FAWN-DOE-ROSA Wildlife Educational Park

Overall, we had a really fun afternoon that all ages enjoyed! It was worth the hour or so drive from the metro area and a fun, memorable experience for everyone! I’ll go through some of the pros and cons of our trip:

Pro: Most of the animals have open range and appear to be happy and healthy. Although it is a petting zoo, I liked that an animal could walk away from any experience. Additionally there were fenced areas where they could rest away from visitors.
Con: Some animals that were not for petting were in much smaller confined spaces (such as the bobcat, porcupine, woodchucks, fox, and otter.) Honestly, by the time we got to that area, the kids were already so in love with the deer and farm animals that additional animals weren’t even needed. I personally think having fewer of the “observe-only” animals, each with more space, would be preferable.

Pro: A mini-donut truck ($6/dozen) was in the parking lot, as well as a pop vending machine ($2.50/bottle)
Con: No food or beverage allowed or available within the park. Our group got really hungry and thirsty about mid-way. While it makes sense to not have food around the animals, we didn’t realize that there would be no drinking fountains within the park, or that you couldn’t return to the food truck once you bought your tickets. The website isn’t clear on the outside food and beverage policy, but when I spoke to an employee, she stated that for the animal’s health no food is allowed. It’s unclear about bottled water and other beverages. I would be sure to plan ahead, especially with little ones, and bring a drink if possible and have a snack before entering.

Pro: The zoo is really self-paced and has plenty of benches and shade to rest. Our food bags had a decent amount of food that lasted us the whole way.
Con: We didn’t have a good idea of the size of the park and what animals were where. Knowing now what it was like, we would have rationed our feed differently. Most of the animals to be fed are on the first 1/2 of the trail, but random deer remain in the second half. A map of the park would have been a helpful tool.

Pro: The kids loved the pony rides ($5/kid) and felt like little cowgirls!
Con: The height limit was 4ft/48in and so half of our group ended up being a little too tall. The ride was pretty short, a couple mins at most. Also, each rider needs to be accompanied by an adult who walks with them-something to keep in mind if your group has more kids than adults.

Overall, this is a place I would revisit and recommend. The price is fair, in my opinion, but I would definitely get a food bag as feeding is a major aspect of the experience!

Beautiful grounds! Animals were all very friendly but could tell it was the end of the season and they were ready to relax haha. Employees were everywhere keeping the greens clean and keeping tabs of the people. I wish the beaver and the elk had better habitats but that my personal opinion. Otherwise no complaints, long rides were a decent amount of time and all the staff was friendly!

A very cool experience to be able to be with wildlife you'd never be able to otherwise. To pet, feed and mingle with deer, geese, ducks and peacocks is the coolest thing! Of course all of the other animals were also fun, but, more of the typical zoo or farm animals. My children were in heaven and adored the adventure, as did I. Will definitely be going again. Highly recommend

Came here to celebrate my niece's 4th birthday party. As part of her special group we had a cabin to meet in. Staff was amazing and super friendly! We all ate here and the birthday girl opened her gifts.
The real fun started when everyone was given a bag of food for the animals on site.
We were then treated to an area when a knowledgeable staff person came out with various animals: ferret, hairless guinea pig, skunk, baby lamb etc. that you were allowed to pet and educate you on that species. Wonderful! After, we all had loads of fun checking out the park of goats, pygmy's, deer roaming their the park, alpacas, woodchucks and so much more. Indeed a fun afternoon for the birthday girl, other kiddos and adults too.

Forget about taking your kids to Wilderness Walk in Hayward. This place has it beat. Very clean and beautiful. Staff is very informative and interactive. Reasonable pricing. I took my 3yr old and 12yr old. Didn’t have to try to get the 12yr old to smile! Deer free roam the park. A lot of different animals to learn about.