Arizona's Unique Drive-Through Safari Lets You Spot Wildlife Right From Your Car

If you love animals, you may fantasize about going on a real-life safari. Imagine driving across the savanna in a fortified vehicle, watching the horizon for wildlife on the move. It's so enthralling to idle near a living creature: You can snap a close-up of a lion or elephant with a telephoto lens, yet you're far enough away not to scare it. When you're riding through a bona fide wilderness, the natural landscape makes all the difference. These species can roam free, in their true habitat. You are on their turf. 

Then again, places like the Serengeti are hard for most people to get to (though if you do head to Africa, here are some unexpected things to know before your first safari). Instead, you may feel the same primal joy by driving through Bearizona Wildlife Park, an open-air refuge in the highlands of Arizona, about a half-hour west of Flagstaff. Here, visitors can drive about three miles through a special patch of ponderosa pine forest, where animals like bears and buffalo freely wander. If you've ever wondered what it's like for reindeer to stroll right past your windshield, a trip to Bearizona will bring that daydream to life. While you drive slowly down the road in the comfort of your own car, animals like wolves and foxes come to you.

Since 2010, Bearizona has become a popular destination for Arizona residents and out-of-state visitors alike. Adult admission is $30 to $35 per person and includes both the driving and walk-thru tours. Parking is also included with the entry fee. The grounds cover about 160 acres, giving species ample space to roam and graze. The company specializes in orphaned animals and is a member of both the Zoological Association of America and the American Association of Zoo Keepers. The park's biggest attraction is its drive-through course, where slow-moving vehicles share the road with a range of different animals — each of them native to North America and accustomed to this four-season climate.

While the company is named after its black bears, there are plenty of other critters to see as you drive through: Arctic wolves, bighorn sheep, white bison, beavers, and many more. Once you've parked your car, you can continue your tour on foot, thanks to the adjacent "walk-thru" section. This part feels more like a traditional zoo, with many of the animals safely fenced away from people, but you can still browse an impressive menagerie of wildlife, from red fox and elk to prairie dogs and bobcats, living in recreated habitats. You'll also spot a couple of non-native specimens, including a jaguar and Burmese python. This selection is one reason Bearizona is considered one of the best small zoos in America.

Fittingly, Bearizona is far from any major city, so you have to do some legwork to visit here. The closest major airport is Phoenix Sky Harbor, about two-and-a-half hours away by car. This route is beautiful, as drivers ascend nearly 6,000 feet in elevation. Another option is to drive from Las Vegas, about three-and-a-half hours away. The air can get pretty cool up here, and winter usually brings blankets of snow. Bearizona's outdoor spaces are open all year, so you can see the animals prowling in almost any weather.

The nearest town to Bearizona is Williams, an adorable community of about 3,000 people in the middle of Kaibab National Forest. For Arizonans headed to the Grand Canyon, Williams is an important junction, where you turn onto Route 64 and drive a final, one-hour stretch to the national park's entrance. Bearizona's location on this route makes it a great pit-stop on longer road trips through the region. If you're headed up this way, there are lots of other spectacular roadside attractions as well, such as the Arcosanti colony and the Montezuma Castle National Monument.