Living in Tucson, we are just under two hours from Phoenix. This is good for many reasons, one of which is that Phoenix has an awesome zoo. The Phoenix Zoo is the largest non-profit zoo in the United States, at 125 acres of land. There are 2.5 miles of walking paths in the zoo as well and over 1,200 animals on display.

The zoo is broken into four distinct areas that have trail systems in them. The Africa Trail, the Arizona Trail, the Tropics Trail, and the Children's/Discovery Trail. All of the trails are very easily navigated and interesting for the whole family.

The zoo is fairly large, so it will take approximately two or three hours to see the entire thing. This is something to remember, especially in the summer when it gets very hot in Phoenix. Luckily, there are a few stands around that sell snacks and beverages.

Admission to the zoo is reasonable as well. Adult tickets start at $14 and kids at $6. You can also get discounts if you have a membership at certain other zoos.

The Phoenix Zoo is a very fun day for adults and kids alike. The zoo is extremely kid-friendly and has lots of activities for them to take part in. I highly recommend it as a part of a visit to Phoenix.

This review describes our trip to the Phoenix Zoo. It is fun picnic place for both the young and adults. The zoo is huge spread over an 100 acres and has around 2.5 miles of walking trails that have been designated as Tropics, African, Arizona, and Children trails. The whole area is very neat and clean and well maintained. There are a large number of animals on display, including zebras, giraffes, giant tortoises, orangutans, elephants, ostrich, seals, baby monkeys, and a host of other animals, birds, and reptiles. There is a small train through the zoo, and you can enjoy the ride as it takes you through the various exhibits. The ticket price was very reasonable, only about $3 per person.

You can also enjoy navigating the zoo using a pedal boat or a bike, both of which are available for reasonable rentals. We rented the pedal boat for an hour at $16/hr, and it was lots of fun. The bike looked pretty comfortable, but we didn't try that.

We had carried our own sandwich and soda, but we enjoyed having a hamburger and fries at the snack shop. The food was delicious and not overpriced as at other places. We also got a T-shirt and cap for my nephew from the gift shop. Overall, it was a fun experience and we had a great time

Admission is $14, but you can save about $2 per person by purchasing the ticket online at www.phoenixzoo.org. Also, we managed to get a 2-for-1 discount from the Phoenix entertainment book, which further added to the fun.

The Phoenix zoo is a privately owned, non-profit sanctuary that offers the animals wide open spaces to run free in large enclosures.

The grounds are split into different themes like the Africa Trail, Harmony Farm and the Arizona Trail, directing you to the different animals that live in those climates and habitats. My favorite animals are the Galapagos Tortoises. These huge guys are so interesting to watch and SO cute.

Below I will try to break the zoo down into must-sees and give tips on making your day easier, especially if you have small children.

For those of you that don’t want walk thru the entire 125 acres, there is a zoo train that will take you around the whole park and give a wonderful narration about the animals. This way, you can get an idea of what you do and don’t want to see later. The tour lasts about half an hour and costs $3.00 per person, 3 years and older. It leaves every 20 minutes at the train station near the main lake.

The zoo rents pedal boats and 3-wheel bikes but are on the expensive side. They also rent strollers and will let you ride your own bike or rollerblades, inside the grounds.

Restrooms and water fountains are around almost every corner. Snack bar food ranges from sandwiches and hot dogs to gelato, pizza, kettle corn and Mexican favorites. Snack bars can be expensive and are dispersed thru the grounds. As always, I advocate bringing your own water bottles and a few snacks to curb the urge to splurge on expensive menu items. (I DO love my kettle corn.) Make sure you get a map at the entrance to help you navigate.

The zoo offers different events throughout the year that anyone can attend. Zoo Lights is a huge one. See my attached review about that.

Another big event is the Zoofari benefit dinner and concert where all the proceeds go to the zoo itself. It’s a wonderful evening filled with fabulous food, wine and entertainment, all in the name of the zoological Society of Arizona.

A couple of things to remember. The summer here is way too hot to be spending it outside at the zoo. Anywhere from late October thru early May are ideal times to go. Always have a hat and sunscreen and wear comfortable shoes. No coolers are allowed inside and always bring your wallet. Especially if you have children--there are a few gift shops throughout that will tempt them with knick knacks. Other than that, have a GREAT time.

In this traditional family zoo, habitats of thousands of animals are situated along four main trails. At the end of your visit, stop at the zoo's playground for a chance to rest on a park bench while the kids expend any energy they may have left over.

Adults $12, seniors $9, children 3-12 $5, children 2 and under FREE. Discounts offered for adults and seniors during summer season.

Tele: 480.273.1341 Phoenix Zoo.

Phoenix has a nice zoo that will get you plenty of exercise. There is a lot of walking between exhibits and in a couple of cases around exhibits.

They have a bear exhibit where the bears have lots of room to roam. The exhibit is in an area under trees and you walk and listen like you were in a jungle. However, you walk a lot before eventually finding an opening where you can see the bears. The amount of walking to see them depends on which part of the exhibit the bears are in.

The have a nice exhibit area with animals that are native to Arizona. A second real interesting exhibit is for the big horn sheep. It is quite a walk to see them but they have taken advantage of a natural small mountain. They put the sheep exhibit on this mountain where so can see them in a much more natural setting. Only problem is you walk for 10 to 15 minutes with nothing else to see to and there is no shade of any kind. I imagine that this view is brutal 6 months out of the year with the heat Phoenix gets.

They have a nice lion exhibit when you can see the lions very well and a tiger exhibit that is almost as good except the tiger can get down in the gully up near the front wall and be virtually impossible to see.

There was one white rhinocerous, who is 42 years old which is well beyond the normal life span for a rhinecerous. He had health problems but it appears they take good care of him.

As I said, a nice zoo (not great but nice) but be sure to wear comfortable walking shoes.