Drive-Thru-Safari-Wildlife-Parks-in-North-Carolina

Drive-Thru Safari Wildlife Parks in North Carolina

North Carolina has one big self-drive safari park, near Charlotte, where 750+ animals come right up to your windows. In the mountains, you can watch wild elk from the roadside in the Great Smoky Mountains. October is peak rut season, so it’s an especially good time to go.

LAZY 5 RANCH

Type: Privately owned self-drive exotic animal safari with a walk-around petting zoo and horse-drawn wagon rides. It opened in 1993.
Location: 15100 Mooresville Rd, Mooresville, NC 28115 (near Lake Norman, about 40 minutes north of Charlotte)
Phone: (704) 663-5100
Website: thelazy5ranch.com · Rates & Hours · Our Animals
Social Media: Yelp

Size: A 3.5-mile safari trail through rolling Piedmont pastureland. Allow 1.5–2 hours to drive it, and 2–4 hours for the full visit.
Animals: 750+ animals from 6 continents, including zebras, giraffes, water buffalo, camels, llamas, rhinos, ostriches, emus, and antelope. The petting zoo has goats, sheep, and birds.

General Admission (includes the drive-thru in your own vehicle and the walk-around petting zoo):

  • Adults (12–59): $15
  • Children (2–11): $11
  • Seniors (60+): $11
  • Group rate (15+): $14
  • Feed buckets (64 oz): $3 each
  • CASH OR NC CHECK ONLY. No debit or credit cards.

Horse-Drawn Wagon Rides:

  • Monday – Friday: Reservations required, so call ahead.
  • Weekends: First come, first served (Saturday 9 AM – 4 PM, Sunday 12 – 4 PM).
  • No wagon rides on Easter, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, or Thanksgiving.

Hours:

  • Current (through October): Monday – Saturday 9 AM until 1 hour before sunset. Sunday 12 PM until 1 hour before sunset. Arrive by 4 PM.
  • Winter hours (starting November 1): Monday – Saturday 9 AM – 5 PM, Sunday 12 – 5 PM
  • Open year-round, 7 days a week, weather permitting. Closed Christmas Day, and for about 2 weeks in February for animal vaccinations.
  • Call ahead if storms, extreme heat, or snow are forecast.

Fall Festival 2026: Running now. Check the website for dates.

Tips:

  • Bring plenty of cash for feed, because animals mob cars that have buckets.
  • Expect slobber and possible scratches from horns. Take the wagon ride if you’d rather spare your car.
  • Holidays can have lines at the entrance.

CATALOOCHEE VALLEY & OCONALUFTEE ELK VIEWING – GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK

Type: National Park Service roadside elk viewing in the Smokies, where elk were reintroduced in 2001–2002
Location:

Animals: About 150–200 wild elk, plus white-tailed deer, wild turkeys, and black bears

Admission:

  • No entrance fee, but a parking tag is required if you park anywhere in the park for more than 15 minutes.
  • Tags: $5 daily, $15 weekly, $40 annual. Buy them online or at visitor centers and kiosks.

Hours:

  • Park roads are open 24 hours.
  • Cataloochee Road is open year-round, but closes for snow and ice.

Best Time:

  • The rut runs mid-September through October, with bugling bulls at dawn and dusk.
  • Arrive about 2 hours before sunset, or before sunrise. The small Cataloochee lots fill fast on October weekends.

Rules:

  • During September and October, Cataloochee’s fields are closed to all foot traffic. View only from the roadside.
  • Stay at least 50 yards (half a football field) from elk. Bulls in rut are aggressive.
  • Never feed or bait elk.
  • Removing antlers is illegal.

Tips:

  • At Oconaluftee, rangers often block a lane for roadside viewing on busy evenings.
  • Bring binoculars or a zoom lens, and tour Cataloochee’s historic buildings while you wait for the elk.

Explore Drive-Thru Wildlife Parks in Neighboring States:
Virginia · Tennessee · Georgia · South Carolina