo with nothing to do. The lion was constipated or smth as it kept whining, as well as the wolf. They fed one of the caracals so much food that it got diabetes and sadly died. The crows would NOT shut up and kept pissing off the other animals. Save these poor animals from this misery! read more

Took about 2 hours at a stroll. But enjoyed it. Affordable and not super crowed. Lots of animals. read more

Wilderness Trails Animal Park - Lion - Zoos Near Me - Birch Run, Michigan

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Grew up in Saginaw, was in town visiting with my 2.5 year old. Never heard of this place. Was very impressed with the variety of the animals. Heard the owner talk to other guests and he seemed very genuine in his care of the animals. It's way different than the Saginaw Children's Museum and would recommend both. read more

Animals looked malnourished, too small of enclosures, smelled like weed, no staff acknolegdment. My family was dissapointed

Warning - the parakeets bite. We've been in similar bird-feeding rooms in other places, with the usual seeds-on-a-stick for them to nibble. But these parakeets were more interested in biting my bare arms and hands, hard enough to draw blood. I didn't even know they could do that! My humble opinion, stay away from the parakeet "exhibit". We're lucky our grandson didn't get bit, but both my wife and I did. Fortunately they had some antiseptic and bandaids at the front desk. Maybe the birds were overly stressed out; there were about 6-8 people in the small space, and dozens of birds. The rest of the zoo is very "old school", animals displayed in small cages or enclosures. Modern zoos have left this style long behind. There were some nice employees, who seemed to be doing their best. read more

The zoo had many different animals, but I left feeling extremely sad for many of the animals. Many of the enclosures are way too small for the animals, and I saw several animals pacing due to boredom and anxiety in their small spaces. A cougar and two bears were pacing in a single line back and forth the entire time. They seemed sad and bored. Also, there was one capybara with a sign put up by the zoo saying how social capybaras are. Then why is this animal left alone?! Similarly, an otter was in a small pool by itself. I feel like if the zoo can't properly take care of these animals and care about their well-being, they should be released into a sanctuary. read more

Wilderness Trails Animal Park - Cougar - Zoos Near Me - Birch Run, Michigan

I will start by saying that the staff was super friendly! There were many employees on the premises fulfilling their duties and all were courteous to my family. I'm not sure why such nice people could work at such a sad establishment. A family member purchased a Groupon for this place and I honestly had never heard of it. With two toddlers in tow, it took us about an hour to see all the animals, with the exception of the reptiles because it was too cold outside. (But a certain preschooler was more excited about the playground.) The elk had a few acres to roam, whereas the two large lions' enclosure was the size of my living room. I would not recommend visiting. I would be happy to donate to the relocation of the exotic animals. My kids were happy enough with feeding the goats. read more

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Lions and tigers and zebras, oh my! Although we've passed this animal park numerous times on our way to Frankenmuth, we recently learned about it when I received a Groupon notification with special pricing. Curiosity got the best of us and we decided why not see what it's about. Upon arrival, we noticed all of the parking spots were taken. The parking lot is on the smaller side for the amount of visitors so we ended up parking on the grass. Walking in, you'll enter into the gift shop much to the excitement of the kiddos. It's not a huge gift shop, but it's just big enough. From T-Shirts for both adults and kids, to stuffed animals and little toys, it's easy to find a souvenir. The ticket counter is off to the side in the gift shop and after you purchase your tickets, you step outside and into the park. There's a big play structure for the children to play on along with a shaded picnic area if you choose to bring your lunch. No food is available on the premises, so bring your snacks, drinks and or food if you want to sit down afterwards. Small wagons are available for rent for the small price of $5. They hold two small kids and come in handy if you have little ones and don't have a stroller. The walking trail is easy to traverse and there are shady areas, so you're not in the direct sun at all times. Keep in mind that the trail is dirt and dirt gets muddy after a rain. Also, shoes are recommended but if you're a sandal person and don't mind the dirt, they'll be okay. We wore shoes though just to be safe because we didn't know what to expect. Walking along, you'll notice it's not a huge and lengthy walk like our Detroit Zoo is, but for an hour or two adventure at reasonable prices, this place foots the bill. All in all, it's a nice park with lots of wild animals to see up close. Besides the lions, tigers and zebras, there are birds, reptiles coyotes, bears and so much more that the whole family will enjoy seeing. The kids can even feed the goats and other animals. They have dispensing machines that cost a mere 25 cents for a handful of feed. The kids loved having the animals eat out of their hands. Don't forget to bring some wet wipes, as their hands get a little slurped up afterwards. If you want something fun to do with the kids, check this place out. It's a fun and easy day for parents, grandparents, big kids and little ones.... an adventure for all. The best part is it doesn't break the pocketbook and it isn't the type of walk that will last all day or wear you out. Have fun! read more

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I wish I could give a zero, i wish I could do more, but this place is disgustingly disturbing, the care for the animals in this zoo is uniformed. Should not be in business, i cant understand how they are or why anyone would support them further. Do not go, do not support them, i hope those animals are put into sanctuaries befitting of their needs. read more

Went for the Christmas lights. 15 per person. Thought that was too expensive. It was very depressing and sad to see the bob cat in the cold, hunched over and looking defeated. Small cage. I know bobcats are equipped to be in cold weather, but still depressing. read more

What an awesome experience! I agree with previous posters that the staff is great! We walked into the trail house to redeem our Groupon and buy the ticket for our son. The cashier tipped us off that we might want to add some quarters for the 8 feeding stations along the trail. Do it and add $1 for the parakeet experience. The zoo has a nice Aviary area, a small primate section, some tigers, lions, zebras, fox, large cats, and Elk/Reindeer. They have a large reptile area that ends with some very large Tortoise. There is a petting area, a play area, and a small gift shop. The trail is well covered in foliage and the enclosures are very close to the trail. The Parakeet Experience includes taking a stick with seeds on it into the parakeet enclosure. As you might guess, the birds really enjoy this! Check this out next time you are in Frankenmuth or visiting Birch Run. read more

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Me and my family visited this place recently and it appeared they have a LION in an enclosure that is completely outside .. this lion is walking around in snow and sounds terribly sick . If you know this and still continue to give this place your money , well that just proves the type of person you are .. we are trashing this world and one day nothings going to be left . TAKE THIS LION BACK HOME !!!! This place has NO IDEA how to take care of an animal !! read more

Zero Stars. We should treat all beings the way we would simply liked to be treated. At the wilderness trails zoo in Birch Run, MI exotic and large animals are kept in chain linked fenced cages that are extremely small causing them to pace back and forth due to boredom and anxiety. They have no room to run and predators and prey are all placed near each other. The zoo needs to drastically improve the facilities or find a new home that can care for them properly. What may have started off as an animal sanctuary has turned into a sad site of animal cruelty. Please sign the petition below! http://chng.it/YXNrTwMQ read more

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This place is a nice clean trail of sweet but lonely animals. I feel like they looked sad and alone. Some of them barely had any room to roam. We used a Groupon for a good deal. I doubt I'd go back again but glad we went. read more

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U can tell the animals are miserable in their small little cages. They pace back and forth with zootocis. And on top of that someone stole a rare ducks egg and when I informed a keeper they did not care. Poor duck. Any true animal lover would fine this place sad. Those huge animals need more room! read more

Zoo was small but had a great variety of Animals. The enclosures seemed secure for the most part. The peacocks were loud and one did get out of the exhibit. Bathrooms weren't super clean but the gift shop was nice. Overall a good zoo if you wanna be close to the animals. read more

So I found out about this zoo from Groupon. I had no clue that we had any other zoos in Michigan besides the Detroit zoo so I decided to give it shot and make a trip up to frankenmuth. The zoo is small you could probably walk through the entire thing in 2 hours but it might be my the best zoo I've ever been to. I've never been so close to the animals at any other zoo. I was literally 7 feet from 2 lions. There are signs up to not run with the animals but I read that sign after the fact. This lion literally ran side to side with my wife like he was a family dog or something. He looked us in the eye and ran side to side and mimicking her side to side movement. We were able to pet and hand feed several animals. This is definitely an awesome hands on zoo. I love the intimate size of it and the amount of trees. It's like being in the wild instead most commercial zoos We had a blast. Hands down the most fun I've ever had at a zoo. I've been to Detroit and Toledo and some others but this one although much smaller gets you very close and is so hands on. Would love to return one day read more

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What a Satisfying Soul touching Big Smile on your face Enjoyment; Walk around a Mile or so of Beautiful Animals, you get to See UpClose! A TIP. Cool Spring is one of the best Times: baby Animals &They're Very Active&Playful! read more

What a great couple of hours. The zoo was reasonably priced and it was a nice shaded walk through the area. Had a great time watching the lemurs, lions and bears. All the times I have been to Frankenmuth and driven past this place. We will probably stop here more often now! read more

Wilderness Trails Animal Park - Lemur, he was a trip as he would dance for us. - Zoos Near Me - Birch Run, Michigan

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I would recomend taking the trip to go here if you want a full zoo experience with ALL the same animals but 1/2 the price, more of a encounter than just browsing by like a spectator, and a intimate appreciation for the wild, animals and the space they inhabit. My kids LOVE IT HERE AND SO DO I. I have never in my life or travels seen such wild animals so up close I could feel their breath and growls and see a true experience of them in a realistic habitat. my FAVORITE IS THE LIONS WOW. and kids loved the bird house :-). Bottom Line it is soooo worth it. so if your heading up that way or just looking for somthing to remind you your not on top of the food chain. GO HERE. one of my 7 wonders of the world!!!! 5 STARS read more

Definitely my favorite zoo to take my kids to they absolutely love the parakeet aviary!

My sister and I love going to zoos, and have actually taken road trips to see zoos in other states. When we found out about this animal park we were so excited to check it out, and there was even a Groupon for the entry fee. Upon entering we realized exactly why it was so cheap to come see the animals. They're kept in pretty dismal conditions and cramped quarters, and some looked unhealthy. Up front is a glorified petting zoo, and if you bring quarters you can feed the various goats and deer in the park. There's also a parakeet enclosure where you can pay $1 for a stick with some birdseed and let them fly all around you. Some of them do bite but they're too small to do much beyond pinch your finger. There were two cows that were kept in tiny pens that they could barely move around in, and one large goat had a tiny little dog house that might be just big enough to get his head stuck. There was also a sheep with a tumor so big it almost touched the ground. Other more exotic animals looked incredibly bored in enclosures much too small and with no enrichment. A few were watching from the back of their cages while others paced the fence. Overall it wasn't even worth the cheap Groupon rate, and I wouldn't be surprised if it gets shut down soon. read more

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Love this place! Great selection of animals and a large variety. The crowds aren't as large as at other zoos which makes it a more personal and enjoyable experience. The animals are quite active during the cooler months; spring and fall are great. However, the reptile exhibit only has animals during the summer. We have watched as the lions roar back and forth to each other, it's great! We've also fed several animals including deer! Overall, a very nice experience every time we go! read more

we recently hosted our son's 1st birthday at the zoo. It was great, they decorated for us, we super accommodating the whole day, and everyone was super kind to us. It felt like everyone knew it was his birthday. it was great for the cousins to have something to do and the play area was right next to the pavilion too. our son loved all the animals and had a blast! read more

This is the saddest zoo I have ever been to. The petting zoo area is not the worst but is a little small and could use some hand sanitizer. But the rest of the zoo was ridiculous 2 male lions in an enclosure the size of my backyard with nothing to do expect pace in stress. Many other breeds of large cats such as tigers and cougars in the same conditions. Arctic foxes with nowhere to go in 90 degree heat. An otter with a pool smaller than one you can pick up from Walmart for 50 bucks. 50-100 parakeets shoved into a small cage. Huge beautiful macaws with no room to fly. Many types of monkeys with cages too small for them to climb around in. None of the animals had enough enrichment activities if any at all. All and all this zoo was horribly depressing and NEEDS to be shut down. read more

Easy on your wallet and yet worth every penny. It was hot so not all of the animals were extremely active but wow, all sorts of predators, herbivores, snakes and other lizards, birds and more. A great way to spend an afternoon. Parking can get a little dicey, but manageable. read more

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This place was so heartbreaking to see. I have been to many animal sanctuaries and zoos and this is one of the worst I've seen. The animals are so unhappy. They have no type of enrichment in their tiny enclosures (cages) and I did not see any shelter from the elements in some of the e closures. Where do they go when it snows? When it rains and storms? I couldn't even finish walking through the entire road side zoo because I was so upset. These animals need to be give to a real sanctuary or better zoo that can actually take care of them the way they deserve. This place disgusts me. read more

This place was devastating for me. A single otter in a chainlink cage on a concrete slab with a filthy pool of water. No toys, no moving water, no grass or dirt or plants or anything lifelike. Two lions in a fenced in area with a wooden deck to lay on and two dog houses. Bears on cement slabs. Big cats in enclosures smaller than my bedroom. Monkeys in cages the size of my bathroom. I legitimately had tears in my eyes as I walked through. It was depressing. read more

This is a small, well keep up zoo. NICE walk. Gets you up close and personal to all the animals. We went on a cooler day and all the animals were out and moving and looked well care for. Caregivers that are walking around with friendly and enjoyed playing and being around the animals. read more

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We pass this place by everytime we go to Frankenmuth. Today they had a Halloween event (we were to late for that) but went in a decided to give the zoo a try really not expecting more then a nature trail. Boy were we surprised!!! This zoo has animals that I have never seen in person! And the quiet walk on a wooded trail made it even more beautiful!! Deffintly will be going here again!!! read more

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We just happened to drive past on our way home. We'd been bickering for a while on our drive and I guess we both thought at the same time that a zoo, even a small and unknown zoo might fix us. Tada! It's small, a little dirty, and is perfect. Our entrance, $12.50 pp, which is a bit of money but our goal is to be less whiny the rest of the way home. We walk it and out of the gate we see different Parrots, which are colorful and very loud. They have nice reading material next to each cage and we now know a few things. Moving on to Monkeys, petting zoo, and standard animals. OK, we are smiling. Moving on, we hit the bigger animals, such as bulls, horses, and Zebras. We go see some baby deer that are laying down and as we are making our "look at me" noises, one gets up and farts on us. So, now we are laughing. The rest of the way we go past Bears, Lions, and many foxes. Overall, we had a great time and would likely come back. read more

This is my favorite Zoo ever!!!...right on your way to frankenmuth....All animals from Michigan!..+ Tigers..lions and Bears oh my!!!...petting farm, reptile heaven..all donation ran!!!...Beautiful Black wolfs..Bob cat...otter...foxes...All dirt trails...Awsome! ..feels like there's no cages..."It's super duper very cool".. Your kids will love it!! Can't belive how close all the animals are.....going soon!..adopt a animal only $ 20..Great Zoo!!!.....happy trails read more

Wilderness Trails Animal Park - My black wolf...love seeing him every year !! - Zoos Near Me - Birch Run, Michigan

Few things make my heart race, but a cougar pacing and growling while my family walks by its inclosure will do just that! We all agreed that this was one of the best zoos we have ever been to, and we've been to many in our travels. The animals are so close to you, and you can even feed and touch some of them! We saw their new lion cubs wrestling with each other no more than 15 feet in front of us. We watched a bull elk in all its majesty stare us down while we walked past its female. Fed goats, ran with wolves (well, in front of them but still, pretty neat!), and saw zebras. Since we were there in October, a lot of the animals that require warmer temperatures were not there (reptiles), but there was still plenty to do and see! I only wish they had a giraffe like the statue that was by their entrance! read more

Nice little park, easy destination. My 3 kids (5 and under) love this little zoo because you can get pretty close to the animals, lots of feeding stations where for a quarter you can feed turtles, goats, otters, bears, and other animals. Very cute petting zoo with baby animals in their own pen. We got there around noon and ate a picnic lunch on one of the many picnic tables by the small playground when you first enter. Then we walked around, total time took about 2-1/2 hours. When we left I remembered they had coloring books for the kids but had to ask the staff if they still had them (they did and the boys were happy to get them!) Very nice zoo. I just felt a little sorry for a few of the larger animals in their small cages (lions, wolves, bears.) They seem well cared for but it's not a "natural habitat" zoo if this is what you are looking for, it's a caged animal zoo. Nice reptile display. I recommend going in early summer, lots of baby animals to look at and feed! read more

A gem of a small zoo and well worth it. This is as easy as zoos get when it comes to access and time. It's a gem because of it's size and variety of creatures it houses, including endangered animals and a sizable reptile area. Mostly shaded, the animals are protected from the direct sun and it's a beautiful walk around on the dirt trail. The animals can be seen and sometimes even fed. This park provides an up close and personal opportunity to be near these precious animals. Every dollar here supports these efforts. Go and see the animals! read more

My favorite "zoo". We went to the Detroit zoo and it was disappointing. Here, the animals are up and moving around. There's a large variety as well. The birds were talkative! They even had a little enclosure to feed some other birds seed off of a popsicle stock, it was a great experience. You can feed the catfish, goats, ducks, and a few more animals. It's 100x more personal than the big city zoos. read more