You can drive your own car past a pride of lions in Oregon. Two other West Coast wildlife parks won’t let you try.

Somewhere in southern Oregon, you can roll your windows up, lock the doors, and drive your own car straight through a pride of lions. Two states over, that same idea gets watered down fast — one park only lets you self-drive if you pay extra for the upgrade, and the other won’t hand you the keys at all.

Three West Coast wildlife parks, three completely different rules about who’s actually behind the wheel. Here’s how each one really works.

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Oregon’s Wildlife Safari puts you in the driver’s seat

Wildlife Safari in Winston sits about 20 minutes off I-5, and the whole point is that you never get out of the car. It’s a 600-acre drive-thru with more than 500 animals — lions, rhinos, giraffes, cheetahs — all within a car length of your windshield.

Budget about an hour and a half for the full loop. It’s open 363 days a year, rain or shine, with hours running 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. from March through September. Tickets run $29.50 for adults, $26.50 for seniors, and $22.50 for kids, with children 2 and under free.

This is the one where you’re actually part of the safari — no guide, no script, just your own pace and whatever wanders in front of your bumper.

Washington’s Northwest Trek makes you pay to drive

Northwest Trek, outside Eatonville near Mount Rainier, does things differently. Regular admission includes a narrated Discovery Tram Tour through the park’s 435-acre free-roaming area, where bison, elk, and mountain goats graze right up to the road, first-come, first-served, at no extra charge.

Want to drive that same stretch yourself? That’s the Wild Drive upgrade, and it runs $120 per vehicle for up to eight people ($65 for members). Base admission alone is $25 for adults and $17 for kids ages 3 to 12 online.

It’s a strange middle ground — you can drive through the herd here, but only if you’re willing to pay for the privilege twice.

California’s Safari West won’t let you drive at all

Safari West, tucked into Sonoma County wine country outside Santa Rosa, skips the self-drive option completely. Every visit is a three-hour guided tour — part open-air vehicle, part walking — past giraffes, zebras, cheetahs, and rhinos roaming a real preserve.

Summer is peak season here, and the price shows it: weekday adult tickets run $145 through August, weekend tickets $170, with teens and kids at $50 to $55. Six tour times run daily during peak months, starting at 9 a.m.

You give up the wheel, but you gain an actual guide narrating everything in front of you — worth it if you’d rather watch the animals than the road.

Same basic idea, three totally different experiences depending on which state you’re in. Which one would you actually want to drive?

Trip tips: grab a rental car to get out here, or lock in your hotel before the good rooms are gone.

Rules and fees change — always confirm current requirements before you go.