Parc Safari in Hemmingford

Parc Safari is a drive-through wildlife park just over the Quebec line near Hemmingford, about 60 road miles from the cabins through the 24-hour crossing at Mooers. You drive a route of bison, elk, Highland cattle and camels in your own car, then walk to glass tunnels with snow leopards and tigers, a valley of friendly fallow deer and a small world farm. It makes a full, easy day for adults and for families with children 10 and up, with the hot tub waiting when you get back.

Where the park is

The park's office address is in Hemmingford, at 850 Route 202, and the park goes by that town's name. The visitor entrance, east of Hemmingford village, is at 242 Rang Roxham in the municipality of Saint-Bernard-de-Lacolle, in the Montérégie region south of Montreal. Put the Rang Roxham address in your map app, not the office address. The customer service line is (450) 247-2727.

From the cabins the park is about 60 road miles. From downtown Montreal it is about 41 miles (66 kilometers), and the park advertises itself as 35 minutes from the city. For a guest at the cabins it is one of the closest things to do on the Canadian side, and the drive is mostly on US 11 through the farm towns of northern New York before a short run across the line.

Hemmingford is orchard and cider country. The town's tourism office lists apple growers, cideries and a few wineries around the village, one of them a family orchard whose first apple trees went in in 1920.

From an African safari to a boreal park

Parc Safari opened in 1972 as a zoo you drove through in the family car. By 2024 the park counted more than 15 million visitors since it opened. For most of its life it was known for its African animals: giraffes, rhinoceroses, lions and, as recently as the summer of 2025, white lions and hyenas.

In April 2024 it announced that private cars would be banned from the safari trails from that season and that visitors would ride through in a fleet of nine electric safari trucks, each carrying 50 passengers and driven by park staff. The trucks replaced about 100,000 cars a year, and the owner said they let visitors see about 300 free-roaming animals up close.

In May 2026 the park announced a longer change of direction, toward what it calls a more boreal wildlife experience, suited to Quebec's climate and open in all four seasons. Giraffes and rhinoceroses have gradually left for zoological institutions the park says are better equipped for their needs. The safari route was redesigned and restocked with cold-hardy species such as Highland cattle, Przewalski's horses, elk and bison, and the park says new species, developments and projects will roll out over the coming months. Today the route, renamed the Wild Life Adventure, is driven in your own vehicle again.

If you remember the giraffes from an earlier visit, this is a different park now. Plan around what is on the park's own pages today, listed below, and check them again before you go, since the animal list is still changing.

The Wild Life Adventure drive-through

The drive-through is the heart of the visit. You follow the route at your own pace in your own car while the animals graze, wander across the road and come to the windows. Earlier descriptions of the route put it at about 4 kilometers, roughly two and a half miles, through zones for Africa, Eurasia and the Americas; the park does not post a length for the 2026 route, so treat that figure as a guide.

The animals on the route

The park lists these on the main route: elk (wapiti), Highland cattle, American bison, red deer, yak, Père David's deer, camels, Corsican mouflon and Przewalski's horse. It also lists domestic water buffalo, Cape eland, dromedaries and Bactrian camels, gaur, spotted deer, white-tailed deer, onagers and mountain goats. How many you see, and how close they come, depends on the weather, the season and the animals themselves.

The rules in the car

• Stay in the vehicle. Leaving it is strictly forbidden anywhere on the route, even for a photo.
• Every door, the rear door or hatch included, stays closed the whole way. Windows may be opened to watch and to feed the animals.
• Vehicles without doors are not allowed. Bikes, scooters and skateboards are not allowed anywhere in the park.
• No pets in the car or anywhere on the site.

Feeding

Feeding is allowed on the drive-through and in the deer valley. The park recommends the feed it sells at the ticket office and the gift shop, and feed boxes can be reserved online with your tickets. Do not bring your own sweet fruit, corn or vegetables of the cabbage family: the park warns that they upset the animals' digestion. A towel on the seat and a pack of wipes are worth bringing for the feeding.

The drive-through closes earlier than the walking areas. In the fall 2026 schedule it ran from 10 a.m. to 4:15 p.m., so do the drive first or right after lunch.

The feline tunnels

After the drive you park and walk. The feline tunnels put a 19-millimeter glass wall between you and the cougars, Amur tigers and snow leopards. African lions and Canada lynx are seen from a large walkway beside their habitats. A Feline Observatory gives a higher view over the habitats. On the fall 2026 schedule the feline tunnels were open from 10 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.

Feline Snack Time, when keepers feed the cats, was listed at 11:45 a.m. and 2:45 p.m. on the park's daily schedule in October 2026. It is a good time to catch the cats awake and moving.

The VIP experience

For an extra fee the park runs a behind-the-scenes visit with the zoological team and the snow leopards, called Sous le regard des Félins, under the eyes of the snow leopards. The park's May 2026 announcement priced it at $90 a person on top of admission. The booking link is on the feline tunnels page, which does not list an age limit, so check the details when you book if you are bringing a younger teen.

The deer valley, the farm and the alpaca walk

The Valley of the Deer

New in 2026, the Valley of the Deer is a landscaped area where fallow deer walk loose among the visitors. Feed boxes from the gift shop or the online shop bring them close, and calm hands and a quiet voice keep them there. The park notes that deer can hear footsteps from nearly 100 meters away, so a group that walks in slowly does best. The deer presentation ran at 1:15 p.m. and 4:15 p.m. on the October 2026 schedule.

The Five Continents Farm

The farm is a shaded walking trail past smaller animals from around the world: meerkats, porcupines, flamingos, emus, alpacas, sulcata tortoises and fennec foxes, along with farm animals. Fennec foxes are the smallest of the canids and mostly active at night, so look for them tucked into a corner. The farm kept the same 10 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. hours as the tunnels in the fall.

Walk with an alpaca

The alpaca walk is a 15-minute stroll on a forest trail, leading an alpaca yourself with no guide. It costs $25 for a group of up to four people and must be booked ahead, and the walk runs daily when the weather allows. Children under 14 must be with an adult, closed shoes are required, and the trail does not suit wheelchairs or strollers. Book a slot when you buy tickets.

The Discovery Pavilion and the shows

The Discovery Pavilion is the indoor stop, and a good one for a cold or wet hour. It holds more than 1,000 minerals, more than 650 fossils that trace life from the first plants through the dinosaurs to living species, a section on insects and crustaceans, and exhibits on mining past and present. The visit ends in the Animalium, a room of 82 mounted animals from around the world. The park says an expert is on hand every day. In the fall of 2026 the pavilion was open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Presentations

The park runs short daily presentations. The schedule posted in October 2026 listed a Harris's hawk at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., the cat feeding at 11:45 a.m. and 2:45 p.m., a common kestrel at 12:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. and the deer at 1:15 p.m. and 4:15 p.m. The kestrel show can be changed or cancelled in bad weather. In summer the park adds its ÉducaZoo presentations and, in 2026, Samajam musical performances from July 9 to September 7. Times change by season, so check the day's schedule at the entrance and build the afternoon around one or two of them.

The water park in summer

The admission ticket includes a water park in summer. The main slide area has the Nile Descent and three large slides, two ridden without tubes and one with a tube for one or two riders, plus a deeper pool. The Wave Pool runs gentler or stronger waves. The Lagoon has a splash pad and a shallow pool for young children. The main slides and the deep end of the Wave Pool require riders to be about four feet tall (the park gives 1.20 to 1.22 meters on different pages).

The water park is seasonal. In 2026 it opened June 13, the Lagoon stayed open on weekends to September 20, and the other areas are now closed for the season; the park's page now says the water areas are back in spring 2027. Swimsuits must be synthetic and fitted (no cotton), lockers can be rented, and pools close for a while when thunder is near. For a July or August visit, pack suits and towels and plan the water park for the hot middle of the afternoon, after the drive-through.

Season and hours

Parc Safari now calls itself a year-round park. Hours change through the year, and the park closes days of the week in the off season, so check its hours page the week you go. Here is what it posted for 2026:

Mondays and Tuesdays do not appear on the fall schedule, so treat them as closed days this fall. The late October evenings are the park's Halloween nights, which start October 16, with evening tickets valid from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. In past winters the park has run Féerie, a lit evening walk; in 2024-25 it ran on weekends, Friday to Sunday from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m., from December 6 to January 6. The 2026-27 dates were not posted when this page was written.

The park stays open rain or shine. Thunderstorms or snowstorms can close it for a while, and it reserves the right to close any sector without notice or refund.

Tickets in Canadian dollars

Prices are in Canadian dollars and are posted before tax. Buying online saves a little and the park recommends it. One ticket covers every sector, including the water park in summer; the park does not sell safari-only or water-park-only tickets. Electronic tickets are scanned from your phone or a printout at the entrance. Here are the one-day prices posted for fall 2026:

Quebec adds two sales taxes: the federal GST at 5 percent and the provincial tax at 9.975 percent, together just under 15 percent. With tax, an adult ticket bought online comes to about C$37.93 and a child's about C$29.88. A family of two adults and two children aged 10 to 12 pays about C$135.62 online; two adults and two teenagers, who pay the adult price from 13, about C$151.72. The evening Halloween tickets were C$29.99 for an adult and C$23.99 for a child before tax. The extras are separate: the alpaca walk at $25 a group, the VIP cat visit at $90 a person and the animal feed.

Parking is free. The park's own warning is worth repeating: buy tickets only on parcsafari.com, and check that the address in your browser starts with it before you pay. Annual and fall-to-spring passes are sold too; they pay off only for repeat visits, which a cabin guest is unlikely to make.

Food on site and picnics

The park has a handful of food counters, and how many are open depends on the season. In the fall of 2026 the Relais Boréal served smash burgers and other fast food from 11 a.m., the Café Taïga served specialty coffee and fresh meals from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and the Banquise ice cream bar was open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The summer outlets, the Crèmerie de la plage and the Bistro du Lagon by the water park, were closed for the season, and the sit-down Explorateur restaurant was taking private events only.

A picnic is the easy answer. Outside food is allowed, coolers included, and there are picnic areas in the park and one by the parking lot. Barbecues and alcohol are not allowed. Shop at the grocery stores in Malone on the way out of town. Food crosses the border twice on this trip, and the border guide's section on food and firewood covers what to declare and what can come back.

The whole park is non-smoking; smoking is allowed only in the parking lot.

The drive from the cabins

It is about 60 road miles each way. Allow about an hour and a half of driving, plus the wait at the border going north and coming back. The route most map apps choose is the one to take:

1. County Route 25 north into Malone, then US 11 east through Chateaugay to Mooers, about 52 miles from the cabins to the border.
2. Hemmingford Road north from Mooers to the Mooers and Hemmingford crossing, open around the clock on both sides.
3. Route 219 north into the village of Hemmingford, then Route 202 east, and Chemin Roxham to the park entrance, about 8 miles from the border.

Fill the tank in Malone before you leave; Stewart's has shops on both East Main and West Main streets. The getting to the cabins guide covers the last miles home in the dark, and the Malone town guide has the grocery stores for the picnic.

Quebec requires winter tires on Quebec-registered cars from December 1 to March 15. The rule does not apply to cars registered outside Quebec, so a New York rental or your own car from home is fine; on a snowy winter day good tires are still worth having for the open farm roads on both sides of the line.

Which border crossing to use

Four crossings come up when you plan this trip. Mooers is the natural choice: it is on the direct route, it is open 24 hours a day on both sides, and it is the shortest way there and back.

Mooers and Hemmingford

The Canadian office at Hemmingford sits at 1 Route 219 South and processes travelers 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with service in French and English. CBP's Mooers port, on the U.S. side, also processes passengers around the clock; its phone number is (518) 236-7113. CBP does not post a wait time for Mooers, while the Canadian agency posts one for its Hemmingford side, and on the morning this page was written it showed no delay.

Cannon Corners and Covey Hill

The crossing at Cannon Corners, west of Mooers, is a little shorter from the cabins to the border, about 46 miles, and a little longer overall because of the Quebec back roads to the park. Both sides keep 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. hours, so it can carry you north in the morning and does not work for the trip home after the park closes.

Champlain and Lacolle

The Interstate crossing is open around the clock and adds about 10 miles. In 2026 the Canada Border Services Agency is rebuilding the primary inspection line at Saint-Bernard-de-Lacolle, with work expected to end in winter 2027 and longer waits than normal until then; the dedicated NEXUS lane toward Canada there is closed for now, with a temporary NEXUS lane at the Lacolle Route 221 crossing. Use Champlain only if Mooers shows a long wait.

Trout River

The Trout River crossing on NY 30, the closest to the cabins, has been closed to traffic heading into the United States since June 1, 2026, while the U.S. port is rebuilt, and is expected to reopen about May 2028. It is far to the west of Hemmingford in any case. The border crossing guide has every crossing, wait-time apps and NEXUS, and the Trout River post explains the closure.

Documents both ways

Everyone in the car needs a document for each booth. Going into Canada, the Canadian agency recommends that U.S. citizens carry a valid passport; it also accepts proof of citizenship such as a birth certificate, a certificate of naturalization or a U.S. enhanced driver's license, with photo ID if the document has no photo. U.S. permanent residents show their green card.

Coming back is the stricter half. For U.S. citizens entering by land, CBP accepts a U.S. passport, a passport card, an enhanced driver's license or a trusted traveler card such as NEXUS. Canadian citizens show a passport, an enhanced driver's license or a trusted traveler card. An ordinary driver's license is not on either list, so do not leave the passports at the cabin.

Children and teenagers

U.S. and Canadian citizens under 16 need only proof of citizenship, such as a birth certificate, and CBP accepts an original, a photocopy or a certified copy. Canada asks that the adults arrive in the same vehicle as the child. If one parent is not on the trip, bring a consent letter from the other parent with their full name, address and phone number; Canada advises having it notarized. If you are bringing a teenager who is not your own, such as a friend of your child, Canada asks for a consent letter from that teen's parents or guardians.

Rental cars, dogs and NEXUS have their own rules, all in the border guide.

Money, taxes and what comes home

The park prices everything in Canadian dollars, and with tickets bought online the biggest cost of the day is paid at home before you go. A credit card without foreign transaction fees covers the rest. Prices on the park's pages, including the alpaca walk and the VIP visit, are before the two sales taxes of just under 15 percent.

Coming back, each U.S. resident on a day trip has a $200 duty-free allowance, which family members cannot pool. One line about souvenirs from the orchards and cideries around Hemmingford: a U.S. proclamation excludes certain Canadian-made alcoholic beverages in bottles, cans and kegs from import from September 29, 2026, and CBP's notice on it mentions no exception for travelers, so check CBP's current guidance before you bring a bottle back, and see the border guide. Nothing about the park itself is affected; alcohol is not allowed on its grounds in any case.

Who the day suits

The cabins are for adults and for families with children 10 and up, and Parc Safari suits that group well. Ten-to-twelve-year-olds pay the child price and can do everything on site, including the alpaca walk with an adult and, for those at least four feet tall, the big slides in summer. Teenagers pay the adult price from 13, and the cat tunnels, the feeding on the drive-through and the alpaca walk hold their interest; the playgrounds and the Lagoon are aimed at small children, so skip them. A couple without children can pair the drive and the tunnels with a stop at one of the orchards or cideries around Hemmingford on the way home.

Accessibility

The park holds Kéroul accessibility certification. Wheelchairs and wagons can be rented at the Passport House for $11.50 a day each, in limited numbers, and the park rents mobility scooters too. The drive-through needs no walking at all. The alpaca trail is the one activity that does not suit a wheelchair. There are electric car charging stations near the entrance; bring your own cable.

Dogs

The park does not admit pets anywhere on the site, including in cars on the safari route. If your dog came to the cabins, plan this as a day the dog does not join; the dog guide covers the pet rules at the cabins and the border paperwork for a dog that does cross.

A day at the park

This plan fits the fall 2026 schedule, with the park open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; in summer, with hours from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., shift everything an hour earlier and add the water park after lunch.

• 8 a.m. Leave the cabins with the passports, the tickets on your phone and a cooler packed. Fuel in Malone.
• 9:30 a.m. Cross at Mooers into Hemmingford.
• 10 a.m. Arrive at opening. Pick up feed boxes and any wheelchair or wagon at the entrance, then drive the Wild Life Adventure first, since it closes earliest.
• 11:30 a.m. Park and walk to the feline tunnels for Feline Snack Time at 11:45.
• 12:30 p.m. Watch the kestrel, then lunch: the picnic by the lot or burgers at the Relais Boréal.
• 1:15 p.m. The deer presentation in the Valley of the Deer, then the Five Continents Farm on its shaded trail.
• 2:30 p.m. Your booked alpaca walk, or the Discovery Pavilion and the Animalium if it is cold or raining.
• 3:30 p.m. Ice cream at the Banquise, the gift shop, and out of the lot by 4.
• 5:30 p.m. Back at the cabins by way of Mooers and Malone, in time to light the fire pit and get in the hot tub before dinner.

On a Halloween Friday to Sunday from October 16 to November 1, the park stays open until 8 p.m. A family can arrive after lunch and stay into the evening, and the Mooers crossing is open whenever you head home. For a second day in Quebec, the Montreal day trip has its own route and crossings, and the wildlife guide covers the moose, loons and deer you can look for closer to the cabins. The family cabins page has more ideas for a family week, and the cabins are where to book.

Questions

Sources

Facts on this page were checked against these sources in October 2026. Hours, fees and schedules change; confirm before you go.

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