Yellowstone Safari Park

Yellowstone Safari Park opened in the fall of 2023, and we finally made it out there for a visit recently. It’s a self-guided drive-thru safari, and you stay in your car for the driving part of the tour (doors and windows closed). You can loop through as many times as you want, giving you more chances to see the animals doing different things every time you go through.

The drive itself takes about 30 minutes, depending on how many stops you make or how often you pull over to just sit and watch the animals. And trust me, you’re going to want to stop. There’s something really intriguing about rolling past bison or catching a glimpse of a deer just a few feet away. We saw many little deer and also saw a baby elk for the first time. Our favorite was watching the fox. There are so many foxes and of various colors. They seem so happy just lounging and doing fox things.

The bison are interesting to watch, the Yellowstone Safari Park has a large herd. A couple of them are white, a rare thing to see. I hadn’t seen white bison before, so that was a surprise! Just seeing them graze calmly close to the car was really fun. Don’t let their calm nature make you feel like you can roll down your window. They can be calm in one moment and charging at you at another moment. Many make this mistake in Yellowstone National Park.

You’ll also see bears, just hanging out in their area, doing bear things—lounging, walking, being massive.

There are deer and elk too, looking majestic and just doing their thing. Some of them were just chilling in the grass or wandering around in the trees. I loved seeing them up close like that—so calm and graceful.

If you’re into wolves, you’re going to be pretty excited. Not only do they have regular gray wolves, but they also have rare white wolves, which are stunning. We watched them lounging in the shade or pacing around. They’re so intense and elegant—definitely fun to watch.

There are around 80 foxes here and if you’re a fox fan (like I am), it feels like a little dream come true. There are so many colors and personalities—from the classic red foxes to others with more unique coats. Some were curled up napping, others were walking around the bushes and trees. You can just park and watch them for a while, they’ll come up close to the car and look at you.

There’s also an Animal Interaction Place where you can see baby foxes and wolf pups up close. That part was one of my favorites. The babies are adorable and so playful. It was really cool to see them up close like that, and you can tell they’re well cared for. If you’ve got kids with you (or if you’re a kid-at-heart), this part is really fun.

After the main safari loop, make sure to stop by the farm animal section. It’s got goats, which are always entertaining, and a few other friendly farm animals.

Near there, they’ve got rainbow trout you can feed! You’ll need quarters for the fish food machines, so either come prepared or just exchange for quarters at the entrance gate. They do take credit cards there, which makes it easy. Watching the trout swarm when you toss in a handful of food is so fun. They have rare rainbow trout to look at.

See our experience in the video below.

One thing to keep in mind: you have to keep your car windows and doors closed at all times during the drive-thru portion. It’s a safety rule for both you and the animals.

The good news is you can loop through as many times as you want once you’ve paid admission. So if you missed something or want another look at the wolves or bison, just go through again!

If you’re anywhere near Rexburg, this place is 100% worth a visit. Whether you’re an animal lover, looking for a fun little adventure, or just want something a little different to do, Yellowstone Safari Park is a great pick. The whole experience is easy, safe, and memorable.

Go check it out! Remember to take pictures to remember your experience and enjoy the ride.

Yellowstone Safari Park

🦬 Drive-thru safari in Rexburg, Idaho