You Don't Need to Fly to Africa to Go on Safari
Deer Tracks Junction is the oldest safari park in Michigan, and you can even drive through a bear-filled enclosure
Cedar Springs — Have you always wanted to go on an African safari, only to realize it can cost you upwards of $5,000 just for the plane ticket?
Well, before you start saving for that 16-hour flight halfway across the world, listen up, because I have the perfect solution for you:
There's a drive-thru safari right here in Michigan!
Deer Tracks Junction is a hands-on animal park in Cedar Springs, Mich. They have around 40 different species, including zebras, giraffes, bison, and antelope, and just like any of the safaris you'd be paying a fortune for in the savanna, you can get up close and personal with all of these creatures.
The Junction first opened back in 2002 as a small family business with just a few animals that families could pay to pet and feed. Over the past 24 years, they've grown and grown, adding more animals and attractions and eventually becoming Michigan's first-ever drive-thru safari.
The property now covers nearly 100 acres and is mostly split into two parts: the walk-thru animal park and the drive-thru safari.
The walk-thru park is basically an elevated petting zoo. You can pet and feed everything from goats and bunnies to emus and kangaroos. At some times of the year you can even sign up to bottle-feed some of baby animals, so I'm pretty pissed that I missed out on that.
Luckily, the safari made up for it.
It was mind-blowing to me that for only $19.99, you can drive through the property while petting and feeding dozens of exotic animals that are all roaming freely, and there's nothing separating you from them besides the walls of your car.
Before you start the loop, you can buy a bucket of animal feed, and trust me, once the animals see that bucket, they will not leave you alone.
Zebras, llamas, bison, you name it, will all walk right up to your windows looking for a snack. The giraffes will stick their entire heads inside your car, which was definitely a highlight, and there are even black bears to view. But you just have to keep your windows rolled up in that section.
The whole drive usually takes around 45 minutes, but you can take as long as you want.
In addition to their wide variety of exotic animals, Deer Tracks Junction is also known for its homemade ice cream. The menu changes all the time with different flavors, sundaes, floats, and specialty creations, and honestly, it was good enough to make the drive just for that.
Now obviously, December in Michigan isn't exactly the ideal temperature for a giraffe or zebra, and you might be wondering what the park does with all of their animals once it hits those colder months.
Well, after Deer Tracks Junction has closed for the season and it gets too cold, the animals are all moved into barns, shelters, and other winter housing on the property. Staff continue caring for and feeding them throughout the winter until the weather warms up and the park reopens in the spring.
For now, though, there's still time to visit.
The park is open through Labor Day, seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. The walk-thru park and drive-thru safari are each $19.99 per person, or you can do both for $25.99. Kids 2 and under are also free.
So go ahead and cancel next year's $8,000 trip to Kenya. Take a drive to Cedar Springs instead. They've got the zebras, the antelope, everything you could ever need and more, right here in Michigan.
