You Need to Visit This East Texas Drive-Thru Safari

This weekend I went to a drive-thru safari in East Texas for the first time. I had my expectations of how it would go, but it was so much better than I'd initially thought.

I'd been thinking about taking a trip to the Cherokee Trace Drive-Thru Safari for years. With my boyfriend's family in town from out of the country, it was the perfect opportunity! We all had a great time seeing the animals up close and feeding them some treats.

Many of the animals on the land I have seen in zoos before, but the experience of being close enough to touch them was much more exciting. It gave a whole new perspective on the animals.

How does the drive-thru safari work?

When we arrived at the Cherokee Trace Drive-Thru Safari, 1200 CR 4405
Jacksonville, TX 75766, we went to the visitors center where we paid for entrance and got a 1lbs pound of feed (per person). You can buy more food if you're feeling more generous about feeding the animals too!

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After that, we loaded back into the car and started our drive through the safari. In all, the ride was a little over an hour, so definitely worth it!

My favorite animals were the zebras, I've always loved them. But it was very cool to interact with the bison on the property as well! I will tell you, as the kind lady at the welcome center told us, the camels have no clue what personal space is. But they were funny.

All of the animals get excited when cars approach with food, but the camels are VERY enthusiastic, one of them even stole the entire remainder of my food bag.

All in all, I would visit again for sure! This drive-thru safari is probably at the top of my list of 'fun things to do in ETX.' Check out some of the photos I got:

More information about the Cherokee Trace Drive-Thru Safari

If you have any other questions, you can visit their website here to learn more.

I will tell you there are some rules to follow, including no pets (so leave your furry friend at home), and no feeding the animals with your hands. There are several other rules, but I think these two are important to know before going.

And do remember, the animals at this animal park are used to seeing people and being fed, so don't expect them to be so easygoing if you ever encounter one in their natural habitat. And even with the ones at the drive-thru safari, you need to be cautious and remain in your vehicle.