Lions Tigers & Bears
Alpine, CA
By Simir Shah
★★★★★4.9(579 Google reviews)
What parents say
AI summary of 5 Google reviews — not a first-hand visit. How we write these
A rescue sanctuary, not a zoo. Reviewers say to book a tour ahead rather than turn up, and that parking is easy. Tours run about two hours, mostly outdoors with little relief from the heat, so hats, sunscreen and closed shoes get recommended. Enclosures are large, so animals are seen at a distance.
An accredited 93-acre rescue sanctuary for lions, tigers, bears and bobcats — a genuine refuge rather than a zoo, so it's docent-led and unhurried. Reservations are required and do sell out, and it's a further fifteen minutes east of Alpine village on rural roads.
Good for
- Ages 0–2
24402 Martin Way, Alpine, CA 91901, USA
Hours via Google — confirm before a special trip.
Guided tours from ~$55
Map
What visitors say
- Stuart Bate★★★★★
My wife and I came here while we were staying in San Diego. What an incredible experience to see there amazing animals up close and treated so well after experiencing so much mistreatment in the past. The sanctuary is so well run and all of the staff are so knowledgable, helpful and friendly. The animal enclosures are large, clean and well maintained. My wife won a raffle which meant she was able to experience feeding the bears which was fantastic. This sanctuary deserves to go from strength to strength with all the amazing work they do and how much unfortunately still needs to be done.
3 months ago
- Nicholas P★★★★★
I booked the behind the scenes tour for 2. This is not the basic one, this is the one that’s $530. It’s a donation that goes towards the animals. It’s a 2 hr experience. You watch a short video and two volunteers take you around to all of the animals. We fed some tigers and bears. The lion was too tired to come over, it was very hot that day. Yes, they do have lions. The animals do not stay in small, cramped cages just to clarify. They also have a liger, one of the highlights. This tour was worth it because some of those big groups take too long. You have to wait for everyone to finish their turn. Parking was easy. Wear sneakers, a hat, and sunscreen. It’s recommended to book your tour in advance instead of just showing up. Not a zoo. Some of the negative reviews didn’t make sense. The staff was super nice. They also have an Airbnb if you want to stay there for 4 guests.
4 months ago
Showing 2 of 5 Google reviews · Read them all on Google Maps
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