Our first visit to the Yellow River Game Ranch was on Groundhog Day so we could watch Beau (Georgia's official groundhog) looking for his shadow. It was a fun morning but very chilly. We were glad to go back to the Ranch on a balmy spring afternoon.
This large, zoo-like ranch is populated mostly with barnyard animals and critters indigenous to the Southeastern United States. Eli liked seeing the animals and exploring the woodland trails along the river, but his favorite part is that they encourage visitors to feed the animals. We bought soda crackers, vegetables, and a couple of apples in the gift shop. Many of the animals can be fed by hand. Animals that may be finger-nibblers have feeding pipes that kids can use to drop food into their enclosures.
It was a fun day, but I think my favorite part was when Eli shared an apple with a couple of chickens. They pecked fairly hard, making the apple bounce up and down in Eli's hand. That and their crunching noises had Eli giggling with each peck.
One Mama's Two Cents:
There is food for the animals in the gift shop, but you are allowed to bring your own crackers, fruits, and veggies too. There are handwashing stations, but some wet wipes would be very helpful for animal drool and dust. The grounds are beautiful but a little rugged and there is a lot of walking to see it all. Everybody wear good shoes! If you need a stroller, a sport model with large wheels would work best. And don't forget to visit the old-fashioned homemade playground near the river. Like the main grounds of the ranch, it is well-shaded and peaceful. The playground offers picnic tables too.
Yellow River Game Ranch Website: www.yellowrivergameranch.com
Click HERE for our blog post about visiting the Yellow River Game Ranch on Groundhog's Day.
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