Safari West – An African Wild Animal Park Style in Sonoma County
Safari West is located in the heart of Sonoma County, this park is a world class attractions and resort for the discerning visitors. Experience a real African Safari adventure in the heart of Sonoma wine country. Safari West transports visitors into an exotic world reminiscent of Africa and let visitors get up close with animals whose origins span the entire African continent.
Since 1993, Safari West has been one of the premier wildlife destinations in the United States. No need to travel to Africa! The expansive wildlife collection and the natural beauty of the woods and rolling hills of Sonoma County makes Safari West truly is the closest you can come to Africa without going there.
Sonoma County Safari West is a 400-acre private wildlife preserve located 12 miles north of Santa Rosa in Sonoma County, and near Calistoga.
The selection of wildlife emphasizes species native to Africa, including giraffes, rhinoceros, cape buffalo, Watutsi cattle, antelope, cheetahs, zebras, hyenas, primates, and numerous species of birds. The park engages in research, education, conservation, and breeding programs that, through exchanges with other zoos and parks, keep the gene pool healthy for the species that are involved in the program. The park is also home to species that are extinct in the wild.Brief history: Safari West is one of only six accredited private zoological reserves in the US. They combine wild animal care with vacation lodging and touring. Safari West was started in the early 1970s by Peter Lang on a cattle ranch in Beverly Hills, California owned by his father Otto Lang, the famed ski instructor, film producer and director. Peter, inspired by his father’s work with animals, including Clarence the Cross-Eyed Lion and Judy the Chimp on Daktari, began to keep wild animals on the ranch.
After selling the ranch to the City of Beverly Hills in 1989 for use as a city park, Peter Lang moved the operation to its present location on a former sheep ranch near Santa Rosa, California. In 1993, he opened it to children’s tours, and later added overnight lodging, safari tours, and a restaurant.
Safari Jeep Tour: You have the option of choosing to begin or end your 2–3-hour Jeep Safari adventure with a 45-minute guided walk to marvel at a wide array of other wildlife not seen on the jeep tour: primates, Fennec Foxes, Servals, black and white Colobus, monkeys, De Brazza’s Monkeys, cheetahs, ring-tailed lemurs, Indian Crested Porcupines, flamingos, bongos and beautiful birds flying in an open park. This is a wonderful getaway from the hustle and bustle of the city and the perfect way to relax while outdoors.
There are a number of additional attractions and activities in the area for visitors who are not interested in visiting wineries, including a guided tour through Calistoga Old Faithful Geyser that erupts approximately every 30 minutes, a trip to a petrified forest, a visit to an olive oil press, a visit to a cheese factory, visit ancient forest of giant redwoods in the Sonoma County area, a hot-air balloon ride over wine country, a zipline adventure through tall coastal redwood trees or visit the Jelly Belly candy factory in Solano County.
