There are currently no operating drive-thru safari parks in Arkansas. The best drive-thru wildlife experience in the state is a free scenic drive through Boxley Valley, where Arkansas’s wild elk herd grazes in the fields along the highway.
- Boxley Valley Elk Viewing (Ponca)
Notes:
- Wild Wilderness Drive-Through Safari in Gentry still shows up in older listings, but it closed in 2021.
- Eureka Springs Safari Park is marketed as an Arkansas attraction, but it’s physically located in Eagle Rock, Missouri.
BOXLEY VALLEY ELK VIEWING
Type: Free roadside wildlife viewing along a scenic highway in Buffalo National River. You can watch from your car or from pull-offs.
Location: AR-43 & AR-21, Boxley Valley, Ponca, AR 72670 (Newton County, Ozark Mountains)
Phone:
- Ponca Nature Center (Arkansas Game & Fish): (501) 710-6347
- Steel Creek Ranger Station: (870) 861-2570
- Buffalo National River HQ: (870) 365-2700
Website: NPS – Elk at Buffalo National River · AGFC – Ponca Nature Center
Social Media: No site-specific accounts. It’s managed by the National Park Service and the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission.
Size: About 6–7 miles of highway through Boxley Valley, inside the 150-mile Buffalo National River corridor
Animals:
- A free-ranging herd of Rocky Mountain elk. They were reintroduced starting in 1981 and now number in the hundreds along the river.
- You’ll also see white-tailed deer, wild turkeys, and black bears.
Admission: FREE
Hours: Always open. It’s a public highway.
Best Time:
- Just after sunrise and again in the late afternoon or evening.
- October and November are peak season, when the bulls are bugling and sparring during the rut.
- Elk are visible most of the year. In summer, they tend to stay in the shade during the heat of the day.
Where to Look:
- Drive south from Ponca on Hwy 43 and watch the fields on the east side of the road.
- Continue on Hwy 21 from the Hwy 43/21 junction south toward the Buffalo River Trail trailhead.
- There’s a marked elk pull-off on Hwy 43, and you can also look from the Ponca low-water bridge.
Ponca Nature Center (Elk Education Center):
- Address: 4642 AR-43, Ponca, AR 72670
- It’s free, with elk and black bear exhibits, a creekside trail, a deck, and picnic areas.
- It’s accessible, and you can buy hunting and fishing licenses there.
- Hours vary by season, so call ahead.
Viewing Rules & Tips:
- Pull completely off the road. Don’t stop in the travel lane, and watch for traffic.
- Elk are wild animals, especially bulls during the rut. Keep your distance, and never approach or feed them.
- Bring binoculars or a zoom lens.
- Cell service is very limited in the valley.
Nearby: Ponca is a hub for floating the Buffalo River, the Lost Valley Trail, and the Buffalo Outdoor Center, which has cabins and canoe rentals.
Explore Drive-Thru Wildlife Parks in Neighboring States:
Missouri · Tennessee · Mississippi · Louisiana · Texas · Oklahoma