Fall is the perfect time to make a day trip out to Asheboro to visit the North Carolina Zoo. Not only is the weather more pleasant (and less humid!) but many of the animals are more active and easier to spot in their habitats during the autumn months. Tickets are $15 for adults, $11 for kids 2-12 and free for children under 2 but consider stopping at the membership booth outside the gates to purchase a family membership for only $84. For our family of 6, it was a great deal. Plus, it comes with reciprocal membership or 50% discounts to over a hundred other zoos, aquariums and museums – including the Greenville Zoo, Riverbanks Zoo (50% discount), and Western NC Nature Center in Asheville.
Be sure to bring plenty of water, wear comfortable walking shoes (there is a LOT of walking), and apply sunscreen; though there is plenty of shade on the trails many of the viewing platforms are in full sun. We opted to bring a small stroller to hold our water and to allow our younger kids a break from walking when they got tired. Unfortunately, no outside food is allowed in the park.
You have two options for parking at the North Carolina Zoo during the on-season months (April-October): North America or Africa. We opted for North America, which is open year-round. Next time we visit in the on-season, we will park in Africa. The walk from North America to Africa was almost completely uphill! Instead, arrive as soon as the zoo opens to beat the crowds and spend the morning in Africa visiting the elephants, rhinos, giraffes, gorillas and lions. We spent the most time at the elephants, watching them eat and play. We had great views of all the African animals. Even the lions who were dozing weren’t hard to spot. Plan to spend 2-3 hours exploring all of Africa.
Then you have a choice for lunch: either head back to exit the park to eat at one of their convenient picnic areas located right outside both gates or, if you don’t feel like a trek, pick up some food at Junction Plaza conveniently located between Africa and North America. We shared a large pizza from the Crossing Pizza Café while our kids watched the Carousel. The pizza was decently priced for zoo food and there was plenty of shaded seating and restrooms nearby.
After lunch, continue your explorations to North America. Don’t miss the indoor desert exhibit which was particularly well done (and my two-year-old could not stop laughing at the sand cat’s zany antics). We also particularly enjoyed the many different bears (polar, grizzly and black bear) and the bison and elk at the prairie viewing platforms. Be sure to stop at the Garden Friends playground to let your kids burn off some mid-afternoon energy. The Rocky Coast exhibit with polar bears, sea lions and seals was very popular. If a viewing area is too crowded, try the next one – it may be empty! Another favorite exhibit was the Cypress swamp where we spied alligators lurking in the murky water and plenty of turtles sunning on the logs.
You’ve now arrived at the North America entrance where you have a few options for getting back to your car: hiking the parking lot connector trail (0.7 miles), taking the tram back through the park to the Africa entrance (with multiple stops along the way), or exiting at the North America gate and taking the parking lot shuttle back to Africa. We opted to take the parking lot shuttle and were glad we did. The shuttle bus driver was friendly, informative and helped us quickly load and unload our stroller. Plus, if your youngsters enjoy riding buses as much as mine do, it’ll be an extra treat for them.
The North Carolina Zoo did not disappoint. Though there is a lot of walking, it paid off. We could see all the animals and found plenty of shaded benches for water breaks. We will definitely be back soon!
To learn more about the NC Zoo, visit nczoo.org.
