Lake Atascadero Park and Charles Paddock Zoo
add photosSummer Hours April 1 – October 31
Winter Hours November 1 – March 31
16 Reviews for Lake Atascadero Park and Charles Paddock Zoo
25
281 family found this helpful
"We're going to the zoo, zoo, zoo..."
This is definitely a small town zoo. It's clean and well kept but is not terribly exciting. The zoo itself is small and does not offer a large variety of critters to see. With that said, it is well worth the money if you have "little ones." My 3 year old loves to spend the afternoon viewing the animals, playing at the park, and feeding the ducks at the lake. So if you lower your expectations just a bit, it is a great way to spend an afternoon!
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0 families found this helpful
"Fun to feed the ducks!"
We really enjoy going to this park, but not for the park or zoo features...we enjoy the ducks at the lake! My son absolutely LOVES feeding & chasing after the ducks.
The park is definitely not even close to my favorite park reason being it is not good for toddlers as the equipment is geared more towards older kids.
'11
0 families found this helpful
"Nice fifteen minute stop"
This is a very small 'zoo' with a limited amount of animals. It will only take your family about fifteen minutes to see the entire zoo. Unfortunately they do not have the large selection of animals like most zoos have.
The annual pass is a bargain and should have reciprocal benefits at many other zoos and aquariums so this is a hidden gem of a deal. If you can go here first and get the annual pass then go to all the other great zoos and aquariums that are listed you would be in great shape. This zoo also has a park and lake that are adjacent to the same parking lot. Parking is free which is another benefit at this zoo.
0 families found this helpful
"Small, but fun"
The Zoo is on the small side, but is perfect for little ones to run around with little worry of them getting lost. Most of the animals at the Zoo are smaller and can be difficult for children to see them over the barriers. I often had to pick up my 2 ½ year old or have her stand on a bench. It was very enjoyable for my daughter to run around the Zoo and we easily covered the entire Zoo in less than two hours. Definitely a good stop for young children and it has the added bonus of being located next to a park.
0 families found this helpful
"Affordable and Fun"
This is the perfect place to take your little ones! For one thing, it's very affordable (less than $5.00) and it's a pretty good sized zoo, too. Parking is free, and it's right next to the lake. It supports our local community, and a portion of the entrance fee is donated to help endangered animals. They also host a lot of special activities for kids and families, and the grounds are very clean! They don't have a snack bar, but they do have a small gift shop.
2 families found this helpful
"Walking the lake is"
always good family exercise! The 1.2 mile lake is very easy for little feet to accomplish. We always have to stop to play at the playground which is usually not very busy. The zoo is nothing special and the price is outrageous for what you get to see, but it's all for a good cause.
0 families found this helpful
"A cute, but small zoo"
We love visiting the Charles Paddock zoo. My kids are 3 and 1enjoy seeing different animals, the 1 year old loves the goats! They just received a new beautiful young tiger. He's super cute! Over all, the zoo is pretty small, it can easily take 30 minutes to see everything, or you can spend a few hours watching all the critters. There is a great park and playground adjacent to the zoo, and a nice walking path around the lake, I think 1.1 miles long.
1 family found this helpful
"A Day Full Of Fun"
You can spend an entire day (or at least half a day!) at this park. The zoo is very small but fun for the kids. You can probably walk through the entire zoo in 20 minutes if you wanted to get through quickly. The park play area is large and provides some shade. There are BBQ's if you want to have a family BBQ day. There are walking paths and a lake where you can feed the ducks and fish.
0 families found this helpful
"love the park, not so much the zoo"
The zoo is tiny and my son can walk around it in five minutes. There is one tiger and the main attraction of goats that they can feed. He would rather go to the park. It tends to be cooler here because of the lake. The structure is fun and then you can always feed the ducks, geese, and swans at the lake. In summertime, the kiddie pool is open from 11-4. The water is freezing but they love it. Best part is that it is caged in with a lifeguard so if your little one is big enough to be on their own, you can sit in the grass and rest while they play! There is also a path around the lake people walk on for exercise. I think it is a mile or more long.
1 family found this helpful
"Small but cute zoo"
The Carles Paddock Zoo is definitely on the smaller side, but fun nonetheless. Some of the animals that call the zoo home include a tiger, sheep, goats, flamingos, reptiles, an emu, and others. The admission price is only $5, and you can also bring a sack lunch and have a picnic right outside at the Atascadero Lake Park.
2 families found this helpful
"Atascadero Cul De Sac"
This zoo is so small. It wasn't worth the hassle of the kids being excited to go to the zoo and then let down at the lack of animals and stuff to do. Thankfully the park just outside of the zoo is fantastic. The downside to this once again is that there is a retaining wall of sorts thats pretty high off the ground and kids fall off frequently. If you live close by it's great for a playdate, but don't waste your time driving to get there.
0 families found this helpful
"Great zoo for little ones..."
Terrific little zoo for infants through age 6 or so. They have a new tiger, monkeys, birds (including my Son's favorite, the flamingo), a tortoise and lots of other animals - many I've never heard of! The zoo is located right next to a great park with a pretty lake.
0 families found this helpful
"The Zoo"
The Atascadero Zoo is a fun treat for your family. I used to go when I was little and it hasn't changed much over the years. It's a great place to go and teach your kids about animals found all over the world. Overall, it is small, but for a small town, it's great. They offer fun activities at different times of the year that are fun for the family. Not only that, but it's located next to a park, so you can combine two trips into one. :)
0 families found this helpful
"Small, but a good value"
The Atascadero Zoo is very small and in all honesty, barely qualifies as a zoo. There are few to none exotic animals, but plenty of birds. The admission is very inexpensive, around $5 for adults. My son loves it there, but I find the animals in tiny cages depressing. I'd prefer to make the drive to a larger zoo in Fresno or Santa Barbara.
0 families found this helpful
"Fun with the Family"
Thirty-five acres of water and wonder. This very intimate site allows close proximity to some one hundred rare and wonderful species. Among the selection: gleaming black brother and- ister jaguars from Brazil, a pair of Bengal tigers, furry lemurs, sinewy pythons and boas, strutting pink flamingos, and crested porcupines (can you make them strut their stuff?). Lake Atascadero is next to the zoo. Walk around the 2-mile perimeter of the lake and picnic on benches or dockside at the Lakeside Pavilion’s snack bar. Strollers, a gift shop, refreshments, and restrooms all make a visit easier for families.
5 families found this helpful
"A good playground and nice little zoo"
If your kids need to stretch their legs and get their wiggles out, there is a nice playground at Atascadero Lake Park. The nearby zoo is small but nice. The lake is a bit green (algae) but people do rent paddle boats and fish off the small pier. You can bring bread to feed the ducks and geese. The trail around the lake is the most popular walking trail in town. Some of the info on this site isn't exactly correct--no jaguars and only one tiger at the zoo at this time. See the zoo's website for the correct list of animals. In the summer, there are free concerts and bbq tri tip for sale on Tuesday nights.
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