Zoos and animal parksPoconos and Jim Thorpe

Claws 'N' Paws Wild Animal Park

Lake Ariel, PA · 2 hours 38 minutes from Reading · $20 to $50 a person

clawsnpaws.com|Day trips from Berks County

Open daily through mid-October 2026 (the site does not post the closing date), then closed until May 1.

Plan the day

Drive2 hours 38 minutes from Reading, 113 miles2 hours 29 minutes from Boyertown · 2 hours 19 minutes from Hamburg · 2 hours 58 minutes from Morgantown

Where1475 Ledgedale Road, Lake Ariel, PA 18436, Lake Ariel, PAOpen in maps →

OpenDaily from May 1 to mid-October; the snack bar runs daily through Labor Day, then weekends only.10 am to 6 pm daily, last admission 5 pm.

AdmissionAdults 12+ $23.50, ages 2 to 11 $18.50, seniors 65+ $22.50, military with ID $20.50, 1 and under free; giraffe and lory parrot feeding $5, Turtle Town feeding $5 (2026 season).

Plan on2 to 3 hours to see everything, per the site.

Good forlittle kids, big kids, teens, adults, a group of friends, older adults

Claws 'N' Paws Wild Animal Park is a walk-through zoo on Route 590 in Lake Ariel, PA, 4 miles east of Hamlin, with what the site counts as more than 120 rare and exotic species along woodland trails.

The site counts more than 120 species, from tigers, lions, snow leopards and jaguars to camels, sloths, otters, black bears and arctic wolves, on woodland trails you walk at your own pace. You can hand-feed Jethro the giraffe and the lory parrots for $5, pet and feed goats, sheep and deer, and feed the tortoises at Turtle Town. Bring a picnic; the site says two to three hours covers everything.

Before you go

Bring your own picnic lunch; the snack bar is cash only. Wear old clothes if you go into the petting area. The site calls the paths easy for strollers and for older visitors. Tickets sell online or at the gate.

Coming up

The 2026 season runs daily through mid-October, 10 am to 6 pm with last admission at 5 pm; the park then closes until May 1.

Official site →Tickets →

Checked October 8, 2026 on the official site. Hours, prices and seasons change, so confirm there before a long drive.

More zoos and animal parks worth the drive

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Lehigh Valley Zoo is an AZA-accredited zoo inside the Trexler Nature Preserve in Schnecksville, PA, run by the nonprofit Lehigh Valley Zoological Society since 2004.

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Elmwood Park Zoo is a zoo in Norristown, PA, with giraffes you can hand feed, jaguars, red pandas, eagles and a playground, plus free parking.

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ZooAmerica North American Wildlife Park

Hershey, PA · 1 hour 11 minutes from Reading · Under $20 a person

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Philadelphia Zoo

Philadelphia, PA · 1 hour 15 minutes from Reading

The Philadelphia Zoo is a zoo in Fairmount Park in Philadelphia, PA, at 34th Street and Girard Avenue. It calls itself America's first zoo.

Zoos and animal parksNorthern Delaware

Brandywine Zoo

Wilmington, DE · 1 hour 19 minutes from Reading · Under $20 a person

The Brandywine Zoo is a zoo of under five acres in Brandywine Park along the Brandywine River in Wilmington, DE, run by the Delaware Division of Parks and Recreation with the Delaware Zoological Society.

See every one of the zoos and animal parks on the list →