safari club usa

DSC Convention – 2024 Dallas & 2025 Atlanta

Home » Convention » DSC Convention – 2024 Dallas & 2025 Atlanta

In case you missed it last week, watch the above video to learn about:

• The 2024 DSC Convention in DALLAS , January 11-14, 2024
• The 2025 – 2029 DSC Conventions in ATLANTA
• A SECOND DSC Expo  in Dallas beginning Summer 2025

See you in Dallas, January 11-14, 2024!

Sincerely, Corey Mason CEO, DSC and DSC Foundation Certified Wildlife Biologist®

Recent Posts

DSC Foundation Recognizes Jeff Crane as the 2024 Legacy Award Winner

Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation President & CEO Jeff Crane was awarded the DSC Foundation’s 2024 Legacy Award at their annual Gala and Auction in Dallas on

Silencer Central Sponsors DSC Foundation Annual Gala Dinner and Auction

Silencer Central, America’s largest silencer dealer, is proud to announce its role as the presenting sponsor for the upcoming Dallas Safari Club (DSC) Foundation annual Gala

June Edition of American Outdoor News

The June Edition of American Outdoor News is Now Available – Just Click the Link Below! American Outdoor News June Edition

• 972-980-9800
• [email protected]
• 13709 Gamma Road Dallas, TX 75244
• Dallas Safari Club Public Records
• Privacy Policy

• Introductions & get togethers
• News & articles
• Safari planning guide
• Hunting Africa
• Hunting reports
• Firearms, ammo, optics & gear
• Hunting & fishing worldwide
• Shows, books, jokes & more
• Search forums
• News & articles
• News & announcements

DSC Convention Moving to GA

• Thread starter Petey J
• Start date Jul 20, 2023

• Jul 20, 2023

Dallas Safari Club Venue Location Change for DSC Convention & Sporting Expo 2025 – 2029 - Dallas Safari Club

Saw that. I have no love for the ATL. If I have to go East, then I would much rather be in Nashville.  

@redleg…and we speak so well of you…lol!!! As an ATL native there are worst places to be from  

The is a positive for me is it would be an easy drive.  

Ridge Runner

• Jul 21, 2023

For me both cities are about the same driving distance and time. However, I'm with Red Leg about it being held in Nashville versus Atlanta. Only because downtown traffic wise, Nashville traffic is a bit of a bad dream, Atlanta traffic is a bit of a nightmare.  

Rare Breed said: @redleg…and we speak so well of you…lol!!! As an ATL native there are worst places to be from Click to expand...

I understand the move due to the overhaul of Kay Bailey's place, but I don't understand the conference they want to hold in the summer. That is right in the middle of the hunting season for the Africa outfitters. It must be a watered down version? Maybe someone with insight can enlighten us as to the objective.  

I wonder if they didn’t choose Nashville because SCI is there and if they did that then both shows should just combine into one at that point.  

Tanner Lee said: I wonder if they didn’t choose Nashville because SCI is there and if they did that then both shows should just combine into one at that point. Click to expand...

Petey J said: Just saw this on social media. DSC Convention is moving to Atlanta for 2025-2029. Dallas Safari Club Venue Location Change for DSC Convention & Sporting Expo 2025 – 2029 - Dallas Safari Club Dallas Safari Club (DSC) looks forward to hosting the upcoming 2024 DSC Convention and Sporting Expo in Dallas, TX, January 11-14, 2024. We are excited to again host the greatest exhibitor partners and attendees to our amazing Convention. The DSC Convention kicks off each year as the first major... www.biggame.org Click to expand...

Hard to believe that Dallas would not build a new convention center prior to tearing KBH down. Five + years without conventions has to be difficult for the convention industry in Dallas. The Anatole is too small to return to, but Ft. Worth, Austin, San Antonio and Houston should all have adequate space for DSC. Competing with SCI seems to be a reason for the move. Perhaps I will go to Houston or Nashville.  

Mark Biggerstaff

I wonder with DSC moving to Atlanta those years if Houston HSC will be bigger and have more outfitters come to it? Being that a lot of Texas and Southern folks may not want to go to Atlanta. I for one will probably not be able to do DSC after the move.  

Mark Biggerstaff said: I wonder with DSC moving to Atlanta those years if Houston HSC will be bigger and have more outfitters come to it? Being that a lot of Texas and Southern folks may not want to go to Atlanta. I for one will probably not be able to do DSC after the move. Click to expand...

wesheltonj said: Doubtful, HSC has already moved back to the Woodlands that severely limits its size. Click to expand...

KMG Hunting Safaris

• Jul 22, 2023

KMG Hunting Safaris said: And will we still meet at Gilly's while the show is in Atlanta? Click to expand...

sierraone said: ?????? Click to expand...

KMG Hunting Safaris said: Not sure how to respond to this....lol Are you also looking for an answer to the question or not understanding the question? Click to expand...

sierraone said: I think that for at least two years, there will be untold questions about "what do we do now?" Gilly's will be a prime example. My guess is that it would be about a 700-800 mile drive. Click to expand...

Members online

• Eric Zelanko
• Inkgardener
• Altitude sickness
• TheRealHorskin
• mark-hunter
• Drexel64742
• Bwaybuilder
• WebleyGreene455
• mauserhunter
• AfricaHunting.com
• Jeff Garcia
• Daggaboy375
• Tokoloshe Safaris
• Major Bonkers
• a_alrumaidhi
• SkullKeeper

Forum statistics

Proudly sponsored by.

• More sponsors

Latest posts

• Latest: DJStang
• A moment ago

• Latest: TheGrayRider
• Latest: mark-hunter
• 2 minutes ago
• Latest: BlueFlyer

• Latest: Spearhead
• 37 minutes ago

Latest profile posts

Share this page

• This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register. By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies. Accept Learn more…

• Twitter / X
• Readers' Choice
• Food & Drink
• Arts & Culture
• Travel Guides

USA TODAY 10Best

Where the wild things roam: 10 best safari parks in the US

Best Safari Park (2024) March 13, 2024

Safari and wildlife parks allow visitors to get up close and personal with some of the world's most rare and endangered animals. And the most outstanding safari parks — like these 10 that have been selected by an expert panel and voted by readers as the best in the country — aim to educate visitors about the animals and the threats their natural populations face, as well as encourage conservation efforts.  

No. 10: B. Bryan Preserve - Point Arena, California

The B. Bryan Preserve on California's Mendocino Coast has a mission to breed and preserve African hoofstock. Visitors to this Point Arena wildlife park have the opportunity to observe rare and endangered animals, including antelope, zebra, kudu, and giraffe in large, open fields similar to their natural habitats. Available by reservation only, car safaris and guided tours give visitors an up-close view of each species.

No. 9: Keystone Safari - Grove City, Pennsylvania

Keystone Safari, an interactive zoo and adventure park in Grove City, Pennsylvania, is devoted to protecting wildlife, including rare and endangered animals. The 144-acre park has both walk-thru and open-area drive-thru sections where visitors can view animals, including guanacos, donkeys, ponies, Highland cattle, emu, zebras, deer, yak, turkeys, and more.

No. 8: Bearizona Wildlife Park - Williams, Arizona

Visitors to Bearizona, situated on 160 acres of land near the town of Williams, drive through more than 3 miles of ponderosa pine forest on a safari to see North American animals in natural habitats. After the driving portion of the park, guests can head on foot through Fort Bearizona, where winding walkways lead past smaller animals on exhibit. Guests can interact with animals in the Bearizona Barnyard petting zoo or learn more about the animals on display during daily keeper chats.

No. 7: Lion Country Safari - Loxahatchee, Florida

Palm Beach may be far away from the wilds of Africa, but it’s also home to Florida’s largest drive-through safari, the AZA-accredited Lion Country Safari. Established in 1967, this safari park invites visitors to observe and interact with nearly 1,000 animals divided between seven sections. Guests might spot storks, wildebeest, and impalas on the Serengeti Plains, observe a pride of lions in Gorongosa Reserve, or see giraffes and endangered rhinos in Hwange National Park.

No. 6: The Wilds - Cumberland, Ohio

An AZA-accredited branch of the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, The Wilds helps visitors gain a fresh perspective on endangered species through a series of immersive experiences within the nearly-10,000-acre park. Rare and endangered animals from around the globe — particularly Africa and Asia — live in open-range habitats that visitors can explore via open-air safari vehicle. 

No. 5: Safari West - Santa Rosa, California

A bit of Africa in the heart of California’s wine country, Safari West welcomes guests to the "Sonoma Serengeti," where a 3-hour riding and walking adventure takes them through the 400-acre preserve. Giraffes, zebras, oryx, gazelles, antelopes, buffalo, wildebeest, and many other species number among nearly 900 animals that call the park home. For an even more in-depth safari experience, visitors can choose to stay the night in a luxurious safari tent and fall asleep to the sounds of nocturnal animals.

No. 4: San Diego Zoo Safari Park - Escondido, California

At the AZA-accredited San Diego Zoo Safari Park, visitors can observe rhinos with their young, watch an elephant herd splash through a pond, or see lions basking in the sun. A tram transports guests through the 1,800 African-themed acres that more than 300 species call home.

No. 3: Fossil Rim Wildlife Center - Glen Rose, Texas

Open to the public since 1984, Fossil Rim Wildlife Center's key mission is to protect and grow the populations of indigenous and exotic endangered and threatened species through captive breeding programs. During their visit, people of all ages can drive along the 7.2-mile Gosdin Scenic Drive to admire these animals in natural settings. Animal species include emus, zebras, rhinoceros, giraffes, and more. At the Children's Animal Center, you can also see tortoises, goats, and macaws.

No. 2: Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge - Eureka Springs, Arkansas

Dedicated to providing a safe haven for abused, abandoned, and neglected big cats, Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge is a 459-acre sanctuary located in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. Visitors can view over 100 animals, including lions, tigers, leopards, and bears. Regular admission includes an hour-long tour on their open-air tram and a self-guided Discovery Area. Other experiences offered include behind-the-scenes tours, curator talks, and virtual tours.

No. 1: Lee G. Simmons Wildlife Safari Park - Ashland, Nebraska

An accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, the Lee G. Simmons Wildlife Safari Park invites visitors to drive along a 4-mile route through habitats populated by native North American plant and animal species, including American elk, bison, waterfowl, and white-tailed deer. At Wolf Canyon, guests can hop out of the car to see grey wolves and American black bears or walk through the half-acre Eagle Aviary.

About 10Best Readers' Choice Awards

Nominees are submitted by a panel of experts. 10Best editors narrow the field to select the final set of nominees for the Readers’ Choice Awards. Readers can vote once per category, per day. For any questions or comments, please read the FAQ or email USA TODAY 10Best .

The Experts

Annita thomas.

Annita is the on-air personality of Travel With...   Read More

Annita is the on-air personality of Travel With Annita radio show, the recipient of two Gold Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Awards. With 40 years of travel experience she has been to 119 countries and territories, and has worked in several areas of the travel industry. She started her travel career with Pan American World Airways and later worked for the Atlanta CVB during the 1996 Olympics. The multi-media journalist not only host a travel show on terrestrial radio, but also a Lowell Thomas Bronze Award winning podcast - Quarter Miles Travel featuring stories based on the U.S. Mint coins programs. She writes for Upscale Magazine and is an ambassador for Oprah Daily digital magazine. Annita's mission is to inspire Baby Boomers and Empty Nesters to go out and explore the world, creating memorable experiences. She values storytelling, cultural awareness, sharing human interest stories and highlighting sustainable travel brands. Her mission is to help shape the listeners and readers perspective of beautiful destinations around the world. She is the proud fur-baby mom of two fun loving Chocolate Labs, Boris and Natasha. Her favorite destination - the last place she visited. Her favorite travel quote - “Let’s Go!” 

Chez Chesak

‘Chez’ Chesak is Executive Director of the Outdoor...   Read More

‘Chez’ Chesak is Executive Director of the Outdoor Writers Association of America, an adventure travel writer, board member of the Society of American Travel Writers and 22-year veteran of the outdoor and travel industries. While he’s lived all over the U.S. and traveled to more than 30 countries, he has the most fun when he’s exploring with his wife Sally and two daughters. An avid outdoors person, he’s happiest on a trail, on skis, or nestled into a sleeping bag. Learn more about him and his work at www.chezconnects.com .  

Corinne Whiting

Corinne hails from the  other Washington, where she...   Read More

Corinne hails from the  other Washington, where she caught the travel bug early on. Corinne studied abroad in Strasbourg, France (undergrad) and in Edinburgh, Scotland (graduate school). She's backpacked around Australia, taught English in Argentina and explored (so far!) countries from Cambodia and Egypt to Turkey and China. Corinne served as associate editor at Where magazine for five years; as a freelancer, she now writes for publications like National Geographic Traveler and Amtrak's OnTrak . Here in the lovely Northwest, she's  attempting to debunk the rain myths, up her coffee and live music quotient and find her Zen near/on the water.

Dawn is a full-time travel & lifestyle blogger...   Read More

Dawn is a full-time travel & lifestyle blogger whose adventures take her all over California and around the globe. Her focus is on creating in-depth articles, travel guides, and hotel reviews to help others plan their own adventures. Every Monday you can find a new comprehensive blog post and “virtual visit” video on her travel website  FlyingDawnMarie.com

Kristen Lummis

Kristen Lummis is a freelance writer based in...   Read More

Kristen Lummis is a freelance writer based in Western Colorado. The mom of two now-adult sons, Lummis broke into her writing career through snowsports, founding the website  braveskimom.com  in 2010 to provide family-friendly tips across a full range of winter topics. And while skiing is Lummis’ first true outdoor love, she grew up camping, hiking, biking, kayaking and traveling extensively with her family — pursuits that she continues today. She prides herself on unbiased opinions, based on activities and destinations she’s visited and experienced. Lummis is honored to be considered an “expert” for 10Best. Follow her @braveskimom on Instagram and Facebook. 

Kyle McCarthy

Kyle McCarthy is the co-founder and editor of...   Read More

Kyle McCarthy is the co-founder and editor of Family Travel Forum, the trusted resource for family vacation planners since 1996. FTF’s award-winning publications: MyFamilyTravels.com , America’s Most Popular Family Vacations and  The Family Vacationist  e-newsletter  provide destination reviews, tips and  seasonal roundups  for all aspects of travel. Ms. McCarthy, author of a dozen Frommer’s guidebooks, also contributes to US News, CNN and other publications. She can be found on most social networks @familytravelforum.

Melody Pittman

Melody Pittman is the owner and creator of Read More

Melody Pittman is the owner and creator of Wherever I May Roam Blog  and is co-owner of the Southern Travelers Explore annual conference, in its 4th year, which brings CVBS and writers/influencers together from all over the country. She is a digital influencer and writes for both online and print publications, such as Travel Awaits, Charleston Home and Living Magazine, Matador Network, She Buys Travel, and more. Melody has worked with major brands during her nine-year career, such as Viking River Cruises, Ritz Carlton, Four Seasons, Disney, hundreds of tourism boards, and GO RVing.  Melody’s first book “100 Things to Do in West Virginia Before You Die” was released in the spring of 2023. She has a podcast, 100ThingsWV, and social channels to go along with the book. Melody loves road trips, small towns, cruising, and sharing lesser-known destinations with her followers via TikTok , Youtube, IG , and FB . After a year of full-time RV travel, she now resides in Mesquite, Nevada. 

Nicky Omohundro

Nicky Omohundro is the founder and editor of Read More

Nicky Omohundro is the founder and editor of LittleFamilyAdventure.com , the popular family travel & lifestyle website that inspires families to leave no child left inside. Since 2013 LFA has been providing inspiration to get families outdoors, eat well, and travel everywhere from their own backyard to around the world. Always up for a family adventure, she has traveled to 37 states and 6 countries to zip-line through a Costa Rican rainforest, see Finland’s Northern Lights, and go camping throughout the US. Nicky is the co-founder of Tourism WorX a travel consultancy group. Connect with her Twitter  and Instagram .

Tamara Gruber

Tamara Gruber is an award-winning travel blogger...   Read More

Tamara Gruber is an award-winning travel blogger at  We3Travel.com  and  YourTimetoFly.com  who has visited 49 states and over 30 countries. A diligent travel planner, Tamara loves sharing her hand-crafted itineraries, destination guides, and travel tips to make vacation planning easier for others. She focuses on unique cultural experiences, local food & wine, soft adventure, and boutique and luxury hotels. You will usually find her exploring close to home in New England, road tripping across the U.S., or wandering the small towns and big cities of Europe.

10Best Editors

USA TODAY 10Best provides users with original,...   Read More

USA TODAY 10Best provides users with original, unbiased and experiential travel coverage of top attractions, things to see and do, and restaurants for top destinations in the U.S. and around the world.

Best Family Attraction in Hawaii

Best Tour Company in Hawaii

Best Hot Springs

Best Meditation Center

Best Wine Festival

Browse the best.

Best Zoo Exhibit (2024)

Best Zoo (2024)

Best Wildlife/Safari Park (2021)

Best River for Tubing (2024)

Best Fishing Lodge (2024)

Back to readers' choice.

Enter the email address attached to your SCI membership and we will send a login link directly to your inbox.

Six Flags opens its first luxury hotel, which features daily giraffe feedings at safari-themed park

Giraffe encounters on an elevated walkway. The roar of nearby lions from a private veranda. Early morning game drives with elephants and rhinos. These experiences, typically reserved for safaris across the vast African continent, will soon be found at an amusement park in New Jersey, which also offers access to the world’s tallest roller coaster.

Six Flags Entertainment Corp.  is venturing into luxury hospitality, with a 20-room safari hotel slated to open on June 14. Located just 15 miles from New York City, inside the safari park at Six Flags Great Adventure, the  Savannah Sunset Resort & Spa  will perch guests above Ankole cattle, wildebeests and black bears that roam the property’s 350-acre African-themed expanse.

The company’s first foray into luxury hotels comes amid its planned  $1.88 billion acquisition  by  Cedar Fair LP , which owns 17 theme parks and 11 hotels, including Carowinds outside Charlotte and Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio. 

Stays at Savannah Sunset begin at $599 per night during the summer season—with a two-night minimum—which puts it within range of some of Walt Disney World’s most high-end hotels. Here, that will include modern conveniences such as avocado toast and Starbucks chai lattes delivered to your canvas tent for breakfast, as well as tickets to Six Flags’ parks.

That adds to the attractions already bringing thrill-seekers to this corner of New Jersey, where Six Flags operates 510 acres filled with 14 hair-raising roller coasters, the Hurricane Harbor water park and the aforementioned Wild Safari Adventure. At the latter, guests are taken on 45-minute game drives to see 1,200 animals from six continents. While Six Flags does not release data for visitation to its individual parks, research from AECOM tracking attendance at global attractions shows that the New Jersey complex welcomed a record 3.5 million guests in 2019; in 2022, the most recent year for which AECOM data are available, that number was more than 2.1 million. 

The new hotel is a way to leverage the existing safari park for longer and more expensive stays, which in turn would drive spending in the rest of the parks. While the suites are modeled after the camps in, say, Botswana’s Okavango Delta or  Tanzania’s Serengeti , the layouts feature kitchenettes and Keurig coffee machines to cater to American families.

“We needed to really deliver things that were special,” says Edithann Velez Ramey, chief marketing officer at Six Flags.

A Company in Transition

Six Flags’ expansion into hotels comes at a critical time. This year  a survey of 3,491 US-based travelers  by Bloomberg Intelligence showed that more than half planned to visit theme parks for trips of at least three days, the second-most-popular vacation choice, after all-inclusive resorts. 

Courting visitors for multiple days is an advantage that such companies as  Walt Disney Co.  and  Comcast Corp. ’s Universal have long held over Six Flags, which has historically been focused almost exclusively on day guests. The gap has only widened, as Universal Orlando Resort readies a trio of new hotels around the 2025 debut of its Epic Universe theme park, and Disney continues to refurbish and launch new accommodations for its loyal Disney Vacation Club members.

Until now, Six Flags has operated just one hotel:  Great Escape Lodge , with 200 Adirondack-themed rooms surrounding an indoor water park in Queensbury, New York. Rooms start around $340 per night during prime summer weekends. 

The decision to experiment with luxury lodging was spurred by Chief Executive Officer Selim Bassoul, who took the helm in late 2021. It’s his most ambitious move as he shepherds the company ahead of its merger. (The close is expected to take place by the end of June, though some analysts and antitrust experts anticipate regulatory delays.) 

Marketing chief Ramey says the glamping concept was part of a strategy that encourages higher spending. The question Bassoul was asking, she says, is “How do we do things that allow us to elevate the price—and, by extension, revenues and profit?” 

In lieu of competing with Florida’s destination parks by building more attractions, Six Flags is using its proximity to the New York metro area as an advantage. Offering safari-like accommodations without a trip to the airport is unique, but as a one-off hotel, it’s a big idea that speaks to Six Flags’ current performance gaps. According to research by Bloomberg Intelligence, the company’s cash generation dropped in 2023 as per-person park spending decreased to $64 from $66, all while attendance remained lower than expected. Across all its 27 parks nationwide, Six Flags saw 22.2 million visitors last year—still far shy of 2019’s 32.8 million. 

What to Expect From a Six Flags Safari Stay

Savannah Sunset Resort & Spa is loaded with intriguing features and amenities—and also a heavy handful of contradictions. 

Nowhere else in the Northeast can you find rooms outfitted with genuine, handcrafted African wood furniture and vast savannah views. Daily giraffe feedings, made available exclusively to hotel guests, are the kind of thing some people associate with a bucket-list trip to Nairobi. An on-site restaurant, Mahaba Grill, will serve breakfast and dinner. Entrees, such as lobster ravioli or slow-roasted short rib, cost from $25 to $40. An on-site spa offers deep-tissue massages with a wooden African rungu stick. 

Each stay includes park admission, private transportation to the parks and expedited skip-the-line access on roller coasters and waterslides. Guests at Disney’s $300-a-night  Animal Kingdom Lodge , which claims the largest African wine list outside the continent and provides in-room views of animals roaming nearby, have to pay extra for such perks.

But there are significant challenges. Savannah Sunset requires all guests to be age 5 or older—a serious caveat for families with animal-loving preschoolers—and a restriction that’s almost impossible to find anywhere online. 

Six Flags also has to build this new business without the help of its most core demographic: Most of its guests are local and arrive with season passes in hand, which means they don’t need a hotel. 

This location is also the only Six Flag theme park that includes a safari park, so it’s unclear if this strategy can expand. 

And then there’s the issue that Savannah Sunset’s most senior staff have little experience with luxury hotels. In charge is Elizabeth Bransky-Cannata, who most recently served as traveling interim general manager for Holiday Inn Club Vacations locations. 

She’ll need to establish the hotel as a must-visit locale quickly, given its short seasonality. Six Flags Great Adventure is only open daily in summer (meaning, until Labor Day), and the hotel will be open only on select dates in the offseason. That’s a logistical issue that neither Disney nor Universal, which benefit from sunny Florida weather year-round, has to contend with at their resorts. 

Despite those caveats, Six Flags still sees enormous opportunity. 

“It’s one of our biggest, largest properties, so we knew we wanted to invest,” says Ramey. “And we’re thrilled that it’s happening in New Jersey.” 

Latest in Lifestyle

The shocking $4.7 billion ruling against the NFL could disrupt the balance of power between the league and its teams

The South Bronx is a cross section of everything wrong with America, but has a community hellbent on changing that: ‘You need to have an outlet so it doesn’t destroy your life’

Gen Alpha’s ‘Sephora kids’ trend has reached a fever pitch, forcing summer camps to ban skincare items

How to survive Paris during the 2024 Olympics

A year after a record-breaking summer for travel, Americans are still dead set on getting away. Some are putting off major life milestones to afford it

America is mobilizing to protect kids’ mental health. Social media and online safety bills are a good start—but California is going the extra mile

Most popular.

Patagonia became famous for letting staff cut out early to chase waves—now it’s asking dozens of employees to relocate or leave because it’s 300% overstaffed

Warren Buffett warns Gates Foundation there is no guarantee his support of the charity will continue once he’s gone: ‘No money coming after my death’

‘Barbie’ star Margot Robbie says selling her own alcohol brand was easier than selling her $1.4 billion movie idea

Nvidia will produce such a massive ‘cash gusher’ that it will have to buy back more stock because all that money has nowhere else to go, analyst says

4 expert-recommended supplements to boost your energy

LVMH’s Bernard Arnault got a letter from 93-year-old Warren Buffett saying he was making a mistake by upping his retirement age to only 80