Chestatee Wildlife Preserve & Zoo

So nice! Up close to the animals. Pet the horses as much as you want. Feed most of the animals. It's a rescue so it's not super manicured but it's loving and fun for all ages. During the summer you definitely want sunblock, hats, and an umbrella. But the place provides umbrellas if you forget yours.

We visited the preserve last week to visit our Bent tree bear cubs we were pleasantly surprised at how nice that pace was, the animals seemed to be well taken care of and the staff were well knowledgeable and genuinely cared about the animals. The preserve is a not for profit so they relay on visitors and donations.

What a wonderful experience! My wife and I took our grandson, Ledger to the zoo on Monday, September 22, 2025 and had a thoroughly enjoyable experience. When we first arrived, we went to see the tortoises and suddenly there were hundreds of middle school kids converging up the hill coming toward us. We decided to wait and after 10 minutes, they went to their buses and left. We were then able to enjoy the tiger rolling on its back and playing with his stuffed toy chicken. We fed horses and zebras, donkeys, camel and dozens of other animals. We observed water buffalo, wolves, grizzly bears and many other animals all appeared in great condition with large enclosures and well maintained covered areas. The stsff was friendly and really seemed to enjoy the work. These animals all have a story and they are clearly being well cared for. My wife and I have been to much larger zoos and preserves all over the world and were surprised at the variety and amount of area for all the zoo inhabitants. If you want a really special, non intimidating day, I highly recommend the Chastatee Zoo and Preserve.. We will definitely be back!

We stopped in on our drive back home from Helen and really enjoyed it! It was a nice early morning trip, only about an hour to go through. The zoo is on the smaller side but has a laid-back, welcoming vibe. There was a great variety of animals that all looked well cared for—wolves, grizzly and black bears, kangaroos, a tiger, sloth, horses, zebras, white bison, and more. We arrived right at opening, and most of the animals were active. There was plenty of parking, and the prices were fair—$15 per adult and $5 for a bag of treats to feed some of the animals. Even the porta potty bathroom was clean, which was a nice surprise!

Great zoo visited 2 weeks ago from Chatsworth and was very pleased to see all the animals . We called the number listed at gate host came down fast and we bought food and fed the animals they were very active and the host was very nice and helpful with directions . Enjoyed the day :)