Northwest Trek is a 725-acre wildlife park tucked away in the forest near Mt. Rainier. Unlike any play area in the Puget Sound region, it is designed to stimulate imaginations, encourage exploration, connect folks with wildlife and immerse kids in nature.
Tram tours are temporarily unavailable but there are three exciting ways to explore the park.
The park entry ticket gives access to the core habitat area. Beautiful winding paved paths lead you to grizzly and black bears foraging under trees, wolverines running over logs, gray wolves, cougar, lynx, and more, plus an immersive bald eagle exhibit. The nature-inspired Kids Trek playground and Zip Wild ziplines add to the fun! Bring a picnic or eat at the café.
The Wild Drive premier tour is the brand-new way to experience the park’s 435-acre Free-Roaming Area. Drive past lakes, meadows, and forests to see moose, bison, elk, mountain goats, and more from the comfort and safety of your own car. A friendly naturalist narrates each tour, and in spring you might even spot a newborn calf!
Get eye-to-eye with inquisitive otters. Spot elusive fishers snuggling in their dens. Stare out a lynx or cougar, seldom seen in the wild, and learn how to protect all these species.
Keeper Adventure Tour allows visitors to get up close and personal with a moose and stare down a bison. In this tour you can hop in the Jeep with one of the animal keepers, get off the tram tour roads and go on a 90-minute animal adventure you’ll never forget. A clear plastic barrier in installed in the Jeep to help with social distancing between you and the keeper-driver. Each Jeep receives a full cleaning and sanitizing between use.
The Northwest Trek experience gives you a peek into the lives of native Northwest animals.
Bison cluster in the flat areas, eyeballing cars as they drive by. The caribou and the elk seem close enough to touch. The mix of animals that can be seen from the comfort of your own car is remarkable and the chance to see them in this way is a one-of-a-kind experience. On the Wild Walk path, you get even closer. Excited children will retell their journey for weeks to follow, while adults too will have a story to share.
08-22-19 (Photo/Katie Cotterill) Northwest Trek Wildlife Park.