As you’re staring out across the endless grasslands, watching a giraffe ramble slowly toward the setting sun, you’ll have to ask yourself if you’re really in southeast Ohio, and not some far-off land. In fact, a trip to the Wilds, the 10,000-acre conservation center located in Cumberland, Ohio, is anything but ordinary. The park allows guests to get a glimpse of another world entirely, a far cry from the suburbs and cities of midwestern America.
A true living classroom, the Wilds offers families both entertainment and first-rate educational programs. The safari tours, guided by expert naturalists, take you through wetlands, prairies and woodland habitats filled with exotic animals like one-horned rhinoceroses, zebras, cheetahs, Bactrian camels, African wild dogs and more. Pick your own P.A.C.E. (Personal Adventure in Conservation Education, that is) and choose from several tour options, including the enclosed Safari Transport bus and the Open-Air Safari, ideal for the photographers in the family.
Stream exploration, interpretive hikes and astronomy programs are just a few of the ways you can explore the natural world at the Wilds. Fishing enthusiasts and cyclists will also love the park, which boasts 100 lakes and ponds and a challenging mountain-bike course.
Are you a fan of winged creatures? Make sure to check out the world-class birding station, where guests can watch the return of their feathered friends in the spring, and take a walk through the 10-acre Butterfly Habitat, lush with flowering plants selected specifically to attract these rainbow-hued insects.