Free things to do can be hard to find, even in a college town. Luckily for you, I happen to know about the best free thing to do in Athens – visit Bear Hollow Zoo. Most friends I talk to don’t even know that Athens has a zoo – and no, it’s not Zoo Atlanta, but it is pretty fun to walk around and learn about the native wildlife in the Athens area!
Bear Hollow Zoo only keeps animals that are non-releasable, which could mean a variety of things. Sometimes animals become too comfortable around humans, sometimes their mother abandons them and they never learn how to hunt or find food properly, and sometimes they’re injured to an extent where they wouldn’t survive back in the wild.
While the animals can’t thrive in the wild, they live a comfortable life in Bear Hollow Zoo. The zoo’s residents include three black bears (DJ, Athena, and Yonah), two river otters, a bobcat (Katie), a bald eagle, and three American alligators, as well as multiple snakes and frogs.
This fall, make sure to pay a visit to Bear Hollow Zoo and learn about some amazing animals! It’s a great place to take your parents when they visit Athens or go to de-stress with your friends leading up to finals. Definitely check their website to see if any programs are happening when you want to visit!