Trowbridge Creek Zoo offers close-up animal encounters in Vergas

The camel visible from County Highway 17 gives Trowbridge Creek Zoo away before the entrance does. What looks modest at the roadside opens into a family stop built around close-up animal encounters, and that is exactly the kind of draw that keeps Otter Tail County in the summer day-trip conversation.

Set on 10 acres that once belonged to the family dairy farm, the zoo has the feel of a local place that grew from necessity and curiosity rather than a polished regional attraction. In a county that markets 1,048 lakes and relies on warm-weather visitors, that kind of hands-on stop gives Vergas another reason for families to pull off the highway and stay awhile.

A roadside stop that turns into a full family outing

The appeal of Trowbridge Creek Zoo is its contrast. The entrance is unassuming, but the animal experience is not, and the sightline from County Highway 17 tells visitors they are close before they even park. The zoo’s setting matters as much as its animal mix because it feels rooted in Vergas, not imported into it.

Dustin and Rachel Ebersviller, who both grew up in the Vergas area and on farms, run the zoo with their six children. That family identity is part of the attraction’s appeal for parents looking for something more intimate than a large zoo, where kids can see animals up close and spend time on a property that still feels tied to the land around it. The zoo’s layout makes it easy to read as a family destination first and a roadside novelty second.

The visitor experience is also built for lingering, not just a quick photo stop. Guests can ride a camel, and the property includes a playground and picnic areas, which pushes it squarely into the territory of a half-day or full-day family outing. That combination is important in a rural tourism market where a stop that gives children something to do can keep adults spending nearby as well.

How the zoo grew out of the Ebersviller farm

Trowbridge Creek Zoo started in spring 2016, when Dusty Ebersviller opened it after having too many exotic animals. The zoo sits on 10 acres that were part of the family’s dairy farm, which gives the place a practical origin story that fits rural Otter Tail County better than a conventional commercial development would.

That farm background still shapes how the zoo is described. In summer, Ebersviller’s focus turns toward the animals and visitors, while winter brings the farm work and milking back to the center of the family’s routine. The result is a business that works with the seasons instead of against them, which matters in a county where tourism peaks when the lakes country fills up.

The setting also helps explain why the zoo lands well with travelers who want something different from the standard regional itinerary. Otter Tail Lakes Country Association places it alongside the world’s largest loon and local shops as part of Vergas’s broader visitor draw. That puts the zoo in a wider summer circuit, one that can send visitors from one small-town stop to another instead of moving them straight through the area.

What to know before you go

Trowbridge Creek Zoo is at 50622 County Highway 17 in Vergas, Minnesota 56587. The zoo is open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily from Memorial Day through Labor Day, weather permitting, then 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays after Labor Day.

• Address: 50622 County Highway 17, Vergas, Minnesota 56587
• Summer hours: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily from Memorial Day through Labor Day, weather permitting
• Fall hours: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays after Labor Day
• Family features: camel rides, playground, picnic areas

Those hours make the zoo easy to fold into a lake-country day trip, especially for visitors already passing through Vergas on the way to other Otter Tail County stops. The weather-permitting schedule also matches the reality of a rural outdoor attraction, where sunny weekends can matter just as much as school calendars.

Why Vergas keeps winning day-trippers

The zoo’s public reputation is strong for a small-town attraction. Tripadvisor currently lists Trowbridge Creek Zoo at 4.5 out of 5 stars based on 13 reviews and ranks it first out of five things to do in Vergas. One recent review calls it a must-stop for visitors in the Detroit Lakes area, which suggests the attraction is reaching beyond Vergas itself and into the wider summer travel map.

That matters because rural tourism usually grows from a cluster of small experiences, not a single headline attraction. When a family comes for the camel, the playground and the picnic stop, it also has a reason to look around Vergas, visit nearby shops and keep money circulating in town for longer than a quick drive-through would allow. In a county that sells lakes, road trips and local character all at once, Trowbridge Creek Zoo adds another reason to stay on County Highway 17.