Are you looking for a “wild” family outing that is unlike anything you have experienced before? Do you have out-of-town guests coming to visit and are not sure where to take them? Or maybe you just love animals and want to get up-close-and-personal with as many as possible? No matter your answer, you are guaranteed to love a trip to this Colorado wildlife park that is perfect for a day out:
Hiding out near Pagosa Springs is the Colorado hidden gem known as the Rocky Mountain Wildlife Park, whose mission is to "educate people about the animals in this area."
Founded in 1986, the Rocky Mountain Wildlife Park is a privately owned park that takes in non-releasable rescue animals (that can no longer thrive in the wild due to their human acclimation) and gives them not only a home to thrive in, but a place for humans to come and learn about how to care for and respect the state's various wildlife.
(As per their website, Rocky Mountain Wildlife Park's goal is to keep the animals happy and healthy, and explains that because some of these animals were either kept as pets or born in captivity, "they would most likely be killed trying to get to people for food or starve to death due to lack of survival skills.")
When you visit this fascinating wildlife park, you will have the opportunity to view some of Colorado's most beautiful native wildlife up close, including bears...
While there are different ways to tour the park (including by foot during the animals's feeding time), one of the best ways to experience RMWP is via trail ride, which comes complete with both your own horse and incredible views of the area.