Open-Air Safari @ The Wilds / Weasel Boy Brewing

Summary

For this event, we will do the Open-Air Safari tour at The Wilds, a ten-thousand acre conservation center in Muskingum County. It is the largest such center in North America, and one of the largest in the entire world.

We will get up close and personal with wildlife in a customized tour bus. Trained safari guides will share facts about rare and endangered animals, like rhinos and giraffe, as they roam, feed, and play on the grounds. The tour will last about two and a half hours.

The Date and Time of This Tour

We will be doing the 12:30 p.m. Open-Air Safari tour on Saturday, August 23.

When and Where We'll Meet

The actual address of The Wilds is 14000 International Rd, Cumberland, OH 43732. You may drive directly to The Wilds if you wish. If you choose to drive there directly, please plan on being there by 11:45 a.m. (I'll have more to say, below, on how you actually get to The Wilds.)

The Wilds asks that people check in for their tours at least a half hour ahead of time. Having been to The Wilds many times, in my experience this much time isn't generally required strictly for check-in. However, there is a shuttle ride followed by a short walk from the main parking lot to the Visitor Center where you will check in.

So you do need to allow time for these things. And I have seen people be late because they didn't allow time for these things, and then get left behind when the tour bus departed without them. So please be on time if you drive there yourself!

Otherwise, for those wish to carpool, or simply follow me so they don't get lost, we will meet in the parking lot of the Walmart Supercenter in Reynoldsburg at 10:30 a.m. The actual address of this Walmart is 2793 Taylor Rd Ext, 43068.

If you're meeting me at Wal-Mart, please be on time, and please fill your tank before you arrive if you plan on driving. I will leave Walmart absolutely no later than 10:45 a.m., and anyone who is not there or not ready will have to rely on someone other than me to help him or her get to The Wilds.

Finally, please do not plan on being able to ride in my car. My car is small and full of bric-à-brac, and I often do not head directly back to Columbus after these meetups in any case.

What You Need To Do To Attend

Signing up for this event on Meetup won't get you on the tour. You have to go to The Wilds' website and actually buy a ticket.

Keep in mind, availability for all tours at The Wilds is limited. The Open-Air Sarafi tours never have more than 30 available seats. In addition, tickets for this tour must be purchased at least four hours in advance. This means that you won't simply be able to wait and buy a ticket for this tour once you get to The Wilds.

Furthermore, these tours often fill up fast. So if you want to go, I strongly recommend you buy your ticket well in advance. Please purchase your ticket and then sign up here for this Meetup so I know how many to expect.

I've posted screen shots below in the Photos section to help you when you go to The Wilds' website so you know you're buying the correct ticket for the correct tour. If you have any questions, DM me or post a comment in the chat below.

The Cost of Tickets and Parking

The base cost of a ticket for this tour is $45. They also charge a $1 "conservation fee," and either $8 for standard parking or $25 for premium parking. So your inclusive cost for a ticket is going to be either $54 or $71.

However, if you are a member of the The Wilds (I am), both this tour as well as the "standard" parking option (see below) are free. "Premium" parking (see below) is never free, even for Wilds members. As with the Columbus Zoo, if you are a member of The Wilds and go at least twice a year, the membership pays for itself.

You can also get half off of the price of this tour if you're a member of only the Zoo (and not The Wilds); so your base tour price in this case will be $22.50 instead of $45.

Notes on Parking

For $8, the standard parking option has you park in their main visitor lot and ride their shuttle to the Visitor Center. If you're a Wilds member, this option is free.

With the $25 premium parking, you will forgo the shuttle ride, and instead park in front of their Overlook Restaurant and Gift Shop. This parking is located approximately 200 yards from the Visitor Center, which is where we will check-in and begin the tour. Please note that you will have to walk this 200 yards to The Wilds' check-in station regardless of where you park.

Premium parking is never free (or discounted), even for members, due to The Wilds' limited number of premium spots. Regardless, I usually pay for this option because I like being able to easily access my car.

Cancellations and Refunds

Per The Wilds' policies: In order to be eligible for refund and accrue no rescheduling fees, cancellations must be made at least 14 days in advance of reservation. Cancellations made within 14 days of reservation will not receive a refund.

If you buy a ticket and later wish to cancel and seek a refund, you will need to call The Wilds at (740) 638-5030 between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., or email them at information@thewilds.org. I've always found them easy to deal with, but like anywhere else, sometimes (not always) you're on hold for a while.

I try calling right after 10 if I need to call them; that seems to get me through faster. Otherwise, you shouldn't have any trouble getting your money back as long as you're otherwise acting consistently with their policies.

Food and Drink at The Wilds

About halfway through the tour, after roughly an hour, we will stop at the The Wilds' Midsize-Carnivore Center. This is the location of the facility's cheetahs, dholes, and African painted dogs. We will be here for roughly 30 minutes.

This is also the location of their Terrace Grill. The grill's food options include items like chips, cookies, soft pretzels, and pop. There are also restrooms here.

We will then resume the tour, and after roughly an hour, we will be back at the Visitor Center. This is where The Wilds' Overlook Café is located. Food options here include burgers, chicken, hot dogs, salads, desserts, bottled beer, wine, and coffee.

Food at The Wilds is comparable to what you get at the Columbus Zoo: It's not terrible, and I do usually feel like I at least get enough fries. But it's nothing to write home about, either. Unfortunately, the burgers are hardly like what you get at the Crooked Can!

The Café also has a large outdoor patio overlooking the savannah. When I go by myself, I like to sit here after a tour with my binoculars and survey the grounds and animals. I find the setting to be very peaceful.

Directions to The Wilds

This is the way I generally take to The Wilds from Columbus. They've been doing major construction in Zanesville, though, so it's possible these directions might need to be altered (typically by your GPS taking you to the Adamsville exit, 157, and then taking you to SR 146 E via a slightly more circuitous route.) Basically, once you exit I-70, you need to get to SR 146 E and take it to SR 284.

1. I-70 E to Zanesville, Exit 155. The exit naturally turns to the right and will take you south on 7th St.
2. Take 7th St. to SR 146 E (Marietta St.), where you will turn left (east).*
3. Follow SR 146 E for around 10 miles to SR 284, on which you will turn right.**
4. Proceed around 7 miles to International Road, on which you will turn left.
5. Proceed 1/2 mile to The Wilds' entrance.

*Google Maps might have you instead turn left off of 7th onto Main, then right on 9th, then left onto Marietta. That's fine too.

**There's a sign here that will tell you to go straight to get to The Wilds. You can; going straight will work here. However, the road you will eventually turn on to in this case, Zion Ridge Rd., isn't a great road. It's a straighter road than SR 284, but it needs to be repaved. And it just brings you out onto SR 284 eventually anyway. I just bypass the middleman and turn onto SR 284 at the beginning of the process.

Know Before You Go

The Wilds is in a rural setting with intermittent cell and internet service. While in my experience the cell service isn't quite as bad as their website will lead you to believe, and they do have free wifi at their restaurant and gift shops, still you shouldn't assume you're going to get great or even good cell service here. (Sometimes you don't get any.)

Also, do not use rideshare services (Uber/Lyft/taxi, etc.) to travel to The Wilds. Even if you manage to find a ride there, there are no rideshare programs that serve the rural area of the state where The Wilds is located, likely leaving you stuck.

If you take exit 155 (7th St), then the gas station nearest The Wilds is the Sunoco station at 1132 Sharon Ave, Zanesville, OH 43701 (which you will pass on the way in this case). If you take exit 157 (Adamsville), then the gas stations nearest The Wilds are the Marathon and Shell stations just off this exit. All three of these gas stations are approximately 18 miles away from The Wilds. Please plan accordingly.

Wear casual clothing appropriate for the weather. Tours at The Wilds typically run rain or shine.

After the Safari

For those that are interested, on our way back to Columbus, we'll stop at Zanesville's highly rated Weasel Boy Brewing Co. The brewery, which opens at 4 p.m., also has an in-house menu of pizzas, salads, and soup as well. The actual address of the brewery is 126 Muskingum Ave, Zanesville, OH 43701.

If you live in the Zanesville area and can't make The Wilds but want to come out to the brewery, we'd love to see you!