FOSSIL RIM 
WILDLIFE CENTER

HOME    TEXAS REGIONS


Located near Glen Rose and Dinosaur Valley, Fossil Rim Wildlife Center is the most entertaining attraction we have yet found in north Texas. The lively wildlife, the many visitors, the well-designed park, the scenery. 

This place even managed to have several very steep hills, both uphill and downhill, so steep they required 'shift to low gear' signs. Steepest road grades we have seen in Texas. 

But the main attraction is the animals. 

If you have not had the experience of an ostrich or a zebra sticking its head in your window, you don't know what you are missing.  

Fossil Rim Wildlife Center's 1800 acres is home to over 1000 animals of over 50 species. 

Most of the animals roam free. USA Today named Fossil Rim one of the 10 great places to go on Safari.

CLICK HERE FOR A MAP WITH DIRECTIONS TO FOSSIL RIM WILDLIFE CENTER
The visitors center at Fossil Rim Wildlife Center. You buy your entry pass here...   click a thumbnail to view a photo 

The Visitor Center entry point to Fossil Rim Wildlife Center. You pay your admission and then proceed to begin your trek into the wild. You can buy feed at the Visitor Center. The feed becomes a necessary toll to bribe some of the wildlife to get out of your way.

An ostrich makes sure you have your entry pass when you enter the Fossil Rim Wildlife Center. Here we see one of the greeters you meet as soon as you cross the first grated crossing into the Wildlife area. This ostrich examines each vehicle, extracts a toll and then permits passage.
The ostrich eyes the driver very closely at the Fossil Rim Wildlife Center. And now it is our turn to deal with the border patrol. At first he just eyes the interior.
At the Fossil Rim Wildlife Center you are well advised to pay the food toll to those ostrich beaks... And then moves in for a closer inspection. 
At the Fossil Rim Wildlife Center many varieties of horned deer-like species... Following the Ostrich inspection a horned African deer-like creature did his inspection.
At the Fossil Rim Wildlife Center some so small they look as if they could be house pets... This tiny creature wasn't tall enough to look in the window.
At the Fossil Rim Wildlife Center suddenly we appear to be in Africa, but it really is still Fossil Rim... But this one was. 
The Fossil Rim Wildlife Center giraffes appear to be quite at home in Texas... Very friendly giraffes. They made no food demands.
Aren't these giraffe eyes the cutest eyes you've ever seen? And posed very cooperatively when asked to move in for a close up.
The Overlook Cafe at the Fossil Rim Wildlife Center at the halfway point of the journey through Fossil Rim... A building hovers above the Giraffe's Savannah. The road would soon bring us there. Called the Overlook, this is a complex of many attractions. Among them a restaurant overlooking the valley, appropriately called called the Overlook Cafe, the Nature Store, a Children's Animal Center, a Nature Trail, an ocelot, a composting exhibit and much more. 
A wooden pathway...through the Overlook area at the Fossil Rim Wildlife Center... This is the wooden walkway that winds around the Overlook.
A rhino warning sign at the Fossil Rim Wildlife Center... Leaving the Overlook you see this sign before heading over the abyss. 
Another area of concentrated critters extracting tolls at the Fossil Rim Wildlife Center... Soon after descending the steep grade from the Overlook we came upon another road block. This one was a Sika Deer. He held his position until evidence was provided that his toll might be paid.
At the Fossil Rim Wildlife Center this Sika Deer looks like a reindeer... He was tricked by an empty hand. But the subterfuge did get him out of the road.
At the Fossil Rim Wildlife Center a wild turkey... Wild Texas Turkeys. Their numbers are large in the Fossil Rim Wildlife Center. The Turkeys are what Fossil Rim calls 'volunteer species'. According to the Fossil Rim website it has long been suspected that the turkey numbers inside the refuge grow larger during the holiday season as the wise birds seek safe harbor from the legions of turkey hunters. The turkeys did seem to have a you can't get me sort of attitude..
A convention of zebras stopping traffic at the Fossil Rim Wildlife Center... Entering an area guarded by Zebras who inspected each car for goodies. 
At the Fossil Rim Wildlife Center Zebras are not shy... And now it was our turn. 
This zebra is particularly nosey. Signs in the park remind visitors that the Fossil Rim animals are wild... Sticking his head in through the open window.
This zebra does appear to be a bit wild as he tries to take a bite of steering wheel... When no food was was found the Zebra decided to see if the steering wheel was tasty. 
The Fossil Rim Wildlife Center Cheetah Conservancy... Cheetahs are an endangered species. At Fossil Rim they have their own exclusive zone, fenced off from the humans and other wildlife. The Cheetah Conservancy provided by the Hass, not Bass Family.
A cheetah preparing to run at the Fossil Rim Wildlife Center... Through the fence we see one of the Cheetahs getting ready to take one of his 70mph jogs.
This sign is not really necessary in the Fossil Rim Wildlife Center Cheetah zone... A Danger Sign, but not one word about keeping the windows closed to nosey Zebras.
A mountain goat-type roadblock at the Fossil Rim Wildlife Center... The next roadblock came on another downhill. Lurking in the shadows a group of ram-like creatures controlled this section.
These Fossil Rim Wildlife Center goats seem tame... The lead vehicle pays its toll.
At the Fossil Rim Wildlife Center they eat right out of your hand...or try to... And then our turn came. Once more the empty hand. Many angry animals were left in our wake.
This goats mother did not teach him not to stick out his tongue... This guy verbalized his displeasure over being fed from an empty hand. 
From on top of one of the Fossil Rim Wildlife Center's hills, a scenic overview of the Glen Rose, Dinosaur Valley, Fossil Rim area... A view from atop another of the hills you go up and down on the 10 mile trek through the Wildlife Center.
A rhino and her baby at the Fossil Rim Wildlife Center.... A Big Mama and a Baby Rhinoceros. For some reason they are not given free range like the rest of the animals.

That concludes your drive through the Fossil Rim Wildlife Center. If you live in the D/FW Metroplex area and have not yet been here, you need to go. If you are flying in for a visit, put this at the top of your list of things to see, ahead of Six Flags, ahead of just about anything we've seen in north Texas.

Visit the Fossil Rim Wildlife Center Website

clicking this will give you a better idea of the wide variety of wildlife at Fossil Rim Wildlife Center.
509KB
clicking this will give you a better idea of the wide variety of wildlife at Fossil Rim Wildlife Center.
338KB

Click the above thumbnails to see some of the Fossil Rim Wildlife, with details, courtesy of the Fossil Rim Wildlife Center brochure.

Visit our Eyes on Texas Blog to make a 
comment or share info about Fossil Rim

HOME   TEXAS TOWNS    PARADES  

EVENTS    PARKS    SCENERY

TEX MISC    SCANDAL    EXIT TEXAS


BIG BEND COUNTRY 
GULF COAST     PINEY WOODS
PRAIRIE & LAKES     HILL COUNTRY
SOUTH TEXAS PLAINS
PANHANDLE PLAINS

Enchanted Rock  
Dinosaur Valley State Park 
Hill Country Wildflowers
Mineral Wells State Park 

  Baker Hotel

A Longhorn in Wildflowers at Lake Grapevine
email feedback

© DurangoTexas.com All Rights Reserved


A Longhorn in Wildflowers at Lake Grapevine
email feedback

© DurangoTexas.com  All Rights Reserved