Spotlight: San Diego - San Diego Zoo Safari Park

Spotlight: The San Diego Zoo Safari Park was formerly known as the San Diego Wild Animal Park. The park opened in 1972, and covers 1,800 acres of the San Pasqual Valley north of San Diego and tries to recreate the natural habitat of the animals as much as possible. The stated objectives of the park were species conservation and breeding animals for the San Diego Zoo, as well as other zoos around the nation. It specializes in wild animals, including many endangered species, from every continent on Earth except Antarctica. Its California condor breeding program is the most successful such program in the U.S. It began in 1987, after the California condor population had dropped to 22. The program was so successful, that some of the condors were released back into the wild only five years later. The condor population has continued to grow and is now nearing 400. The park cares for over 2,600 animals representing more than 300 animal species as well as 3,500 different plant species.

Location: The Safari Park is located at 15500 San Pasqual Valley Rd. in Escondido, CA, north of San Diego.

Cost: One-day pass: $52/adult (12+), $42/child (3-11); Parking - $15/vehicle; extra tours and activities are available for an additional price.

Time: Open daily from 9:00 am - 5:00 pm with extended hours (9-7) in the summertime. Plan on spending from 3-6 hours.

Description: The park is divided into more than a dozen different sections based on the types of animals that are found there. Walking paths lead from one section to another. We visited most of them, but our favorite was probably the Tiger Trail. There were three baby tigers there who were having fun tousling with one another.

     The Lemur Walk was also a lot of fun. We got to actually go inside the enclosure with the lemurs. My niece got so excited, she even grew a lemur tail.

     The largest section of the park is African Plains, and the only way to really see it is via the African Tram (included in the price of admission). There may be a long wait, but it is definitely worth it. The tram takes visitors on a guided tour closer to many of the larger animals in the park, pointing out interesting facts about the animals.

Mama & baby white rhinos

     The younger kids also had a lot of fun playing on the themed playground equipment that was available at different locations within the park.

     Additional activities include: The Balloon Safari (extra $), the Conservation Carousel (extra $), and various shows. We didn't see all the shows, but the Frequent Flyers Bird Show was a lot of fun.

Rating: 4 1/2 stars (out of 5)

Things You Should Know: - The Safari Park is part of the Go San Diego Card.
- If you are planning on taking one of the behind-the-scenes safari tours, you should purchase discounted tickets ahead of time. They are quite expensive and are only offered at certain times.

Nearby: San Pasqual Battlefield State Historic Park, Kit Carson Park, Elfin Forest Recreational Reserve, Blue Sky Ecological Reserve