Safari Glamping Coming To Six Flags Great Adventure

JACKSON, NJ — Camping overnight at the zoo has been a popular activity in recent years at zoos all over the country.

Six Flags Great Adventure plans to take that to another level when it opens a luxury safari "glamping" experience in 2024, as part of the park's 50th anniversary celebration.

The Savannah Sunset Resort and Spa, described as "an authentic African lodging experience" within the 350-acre safari park, is one of two changes being made to the Wild Safari, park officials announced.

"Overnight guests will enjoy ultra-luxurious 'glamping' accommodations, scenic vistas, spa services and VIP dining, all creating an unforgettable safari getaway," park officials said.

"Glamping" is defined as "outdoor camping with amenities and comforts (such as beds, electricity, and access to indoor plumbing) not usually used when camping," according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary.

The safari park opened at Great Adventure in 1974, when the amusement park opened, according to Great Adventure History, a fan website about the theme park.

It opened as a drive-through attraction with a three-lane road that allowed guests to travel through the park and see the animals, instead of seeing them in small cages, which was falling out of favor in the 1970s.

"One common problem encountered in the Safari, especially on hot summer days, was car radiators overheating in the stop-and-go traffic as people crawled through to watch the animals," the fan site noted. "The Safari wardens spent almost as much time helping stranded motorists as they did tending their animals."

The drive-through experience, which had been discontinued several years ago and replaced with a guided tour, was revived during the COVID-19 pandemic to limit guest interaction and allow visitors into the safari.

Park officials said the drive-through adventure will be closing again this fall, and in the spring the Off-Road Adventure will return.

The Off-Road Adventure will be a guided tour of the safari in off-road vehicles, accessible at two sites, including Frontier Adventures within the theme park or at the main Wild Safari entrance.

Six Flags also is adding a new roller coaster for 2024. Read more: New Coaster Coming To Six Flags For 50th Anniversary In 2024