Meadow Lake Ranch in Sand Springs has been around for a while, providing a relaxing cabin experience for those passing through or looking to get away for a “staycation” while still needing easy access to Tulsa. The reputation of the ranch carries far and wide; Sir Paul McCartney stayed there while on his Route 66 Tour a few years ago.
Fishing, canoeing, long walks, and relaxation are all common interests, but starting this year, the quiet tranquility of the ranch has added a new feature: interactions with exotic animals.
Long Tail Farm, formerly of Owasso, has recently settled at the ranch and brought four new animals for guests to hold, pet, and feed; meet Ty the kangaroo, Gwen the lemur, Chad the snake, and Arthur the Capybara.
Ashlynn Smith is the owner and primary caretaker of all the animals. She said she’s been into exotic animals since she was a child.
“I’ve been very involved with animals, from rescuing little things on the side of the road to this whole experience now,” she said. “I told my husband when we first met that I wanted exotics, and he bought me my first kangaroo, and things have just multiplied from there.”
The ranch, cabins, and lakes are situated on 30 acres of open ranch land, but all the animals stay inside for the most part, unless they’re traveling—which they do often, visiting schools, birthday parties, and even a random encounter at a coffee shop, which is how we met them.
“We always pull in quite a crowd when we’re in public,” Smith said. “And we’re offering new things like breakfast with the animals at the cabins, and it’s been a huge success. We did our first public day yesterday with no reservation required, and we saw 126 people in a two-hour span.”
The animals, surprisingly, loved it. “We’ve had them around people since they were babies,” Smith said. “They’re used to going to schools and seeing large crowds. They really thrive on the attention; they’re used to it, and they want it. They enjoy the attention.”
Smith says their original farm in Owasso had more animals, but they had to downsize to move to Sand Springs. She says that as they get settled into the new location, they hope to begin expanding the farm again soon. Ashlynn says she’s hoping to get a sloth next. “That’s a goal of mine. Hopefully, we can make that a reality.”
Learn more about reserving an exotic animal interaction at ltfarm.com, or book your stay at the Meadow Lake Ranch at meadowlakeranch.com
