Pennsylvania’s safari park near Harrisburg runs guided open-air truck tours most of the season, and opens its fields to your own car only on a few weekends in November. Up in the Pennsylvania Wilds, you can watch the largest wild elk herd in the Northeast from the roadside for free, and October is peak rut season.
- Lake Tobias Wildlife Park (Halifax)
- Elk Country Visitor Center & Benezette Elk Range (Benezette)
LAKE TOBIAS WILDLIFE PARK
Type: Family-owned, self-funded wildlife park with guided open-air safari truck tours in season and a self-drive safari on select fall and spring weekends
Location: 760 Tobias Rd, Halifax, PA 17032 (about 30 minutes north of Harrisburg)
Website: laketobias.com · Safari Tour & Self Drive-Thru · Visitor Information · 2026 Hours
Social Media: Facebook
Size: 150 acres
Animals: Animals from 6 continents, including bison, elk, yaks, Watusi cattle, zebras, camels, ostriches, and deer in the safari fields. The zoo side has giraffes (you can feed them), primates, big cats, reptiles, and a petting zoo.
2026 Admission:
- Zoo Exhibits + Safari Tour: $21 per person (ages 3+)
- Zoo Exhibits only: $11 per person
- Self Drive-Thru Safari: $10 per person (ages 3+)
- Ages 2 & under: Free
- Active-duty military and veterans: Free
- Parking is always free.
- Season pass with safari: about $90
Hours & Season:
- Regular season: Daily May through Labor Day, then weekends only in September and October (plus Columbus Day). The season closes at the end of October.
- Admissions and safari close 1 hour before the park closes. Safari tours last about 45 minutes and leave every few minutes, first come, first served.
- Self Drive-Thru weekends: The last three weekends of April and the first three weekends of November: November 1, 7–8, 14–15, and 21–22, 2026, from 10 AM to 3 PM.
- Zoo exhibits are closed on the drive-thru weekends.
Self Drive-Thru Rules:
- Vehicles with hard doors and hard tops only.
- The trail is unpaved dirt with loose stones, animal dung, and mud puddles.
- No refunds after entering the safari fields.
- Some animals may not be visible.
Tips:
- Buy popcorn ($4) to share with the safari animals on the truck tour.
- The zoo paths are hilly, and carts are available for guests with limited mobility.
ELK COUNTRY VISITOR CENTER & BENEZETTE ELK RANGE
Type: Free roadside and trailside viewing of the largest wild elk herd in the northeastern U.S. The visitor center is a partnership between the Keystone Elk Country Alliance and the PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.
Location: Elk Country Visitor Center, 950 Winslow Hill Rd (mailing: 134 Homestead Dr), Benezette, PA 15821 (Pennsylvania Wilds, Elk County, about 2.5 hours northeast of Pittsburgh)
Phone: (814) 787-5167
Email: info@experienceelkcountry.com
Website: experienceelkcountry.com · Visitor Center Site · Programs & Tours
Social Media: Tripadvisor
Size: The wild elk range covers 3,000+ square miles. Winslow Hill Road around Benezette is the main viewing corridor. The visitor center grounds have viewing blinds, meadow trails, and overlooks.
Animals: About 1,000 wild elk, descended from Yellowstone elk released in 1913–1926. Also white-tailed deer, black bears, wild turkeys, and bald eagles.
Admission:
- FREE, including the visitor center, viewing areas, and parking
- The 4D Immersive Theater and horse-drawn wagon rides cost extra.
Visitor Center Hours:
- September – October: Daily 8 AM – dusk
- November – December: Thursday – Monday, 8 AM – dusk (closed Tuesday and Wednesday)
- January – March: Weekends only
- The viewing areas and public roads can be used outside these hours.
Fall Events:
- October 10 (2 PM): How to Plant Native Wildflower Plots
- October 18 (2 PM): Learn About the Rut!
- October 25 (1–4 PM): Halloween Elkstravaganza
Best Time:
- The rut runs September – October. Bulls bugle and spar in the meadows at dawn and in the hours before dark.
- Weekends at peak rut draw big crowds, so arrive early.
Rules & Tips:
- Stay on the designated paths and viewing areas, and never walk into fields with elk.
- Pull completely off Winslow Hill Road. Don’t stop in the travel lane.
- The center is pet-free and smoke-free.
- Peak fall foliage usually overlaps with the rut in mid-October.
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