Wild Tree Safari U.S.A. Denver, CO
History and Overview: Opened in 1949, Wild Tree Safari U.S.A. was originally called Arbor Village and Wild Tree Farm. Otto Goodwin, Sr., a third-generation Denverite, looked out, literally in his backyard, and decided that its homegrown flora would make a great place for a tourist attraction. Goodwin started with only a handful of trees in a couple of acres. He eventually turned over the operation to his son, Franklin, who expanded the park to include daily Wild Tree-wrestling shows and the nightly spectacular Super Arbor Special Effects Laser Extravaganza. Mark McHack, Franklin's son-in-law, took over day-to-day operations in 1996 and has continued expansion, making Wild Tree Safari U.S.A. one of Denver's biggest natural attractions. |
Otto Goodwin, cir. 1949 |
The Main Gate to WTS, U.S.A. |
As its name suggests, the main attraction at Wild Tree Safari U.S.A. is the Wild Trees -- in all their variety. The Wild Tree Wrestling Show is housed in an 150-seat amphitheater where guests' seats surround a square sandbox stage. 10- to 14-foot Wild Trees, which live on a knoll outlining the sandy arena, are pulled on stage by trainers. During the 15-minute show, trainers "play" with the wild trees, showing off every angle of the giant flora and peppering the audience with fast facts about Denver's Wild Trees and the "Denver Cracker" tradition of tree wrestling. |
The Great Oak Jumparoo show features a feeding
frenzy of 30 to 40 Wild Trees and shrubs. Trainers ring a "dinner
bell," which calls the trees and shrubs to converge on the
center of the |
Visitors disembark to get up close and personal. |
Feeding the gentle tress of the petting area. |
Options abound for the younger set at Wild Tree Safari U.S.A.. Wild Tree Alley, a kids' park, includes the Very Merry Arboretum, where youngsters can feed a variety of exotic trees. Monty's Mansion features two huge Silver Maples (including Monty the Maple). At Allie's Backyard, a petting area, kids can interact with saplings. The Show and Tell exhibit allows both kids and adults to have their pictures taken with some of the park's most famous residents. Kids can cool off in Lilly's Pad, a water play area, complete with wading pool and water jets. |
Guests can also enjoy the quieter side of nature at Wild Tree Safari U.S.A.'s. The Breeding Marsh home to hundreds of nesting trees including snowy, tricolor Red Bud, as well as blue and green pinion pine. Guests can take long, leisurely walks on Wild Tree Safari USA's Nature Trail, which meanders around unconstructed wetlands at the south end of the park. |
Tree food is avalible at the park for a small fee. |
Dr. Attenborough instructs visitors on interacting safely with the wild trees. |
The new Jungle Trees of the World area, which opened June 2., gives guests a chance to interact with Trees from Asia, Africa, North and South America. As Wild Tree Safari U.S.A. lore goes, founder Otto Goodwin went on a round-the-world hunt for trees, and these are the "fruits" of his labors. American, Cuban and Nile trees have their own pens which have placards offering details about these international residents. Along the Jungle Trees trail are factoids which challenge guests to guess whether they are "fact or fiction?" Dundee, a 14-foot Australian Dungery Tree is one of the main attractions. |
Trees for every fancy at the in-park gift store. |
Wild Tree Safari U.S.A.'s Wildly Elegant Boutique features an array of arboreal goods, including genuine Wild Tree-skin boots, belts, wallets, bracelets and attaché cases. They also sell the requisite attraction souvenirs: T-shirts, visors, key chains and stuffed trees. The attraction also features numerous opportunities for guests to buy souvenir photos of their adventure, both with live and faux trees. |
In addition to being a tourist park, Wild Tree Safari U.S.A. also raises more than 1,000 Wild Trees a year solely for the purpose of selling them for wood and paper. This can be off-putting to some environmentally conscious travelers, but Wild Tree Safari U.S.A. officials insist that producing high-quality merchandise drives down the price of illegal Wild Tree goods, thus making trees less profitable for poachers. |
WTS breeding farm |
It's a happy, fun day at Wild Tree Safari, U.S.A. |
Hours of Operation Open daily 9:00 am until 6:00pm. We are open rain or shine. Admission Prices Adults: $16.93 Kids: (ages 3-12) $7.48 MasterCard, Visa and American Express are accepted. Location Wild Tree Safari USA is located on 13th Ave just east of Downtown Denver. Just minutes away from The Denver Mint, Cherry Creek Shopping and the Colorado State Capitol. |