The Lazy 5 Ranch is situated in Mooresville, NC and offers a 3.5 mile
safari ride that can be experienced by car or guided wagon.
There are over 750 animals from 6 continents between the petting zoo
area and the safari. It was a wonderfully slobbery situation, and S's squeals of excitement and delight as she fed the the many animals at the Lazy 5 Ranch still has her talking about all that she saw and did.
We arrived at the ranch and there was plenty of parking, and lots of areas to explore. Our 'mall strollers' would have had a hard time on the terrain, so we wrapped E in the moby which gave him a great view of the going on's and S walked. It's not too large of an area for young walkers to handle. The petting zoo had sheep, goats and horses. Within the petting zoo there were some non-petting animals as well, including kangaroos, camels, ring tailed lemurs, a pygmy zebu and a plethora of unique birds. The walk through the petting area was picturesque and beautifully landscaped, with many plants, shrubs and trees that I'd never seen before. We enjoyed strolling around and watching the animals and their playful antics as we waited for the wagon ride.
Three strong horses were saddled up to pull the wagon for the safari. We were given buckets of pellets and instruction on the proper way to feed the different types of animals. Initially, when the first animals trotted up to our wagon S was afraid, but once she saw everyone else feeding them she was excited to try it as well. This elicited many shrieks of glee, which the animals seemed unfettered by. We fed llamas, cattle, buffalo, brahma cattle, emus, giraffes and many other 4 footed friends. It was funny to see their crazy tongues reaching out for the pellets as S gently dropped them into their mouths. As we passed by the large ponds of water we could make out just the heads of water buffalo as they cooled themselves from the heat. Car-sized cattle with expansive horns came to investigate our wagon. It was a lot of fun to get this up close and personal experience with such massive animals as they went from hand to hand nibbling on the feed.
The wagon ride concluded and we were able to go and wash up in the bathrooms near the concession stand. Right next door is a large playground with swings for mom and dad, and several slides and room for the kids to burn off some steam after sitting in the car or wagon. Lazy 5 Ranch does events and birthday parties in their covered shelter.
The Lazy 5 Ranch was a memorable experience, and was well worth the 50 minute trip from Charlotte. The cost for general admission (driving your own car) is $9.50 for adults, $6.50 for kids (2-11 and seniors 60+), feed is $3 per bucket. The wagon ride is $14.50 for adults, $9.50 for kids (2-11 and seniors 60+) and a bucket of feed is included.
They do not accept credit cards or debit cards - so make sure to bring cash and wear sneakers. Lazy 5 Ranch asks that you call ahead to make reservations for the wagon ride at 704-663-5100. If you pay for the wagon ride you can also take your car through the safari. We tried both and I think the wagon ride left a bigger impression on the kids and the adults.
Three strong horses were saddled up to pull the wagon for the safari. We were given buckets of pellets and instruction on the proper way to feed the different types of animals. Initially, when the first animals trotted up to our wagon S was afraid, but once she saw everyone else feeding them she was excited to try it as well. This elicited many shrieks of glee, which the animals seemed unfettered by. We fed llamas, cattle, buffalo, brahma cattle, emus, giraffes and many other 4 footed friends. It was funny to see their crazy tongues reaching out for the pellets as S gently dropped them into their mouths. As we passed by the large ponds of water we could make out just the heads of water buffalo as they cooled themselves from the heat. Car-sized cattle with expansive horns came to investigate our wagon. It was a lot of fun to get this up close and personal experience with such massive animals as they went from hand to hand nibbling on the feed. 
