Catoctin Wildlife Preserve

My mom got annual passes for my nieces, so she got me a pass as well so I could take them.
I enjoy going myself and the kids always have fun seeing the animals. (They are 1.8 and 3 years old, so they sometimes need help and encouragement while feeding the animals, but it is good to start socializing them at a younger age.)

It is best to time your visit around hot days, as there is a lot of walking. But there is shade on a good portion of the paths and water at the snack shack.

For strollers, unless you have a jogger with bigger wheels, don't bother bringing it. Besides the main path, most everywhere else is gravel or dirt and hard to push the smaller sized wheels over. They do have wagons and some other tools of convenience for rent.

We enjoy seeing most all of the animals, but my favorites are the Japanese section, the Lynx, and the Wolves. (The new enclosure for the wolves finished recently)

My 9 year old nephew recently enjoyed the alligator presentation and loved getting to pet the baby (more like the alligator equivalent of a toddler.)

Every staff member I have met over our 7+ visits have been at least polite and helpful, to enthusiastic and knowledgeable. Even when they are dealing with difficult customers or a busy crowd on a hot day.

Ever since we went on the safari, my 3 y/o niece keeps asking to go again.

Love this place, will definitely return.

Arrival: The earlier, the better. We arrived around 10am on a Saturday, and it wasn't super crowded. We had options to take the 12pm and other rides after.

Parking: We found parking to be pretty easy. There was street parking as well as some parking lots (one that was even marked as overflow parking).

Tickets: We ordered tickets online. That process was fairly easy. When we got to the entrance, they just asked for your name to pull up your tickets. You would then purchase your safari tickets there as well.

The Tour: It was self-guided. I read plenty of reviews saying it's a lot of walking. Eh....yes and no. You are walking the whole time, but for me, it was no different than walking the zoo. The only difference is that this place wasn't as big and had benches that weren't all occupied. Then, you got a walking break during the safari. What made this experience much better than the zoo was that it wasn't super crowded and you got to interact with the animals. We got to feed and touch animals (emu, kangaroo, cow, bison, koi fish, crocodiles, and more). It was an experience that we'll never forget.

Safari: The Safari ride was AMAZING!!! Our instructors were nice and awesome and kept us laughing and entertained. ***Make sure to bring animal food on the ride. The safari ride does indeed give you (1) complimentary cup, but you have (3) stops to feed and touch animals on the ride. Trust me when I say it's hard not to interact and run out of your first cup on the first stop. If you have wooden tokens, you can trade them in for food on the ride.

Animal Food: The food at the front is $5.00 or throughout the Preserve, and you'll find areas where you can pay 50 cent for a handful. We opted for the 50 cent food.

Food: There was no actual food for us to eat, but we packed sandwiches, snacks, and drinks and ate after the safari ride. They do have sanitizer throughout the venue, but we still brought our own. Wipes are a good investment as well if sanitizer doesn't make your hands feel really clean.

The Smell: I saw plenty of reviews complaining about the smell. For one, I didn't smell anything out of the ordinary. Animals smell, so I was so confused as to why it was even mentioned. Also, there was no repulsive smell throughout our visit. Please ignore those reviews.

Bathrooms: We actually didn't see any actual restrooms, but there were plenty of porta potty's. We had children, so we used them. They were clean. I'm not sure if it's because they are really sticklers about cleaning, or we went earlier enough where there was no room for people to dirty it up. Anywho, it worked out for us.

Overall: We are already planning to go back! This was a great experience.

I took my grandson here for some fun. We both love animals and he had a blast. There is a good variety of animals. The paths are well kept, and all the animals were able to be seen. He loved the safari ride and all of the opportunities to feed animals. The staff were all very friendly. Even had free water and snacks while waiting to ride the safari.

Still a hidden gem. Great for a day trip alone or with family and friends. Been there sense the 1930's originally 3 acres now 100 or more. Yes the Safari is open on weekends. But it's a great place to get a healthy walk with sitting areas almost every corner. Friendly park staff with a little petting area for the kids and a cool spot to feed the huge KIO fish it's pretty cool for kids and adults. If you haven't been there is perfect for a day trip and locally in Maryland it's worth it $27 for adults $18 for kids

This wildlife preserve exceeded our expectations, and my family asked if we could return (which they didn't do after visiting the National Zoo in DC). We were surprised at the large number of wildlife exhibits. It took us a little over an hour and a half to see all of the exhibits. Unfortunately, the safari ride was not available when we went but will be available after Mother's Day. There's plenty of parking and the staff are helpful. I cost around $27.00, but it was well worth it.

We had such a great time seeing all of the wild animals! The Australian exhibit was so cool! The safari with all of the African animals was awesome as well! Animals were well taken care of! Plenty of viewing area for each exhibit! Great place to bring the kids!

I always hated the DC zoo. Couldn't find the animals, and when you did they were partially hidden, not moving, NO fun. Long walks with no shade to eventually see a big elephant, eat lunch and go home.

BUT NOT CATOCTIN WILDLIFE! Took my 10 yr old granddaughter. By far, THE place to take your kids before they close for winter. All the animals are RIGHT THERE! Touch them, feed some, even pay extra for an awesome safari ride to see Zebras, Bisons, Llamas and more!

We had a great time here! The drive to get here is beautiful as well! We enjoyed the self guided walking tour of many animals, but also paid extra for the safari ride! A few bags of food are included to give to the animals and that was certainly a hit with my daughter! There are restrooms and portable toilets everywhere, a decent amount of shade, and a cool gift shop. The staff were super friendly, knowledgeable, and encouraged questions. We will definitely be back.

Awesome place to take the kids. So many wonderful animals to see. Loved that there were so many trees, so you are shielded from the sun. Map could be a bit better, but overall, excellent adventure.

This place is really cool. I love the naturalness to it, not like your big city zoo. Not only are the animals fun an interactive (feeding and petting), the vegetation and greenery is absolutely beautiful. I loved the bird and koi feeding. Staff are polite and knowledgeable. They offer concessions but park goers also brought in their own food and had small picnics 💙. The gift shop is fairly priced with many gifts and trinkets. They offer discounts too for veterans 🇺🇲. I will definitely come back.

A great place to take your kids! We went on a Saturday morning and it was not too busy. My 3 year old son loved it. So many different types of animals to see and feed

We love going here with our little one. There is so much to do and see. The animals are well taken care of and you can tell the people running it really put in the effort to keep it that way. They have a nice safari ride and a few interactive experiences which anyone would love. The price of admission is very reasonable and the park is very easy to navigate. I'd highly recommend going through and enjoying the preserve yourself. Take a little money to buy some neat items at the giftshop to take home a nice memory. Great job all around!

Catoctin Wildlife Preserve was a lot more than just a trip to the zoo. They offer at a very reasonable add-on price a Safari adventure that makes 4 stops in the preserve, and the animals come up to the wagon train and eat right out of your hand, the Safari is a must do adventure but it is bumpy so if you have neck or back issues you might want to just see the rest of the park, which I feel is one of the best I have ever visited. They also have a petting area where the little ones can get up close and touch and feed many different animals. Great time, thank you Catoctin Wildlife Preserve! They also offer a military discount!

Great place to go even on a very hot day. There is a good variety of animals and what I liked most was that there are lots of trees. Also if you're going with someone who can't walk a lot, there are benches/seating all along the paths. There's a portable potty, sanitizing stations, and also a snack shack along the path. There are also animal food dispensers near certain animals.

Bring quarters so you can buy food to feed the coy fish/catfish and swans in the pond (50 cents).

This little zoo was amazing! The interactive elements were great. If you have the chance, plan a visit!

Awesome up close adventure for those of all ages. Very peaceful and quiet. Arrive early to really enjoy the great outdoors and animals at your own pace, free of crowding. About three hours will do for a full walk though. Don't forget to Safari! Completely worth it.

Awesome place for kids. They can feed animals in many places, don’t forget to buy lots of animal food at the entrance. Very cool variety of animals, mire from South America, not very many from Africa. The parakeet feeding area is amazing! We didn’t go on the safari, we were quite tired after 3 hours - something to do next time.

A great zoo!!! There’s shade everywhere, and so much bigger than we expected. Stayed 2.5 hours on a hot day. Such diversity in animals. First time I’ve ever seen a dingo or a black swan. First time I’ve fed a tortoise. My child loved being greeted by the macaws right after entering. Thank you!

I've live in the area almost all my life. I never realized how big this preserve is! You can walk in with the birds and all of the exhibits are really up close! This place is a hidden gem

Great day filled with fun and the Safari is so worth it! My kids loved the whole day here 😁 we went for my daughter’s birthday 🎂 and it did not disappoint! Will be doing this again soon!