35 Best Stops Between Saint Louis and Dallas (2025)

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It’s an incredible place to visit! It’s a sanctuary dedicated to rescuing and caring for big cats and other wildlife, and you can tell they’re truly committed to animal welfare. Walking through the refuge, you get to see majestic tigers, lions, bears, and other rescued animals up close in spacious enclosures that mimic their natural habitats. The staff is knowledgeable and passionate, sharing stories of the animals’ backgrounds and the refuge’s mission. It’s a beautiful and inspiring experience, perfect for animal lovers looking to support a great cause.

What an amazing place with an incredible mission. Be sure to book a tour in advance, though we were able to call and reschedule ours a few hours later on the same day just fine due to a sudden conflict. On the tour, they will tell you all about the animals that they rescue, their background, personality, and more. Some of the big cats have a very sad story and it’s amazing that this sanctuary rescued them and gave them a second life here.During a tour, some animals will simply be resting away from your view area and you might not see them, but that is normal just like any zoo. Several big cats like to come walk up close as well. They are all behind massive fences, so there is no danger of them getting too close. Our tour was an absolutely incredible experience.They also have an amazing gift shop with a plethora of gifts and souvenirs. It’s another great way to support their cause and we purchased a few items there as well.

We had a spur of the moment trip there Saturday and we had a blast!!!! Bathrooms and grounds were clean staff was very very nice had a great time on the self tour and on the tram with the tour guide! Overall it was a wonderful place to visit with family. We really enjoyed and plan to be back to do more in depth tours 🙂

We had a great time at Turpentine Creek. We spent the night in one of their glamping tents. It was a nice and comfortable accommodation. Be warned it can be loud. There was a heavy rain in the night that woke us up, then after the rain we were awoken again by the lions....which was amazing. They talk so much overnight and staying there you get to experience that. As an overnight guest you also get to walk around the outside of some of the cages while the rest of the park is closed, so you can spend time near the tigers at night. Everything about this place was great. And you can tell they care about their animals and are there for the right reasons. Highly recommend.Eureka Springs was also better than I expected. A little touristy city in the mountains, we found multiple places we could eat. Pleasantly surprised

I can not say enough good things about this amazing establishment!!!All the animals are very well taken care of and have various kinds of stimulation.The tram ride provides some really awesome views of the cats and lots of really good knowledge!The staff were bar none and offered to answer all the questions we had! This non profit is a 10 out of 10 would recommend!!

This place is amazing! The information you are given is highly educational for the preservation of such beautiful animals. We thoroughly enjoyed seeing the animals that were out.As with all wild animals they are unpredictable and we are just happy we got to see as many as we did.Thank you to the staff here for running such a clean and awesome facility giving these animals a true sanctuary to spend the rest of their lives.We will be back to visit and bring friends!

I have always been fascinated with tigers. Hurt to hear the sad stories behind the beginning of these animals lives. Yet to know this place took them in and have had a few since birth touching. Keep up the great work

I ❤️ this place. I visited Turpentine Creek for the first time about 15 years ago and was hooked. I have now been going about twice a year since then. I stay in the (adult only) safari cabins. To hear the majestic roars of the lions throughout the night is an amazing experience. All the rescued animals have a story, some very heartbreaking, but their stories need to be told. They have a great campsite, hot tub, fire pit and private decks overlooking the Ozarks. The gifts shop is not lacking for variety. The tours and caregivers are very informative. I learn something new everything I go. I can't say enough about this place. An overnight stay is a MUST!!

Took the tram tour around the facility before walking down the bear tunnel and seeing all the beautiful big cats and the bears. The tour guide was wonderful and very passionate about the rescue and treatment of these animals and it was nice to see how much of an effort this facility makes to make all the animals here as happy as they can. They have some super cool merch in the gift store as well. Wonderful place.

Thoroughly enjoyed my time here at Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge. Got to see some big cats such as lions, tigers, cougars, and more. Plus, there is a grizzly bear. The tour guide was knowledgeable and friendly to our entire group!

If you are in the area, stop by. The staff is extremely nice and knowledgeable. While the power was out when I arrived, they had the honor system of paying on your way out. While waiting for the tram tour to start, there are a few enclosures to check out with big cats and a bear. It was still and quiet and you could hear this rumbling that vibrated the ground. Turns out it was a lion chuffing from far away but to still be able to hear and feel it was amazing. The tour is a great length with plenty of stops, facts and photo/video opportunities. There is a lot of care and work put into the care of these great cats. Would love to return and stay at one of the cabins.

Wonderful non-profit big cat rescue in Eureka Springs. They have a 45 min tram tour, wildlife talk, self guided walk to see the animals, along with a gift shop and small outdoor food stand and benches throughout with shade. This is a no contact sanctuary and you can tell they truly care for and help these animals. They have a bigger area below called Rescue Ridge that has acres and acres of fenced areas for the big cats to roam and relax in the quiet, away from the people and noise. They also have a on site vet center, which is great. Pricing is high, it is not a huge place like a zoo, but the regular adult price is $32! But they do have military, senior, and child pricing. They also have cabins and camping sites along with a tree house to stay overnight on site. I love all the info boards and stories they tell about cats and rescues. It's a very cool place to check out!

This place was amazing. We took our two young grandchildren 1 and 2. They lived seeing the cats and bears. We could tell how passionate all the care takes were about the lives of every animal there! I would highly recommend all to visit and support this place!!! While on the tour the guide was very knowledgeable and made sure that the kids could see and we could get nice pictures of these beautiful animals! The animals pasts are very sad but with the best outcome possible thanks to Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge!!!

Absolutely fabulous mission. They treat their locals amazing and the visitors wonderful. The mission to respect the cats after trauma and diligence in deciding how to build their recovery/forever home based on their personality and unique trauma repair each needs. It is amazing how much they do. The trip tells the unique story of many of the rescues as we view them. We went on the hottest of August noon and they were all in hiding.but we did spy many, still, and very much enjoyed our experience. We spent an hour more than we meant to to join the tour we didn't think we would do and my moody teen found it worthwhile. We then found the Twisted Taco because So Good was closed for the day. What a lovely day! Thanks Turpentine! We'll be back.

Great wildlife preserve with many beautiful animals on a huge property. The caretakers truly have the best interests of the animals in mind and the facility is GFAS (Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries) certified, meaning there is no breeding, selling, petting, or any other interaction of people and animals on the property. The glamping tents are very comfortable and are so close to the animals you can hear them caroling with each other during the night. Definitely recommend and I will visit again if I'm ever back in Eureka Springs.

This place is my new heaven. Waking up and seeing the Tigers from my bed was the best. The staff were super friendly. I highly recommend staying here and visiting. They are growing and the animals are so happy & safe. 10+stars.

Decided to make tour reservations for Turpentine Creek as part of the trip my partner and I took last weekend to Eureka Springs. Though initially concerned whether a 9am tour for $30 each was how I wanted to spend my vacation weekend, it turned out to be the highlight of our trip! We enjoyed a guided trip around the refuge on their trolley, narrated by a wonderful woman whose passion for the big cats shined through in all the beautiful stories about each animal - including their heartbreaking pasts, eventual rescue, and the kind of personalities and fun the cats have now that they are safe. All of the staff clearly cares deeply about the well-being of these animals, going so far as to point out common red flags for folk to recognize at other so-called "refuges". All in all, it was a inspiring and fascinating experience that I'd suggest for any nature-lovers passing through Eureka Springs!

This place was such a delightful surprise! We had no idea it existed and as avid animal lovers we are so grateful for the work they do! We did the basic open shuttle tour and it was so thrilling to see the big cats and hear their stories! It's a must see!!!

It is beautiful here and I love that the money goes to help these fluffy guys, but it is 30 a pop so a group of four of us 120 bucks for a 40 minute tour, which wouldn't be bad if we were able to enjoy the cats more...this tour is depressing and not for kids, they are going to tell you in detail how each cat was neglected previously, they will stop at empty cages, when the cats make noises they will keep talking over the noises, not very many animal facts or talk about how their lives have improved since coming here. Bathrooms were clean, gift shop staff was friendly! I'd like to suggest signs for tigers history for those who want to know the horrors of tiger breeding and neglect cause it is important to the sanctuary, maybe just try to lighten it up a little and remember to take pauses for guests to enjoy the animals in their newer hopefully happier habitats.

I’d recommend not going at the hottest part of the day or not even during summer months. Only one animal was viewable in the walk thru discovery area and maybe half were out during the ride along tram part. Many were sleeping or hiding. Overall, nice experience. The guides were knowledgeable and the animals looked well cared for.

This was the absolute highlight of my Eureka Springs trip. I’ve never visited a place with big cats before because I don’t think a lot of them have the animal’s best interest in mind and were mostly looking to line their pockets, but this place is amazing because they rescue animals from bad situations to give them a better life, and not to mention they are non-profit. I will definitely return in the future. We had a wonderful time learning about all the animals and spent a while walking around after the tram tour and got to see/hear a lion caroling. So cool. I highly recommend supporting this place on their endeavors.

Wonderfully clean, thoughtful and caring refuge facility for big cats and other exotic animals. I love that the animals are purposely free of human interference (as much as possible anyhow being a refuge facility). The animals are all healthy and active. Great family stop while in the Eureka Springs area

This was our first time visiting Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge. While I had know about it since it started operation over 30 years ago, I had never really known what it was all about. I guess I had assumed that it was more or less just another "safari park" attraction. That is far from the truth.TCWR is a non-profit, true sanctuary for big cats. They have rescued over 500 animals from private owners, roadside zoos, and situations of abuse and neglect. And that is just the beginning. They provide these animals with a lifelong home and care, rehabilitating them physically and mentally in a life of sanctuary. To hear some of the stories of the conditions these animals came from and the shape they were in is heartbreaking. To see the care that is given to them and their rehabilitation is heartwarming. This is an organization worth supporting.The cats (as well as two black bears, and one grizzly bear) are allowed to live their best life as naturally as possible. They are never forced to be "on display" for visitors. Therefore, some may be in their nighthouses or other places out of view at times.PRO TIP: The animals will usually be more active in the morning (especially during warmer weather) so plan to visit when they first open at 9:00 AM. Also, buying your ticket online (even from the parking lot) will save you a few bucks.

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239 Turpentine Creek Ln, Eureka Springs, AR 72632, USA