You can go snowshoeing in CNY with lions, tigers, and bears, oh my!

Spend a snowy, winter day at the Utica Zoo winding through the woods on snowshoes. The 1 mile snowshoe trail takes you by the Zebra Pavilion and the African Lion habitat. So you won't exactly see tigers and bears but you will see Canada Lynxes, Mexican Wolves, and Arctic Foxes on your snowshoeing journey.

It is the perfect way to get outside and try your hand (or feet) at this classic, wintery pastime.

Once you've trekked the trail, the rest of the zoo is open for other animals to see.

The Utica Zoo cares for over 200 individual animals representing 99 species. In our main exhibit collection, we have over 140 individual animals representing 64 species. Some of these animals may be off exhibit during the colder months.

You can bring your own snowshoes or rent a pair inside the Utica Zoo gift shop.

Rental Fee: All sizes are $4/hour (minimum 1 hour, charged in hour increments after that. Payment due upon return of snowshoes) The rental charge does not include admission to the Utica Zoo.

Photo ID required for rentals. Snowshoeing available at the discretion of the staff and dependent on the condition of the trail. To minimize the damage to the equipment, at least six inches of snow must be on the ground to rent snowshoes and renters must use designated trail only. Quantities are limited and rented on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Zoo Admission Rates

Free for children 1 & Under
$5.00 for children aged 2 to 12
$8.00 for ages 13 to 61
$6.75 for seniors 62+, military, and anyone with a college ID

The Wild Animal Park

The Utica Zoo isn't the only park where you can go see exotic animals in the area. The Wild Animal Park in Chittenango is closed for the season. They reopen on Saturday, April 9 but they do offer personal animal encounters in the off-season. Take a tour to see everything the park has to offer.

Animal Advenure Park

The Animal Adventure Park in Harpursville, New York is also closed for the season and will reopen on Wednesday, April 27. They also offer personal off-season encounters every weekend as well as Live Cams so you can watch the animals year-round from the warmth and comfort of your home.