Located in the small town of Alto, Michigan, Boulder Ridge Wild Animal Park is an 80 acre gem. It is an unique, fun little place that has a wide range of exotic animals and reptiles. The owners, Dave and Dawn, started the park as a hobby farm, raising White-tailed deer, elk and eventually buffalo. At some point they decided to share their love for these animals with the public and thus Boulder Ridge Wild Animal Park was born.
For $10 per adult (ages 12 and over) and $8 per child (ages 3-11, children under 2 are free), you can access a variety of animals including Giraffe, Grants Zebra, Scimitar Horned Oryx, Addax, Pygmy Goats, Emu, Parakeets, Bison, Black Wildebeest, African Crested Porcupine, Alligators and much more. There is event a safari tour available (includes in admission) that takes you around on a bus to see and learn about some of the larger grazing animals.
Although lacking the larger, common animals that you can find at most zoos, Boulder Ridge Wild Animal Park certainly offers an adventure and it’s small town feel makes it very welcoming, even to strangers.
The park is open May 1 to Mid October. For more information, visit the Boulder Ridge Wild Animal Park website.