Did you know Kentucky has an affordable wildlife center where you can visit and learn about the different animals? Salato Wildlife Education Center! I had my niece and nephews over the weekend so we took a trip to Frankfort. It is $5 for adults, and $3 for kids, with 5 and under being free. I’m not going to use my niece and nephew’s name as I don’t have permission from their parents so I’ll call one H and the other C. As we set out for this trip, H complained about leaving so early….. this kid thinks that 9 am is early. His sister C was up and ready to roll out the door, she was matching my leave of energy! Jax was dragging a little but was still ready to go as long as Roblox could be played. Are all kids addicted to Roblox?

Salato Wildlife Education Center

As we approached the center I showed the kids a huge flock of geese flying over us and the ponds along the road. The parking lot was nearly emptied so it was easy to find a place. As we walked into the center C held Jax’s harness leash. If you have a kid with Autism I definitely recommend a harness leash. He’s a runner! She was enjoying walking around with Jax and they were pointing out all the animals they saw in the exhibit as we entered the center. These were not live animals but I still enjoyed watching them search for each one.

Interaction Area

There a several interaction things to do in the center, such as measuring yourself against a bear, sitting in a boat, fishing in the ball pit, playing in a hunting blind or sitting in a tree stand, crawling in a fox den, or C’s favorite the scavenger hunt. We walked around and saw the frogs, turtles, snakes, and fish. One turtle was extra sassy and tried biting through the glass.

Time for a Walk

As we finished up the indoor activities we made our way outside to the animal excited. The first one directly down the path is the black bear, however, the lookout is to the left so we went to the right so we could see the bald eagle. C couldn’t believe how big their nest was, they had one outside the exhibit that the kids could stand in. The largest recorded nest was 20 feet tall and 10 feet wide weighing over 2 tons! We learned that while at the exhibit. He’s such a beautiful bird! Next, we visited the black bear, he was sleeping.

As we continued down the path we came to the bison, they were still in their barn so we could only see a head sticking out. The kids talked about how cute the bison was. At the end of that path we came across and bull and cow elk, now he was a beauty! They were resting in the shade. We turned around and continued down the path as we laughed and had fun we came to the water feature area, I could have stayed behind that waterfall all day. It was so peaceful! We enjoyed searching the water and seeing all the fish. We then came across the deer. The turkey was nowhere to be seen. The deer was lounging around and all of a sudden we could hear one sneezing. We stood and watched the deer rest while searching for the turkeys.

Hiking

There were a few little trails open, but the much bigger hiking trails were closed due to Hurricane Helene hitting a few weeks ago causing down trees. The little ones we went on were still nice and enjoyable. I recommend them over the blacktop path as you get more of the natural feel.

Let’s Go Back

We decided to circle back around to see if the bobcats were out as they weren’t before. On the way back to the bobcats we passed the black bear and he was more alert. We approached the bobcats and a lady said they weren’t out about that time H said “Yeah he is!” We looked where H pointed and he came running out of an underground tunnel. He scratched a tree and then went to find the other bobcat. They both then came outside. We watched them play and run with each other. A worker later told us that they are like brother and sister, and have such a great bond. After watching them for a while we went back inside, Jax and C got to pet a rat snake. That was Jax’s favorite part! By the way, remember I said H complained about leaving so early, well when we got back inside and it was full of people he said “I’m glad we got here early! look at all the people!”

Let’s Go to Cove Springs

If you are ever in Frankfort, KY make sure to stop by Cove Springs. It’s free to visit and a very pretty waterfall within walking distance of the parking lot. Speaking of the parking lot it is really small and hard to get out when full. Which is was full that day! There is a few other little falls that run through the area and a little creek you can walk in. The kids loved cooling off in the water. I’ve not seen one there before but a friend advised me to watch out for copperheads especially when it’s warm because they like to bask in the sun.

The End

Thank you for traveling with us on this trip! If you want to learn more about the center and all it offers check out their website here. You can also learn more about Cove Springs here. Now head to Saloto Wildlife Education Center and Cove Springs to enjoy it in real life! Where will we go next? What will we do? I don’t know, but it’ll be free or cheap! Ready? Set? Let’s Go!