Visit the drive-thru safari, Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch, an incredible park that is home to hundreds of exotic animals in Texas. Spend the day driving the grounds of this 450-acre ranch to see over 500 animals and 40 species of native and African exotic animals in Texas!
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Where to Stay & Finding Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch
Use this map and information below to help plan your next visit.
| Address: 26515 Natural Bridge Caverns Rd, San Antonio, TX 78266 |
| Phone Number: (830) 438-7400 |
| Hours: Saturday to Thursday: 9 AM to 4 PM Friday: 9 AM to 5 PM |
My Recommendation on Where to Stay:
- Spacious & Luxurious House: Dog-Friendly, 3 Beds & 4 Baths, Pool, Fireplace, Ping Pong Table
- House: Dog-Friendly, 3 Beds & 2 Baths, Big Backyard, On Site Electric Car Charger
- Tru Hotel by Hilton: Dog-Friendly, Fitness & Business Center, Snack Bar/ Deli
- JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa: Adults Only, Golf Course, 4 Swimming Pools, Restaurants, Spa, Views of the Hill Country
Situated conveniently close to San Antonio and New Braunfels, this popular drive-thru safari makes for an incredible day trip. Spend the day on the large property with a 500-acre safari ranch, and also visit other attractions that are a short drive away.
Next door to Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch is Natural Bridge Caverns, where visitors can marvel at stunning underground formations. In the summertime, make a pit-stop at Bracken Preserve Cave to see the world’s largest colony of bats. Guests will watch 15 to 20 million Mexican free-tailed bats emerge in the evening from a nearby cave.
For food and sweet treats, visitors can find everything they need at the Wildlife Ranch at the Safari Camp Grill.
For popular places to eat off the property, grab sandwiches and burgers and more at Wraptitude: Gourmet Wraps, Burgers and Beers. To sample wine and enjoy a more fine-dining bistro that offers brunch or dinner, visit Oak Valley Vineyards.
If looking to explore nearby small towns in the Texas Hill Country, click here.
The Entrance of Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch
While approaching the entrance of Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch, guests will be greeted by friendly staff ready to assist with tickets and any questions. Be sure to grab an Adventure Guidebook with a list of animals to see on the property.
Consider purchasing a bag of feed. This will make for a memorable, up-close encounter with many animals at this interactive drive-thru safari in Texas. For the safety of guests and animals, throw the feed to the animals instead of trying to hand feed.
Gift Shop and Food
Before starting the drive-thru safari experience or while exploring more of the property, visitors can purchase a souvenir or grab a bite to eat on property.
A visit to the Safari Trading Post gives guests tons of options from shirts, bags, stuffed animals and more to help remember an incredible day exploring the ranch.
Looking for drinks, snacks, sweet fudge, or ice cream on a hot day? The Safari Sweet Spot offers a large selection for its guests to sweeten their experience while visiting Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch.
Needing to eat a full meal before, after or in between seeing countless exotic animals in Texas? Stop by the Safari Camp Grill and indulge in pizza, burgers, tacos and many more options. Spend the day taking your time on property to soak in one of the most unique experiences in Texas.
Giraffes
At the entrance of Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch, visitors are immediately captivated by the towering presence of their majestic giraffes.
Even before the drive-thru safari begins, these gentle giants are easily seen at the entrance. The park opened in 1984, and now has one of the largest herds of giraffes in the United States.
Visitors are easily able to park nearby and walk over to see them close up. Guests love to marvel, interact and take pictures near these amazing creatures. It’s a great way to start the journey with exciting and surprising encounters of seeing African exotic animals in Texas.
VIP Giraffe Experience
Separate from the drive-thru safari experience, the VIP Giraffe Experience makes for an amazing encounter with giraffes by feeding them. With a group of at most 8 people, it’s a delightful way to learn more about the conservation of the giraffes while making memories with family and friends.
Along with the VIP experience of feeding the giraffes, guests will also receive a 120-minute tour guide on the Safari Trek. Guests will receive more close-up experiences with several species of animals on the large safari ranch.
This package will include the giraffe feeding, 1 entry per person to Aviary Experience and 1 entry per person to Prehistoric Experience. Tickets to enter the safari will be a separate purchase. For more questions, please contact Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch.
The Bird Exhibit
Those who love birds will be overjoyed by this interactive experience of engaging with almost 450 birds!
The 1,200-sq foot aviary has birds of all sizes and vibrant colors that love to be fed and are curious of the visitors in their habitat. The smaller birds may decide to get a closer look, and possibly land on the shoulders of guests.
The birds that guests can anticipate seeing include chickens, ducks, cockatiels, budgies, starlings and more. Feed the birds with seed sticks or simply observe them perched on the trees or in bird baths. This unique experience will leave guests with memories to enrich their visit while on the property.
Primates and Wallabies
Just steps away from the Aviary Exhibit, visitors can immerse themselves in the captivating presence of several more amazing animals. Before or after the drive-thru safari in Texas adventure, explore various species of primates, wallabies, and African crowned cranes. Primates that visitors will see include de brazza’s monkey, ring-tailed lemurs, squirrel monkeys and more.
Observe these rare exotic animals up close while taking a leisurely stroll to savor the experience. Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch grants their guests the chance to admire these creatures in a setting that brings them closer than a typical zoo experience in Texas.
Dinosaurs
For those who have a fierce love of dinosaurs will love the Prehistoric Exhibit at Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch. Walk through the exhibit that displays 25 realistic dinosaurs and be transported to the time they ruled the Earth!
Some of the dinosaurs that visitors can expect to see include a 20-foot by 40-foot brontosaurus, a 16-foot t-rex and more! Watch as the dinosaurs blink, breathe, move and more to help create a vivid vision of being close to a real dinosaur.
Experiencing the Drive-Thru Safari
Visiting a drive-thru safari in Texas is like no other experience. It’s the chance for adults and children to bond together while engaging with a wide selection of exotic animals. Unlike a visit to the zoo, these animals have a chance to roam throughout the grounds, and visitors get more opportunities to closely observe and feed them.
The most popular way to experience the safari is a self-guided tour, however a guided tour is an option. Make memories, have some laughs, and admire these truly amazing native and African exotic animals in Texas.
How to Prepare for a Drive-Thru Safari
One of the best things about the drive-thru safari at Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch, is their guests can circle through the grounds an endless number of times before the park closes.
There are many ways to enjoy exploring the grounds, and all make for a fun excursion.
Tips Before the Excursion
- Use the bathroom- There are no stops for a long time once beginning the tour.
- Eat before the tour- There are places to eat on property or bring drinks and snacks for the car ride.
- Grab a bag of feed- Purchasing feed for the animals will heighten the experience. The animals will come closer, and guest can engage with them.
- Have your Guidebook handy- Look through the provided Guidebook to identify the animals you encounter in the park.
- Bring a camera- Charge up the phone or camera and make sure you have plenty of memory space.
- Bring binoculars- A few species of animals may not approach the cars or are in enclosures: like the cheetahs and rhinos.
- Cars may get dirty- Even though the feed comes in a paper bag, don’t be too surprised if small pieces end up on the floor of your car. For those who have trucks, let the kids or adults sit in the bed of the truck to feed the animals. That way, if there is a mess you can easily sweep it out afterwards.
- Keep all pets and animals at home- Pets/ service animals are not allowed on the property, so make sure they stay home.
While driving through the grounds, and when the animals approach cars, windows must be completely up or down. It is possible that some of the animals might try to stick their heads in the car. If this makes anyone nervous it is suggested to keep the windows completely up.
What Animals are in the Drive-Thru Safari
This interactive drive-thru safari sets on a 450-acre ranch. Be prepared to encounter over 500 native and exotic animals in Texas while roaming freely in their habitats. While throwing feed, animals like zebras, emus, gemsboks, gazelles, Arabian Oryx’s, and so many more will be curious about the new guests in the park. For a more detailed list of animals in the park, click here.
While guests come to see their many exotic animals, they will also see native animals like donkeys and bison. The animals are very friendly, but it’s important to throw the feed far from the car, and do not pet the animals.
There are 2 separate habitats for giraffes in the park, the one at the entrance and one while driving the safari. Admire these beautiful and giant creatures from the comfort of your car and be sure to look for the baby giraffes!
Two species of animals that also mesmerize many guests are the cheetahs and the white rhinos. While observing the cheetahs, see how they love to lay down in the grass together or curled up on top of a boulders to look out at the many cars that drive by. The rhinos are unbelievable to see. Observe their ginormous size of several tons, but also notice how gentle they can be.
The animals at Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch are truly unforgettable to see. It’s a great excursion to experience anytime of the year in any condition. Make plans to visit this drive-thru safari to complete the ultimate Texas Bucket list.
Importance of Conservation
Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch is proud of the conservation that they continue to be a part of. Organizations like the Cheetah Conservation Botswana, Conservation Centers for Species Survival, International Rhinos Foundation, Save the Giraffes and more!
When guests first arrive to the park, they receive their Adventure Guidebook that gives many facts about the species of animals found in the park.
They are encouraged to see what category of endangerment the species that are found in the park fall into, and why conservation is so crucial for these animals.
The conservation of giraffes is especially very dear to the heart of the park. Giraffes are considered to be vulnerable to being endangered with a population decline of over 50% in the wild since the 1980’s. Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch has made it their mission to do their part in reducing their level of endangerment. With 4 generations of giraffes bred in the park, they now have one of the largest herds of giraffes in the United States.
Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch has also had a very rare success with breeding its first white rhino. Efforts for conservation of the white rhino has been a worldwide effort. Listed as a near-threatened species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, the rhinos could have easily become extinct overtime due to poaching threats and illegal trafficking of their horns.
Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch is proud to have had success with making sure this beautiful species is protected. To read details of the important event, click here.
Ticket Prices for Drive-Thru Safari and More
| Available Excursion | Prices |
| Self-Guided Safari Tour | $29.99- Adults and Children 12 yrs and older $19.99- Children |
| Guided Safari Tour | $149.99- Safari Shuttle, A Group of Max. 8 People For a Group of 9 and More Wanting to Book the Safari Group, Reach out here. |
| Aviary Experience | $3- Not Available for Those Under 3 Years Old |
| Prehistoric Experience | $5- Not Available for Those Under 3 Years Old |
| Giraffe VIP Experience | $229.99 Per Group of Max. 8 People (Aviary and Prehistoric Experience Included) |
Personal Review of Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch
After exploring Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch, I can honestly say I am so impressed with their entire facility. I am so passionate about animals, and learning more about how much this establishment cares for the conservation of endangered species just warms my heart.
Being able to see the giraffes when first entering the park is truly special. I had never been so close to a giraffe in my life, and I could stand and marvel at them all day. From the monkey’s and walabys, to the seeing cheetahs and rhinos, I am truly blown away by this park. The zebras were so fun to interact with as well. I loved feeding them during the drive-thru safari.
I highly recommend spending the day on the property. Bring the kids or have a day date with your spouse. Feel like a kid again and discover the magic and wonder that animals can bring to all of our lives.
When looking for more entertaining things to do in the Texas Hill Country, view this detailed list to find more incredible adventures.
15 Comments
Debbie · March 6, 2024 at 3:02 am
This looks like such an amazing experience. Iām inspired to check out the drive thru safari as it looks like a fun adventure with lots to see!
Where is Laura Traveling · March 10, 2024 at 4:05 am
It is such a fun experience! I hope you get the chance to go and see it. Thanks for reading.
Jane · March 6, 2024 at 3:46 am
Very informative article! Thank you!
Where is Laura Traveling · March 10, 2024 at 4:03 am
Absolutely! Thanks for reading!
Andrea · March 6, 2024 at 4:45 am
Great information! I especially appreciate the tips!
Where is Laura Traveling · March 10, 2024 at 4:06 am
Wonderful! Thank you for reading. I’m glad it was helpful to you.
Katherine · March 6, 2024 at 12:42 pm
I love giraffes so the feeding experience sounds amazing!
Where is Laura Traveling · March 10, 2024 at 4:03 am
It was so unexpected. I had never been so close to a giraffe before. It’s a park I highly recommend. Thanks for reading!
Marcella Kist · March 14, 2024 at 3:41 am
Wonderful read!
Where is Laura Traveling · March 14, 2024 at 5:36 am
Thank You!
Kristine · March 14, 2024 at 10:12 am
Great information! Thanks for sharing.
Cleo · March 18, 2024 at 5:49 am
For a second I thought this was in Africa, then I saw Texas š really beautiful! Thank you for sharing
Where is Laura Traveling · March 18, 2024 at 3:02 pm
Absolutely! I’m glad you enjoyed it!
Dana · March 21, 2024 at 12:49 am
I love the amount of detail you have put here. If someone was planning a visit they would have such an inside scoop on everything. Well done.
Discover Natural Bridge Caverns in Texas - · March 24, 2024 at 7:45 am
[…] explore more nearby attractions, visit Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch next to the caverns. This amazing property has a drive-thru safari with giraffes, rhinos, cheetahs […]