Our Visit To Northwest Trek Wildlife Park Near Mount Rainier

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During a recent trip to Seattle for a family reunion, we had the opportunity to do some sightseeing around the Puyallup area. We rented a great Airbnb near Graham, Washington, close to my Aunt and Uncle’s house for a few days. Our extended family with kids of all ages wanted a fun half-day outdoor excursion to immerse ourselves in the natural beauty of the northwest and create lasting memories. On the recommendation of my Aunt, we decided to visit Northwest Trek Wildlife Park near Mount Rainer.

It was a wonderful experience, and we wanted to share it with the world! And here is a fun fact! Did you know that I was born and raised in Washington State?

In fact, both of my parents are from there, and most of our extended family is still in the greater Tacoma / Puyallup area. We try to travel there once every few years!

Northwest Trek Wildlife Park

Northwest Trek Wildlife Park is a 723-ace natural wildlife area near Mount Rainier’s base. It’s best described as a mix of a park, a wildlife preserve, and a zoo. Particularly, it offers a spectacular array of fun and engaging activities for families with kids of every age.

Just a few of the exciting things you can do at the park are watch many different native northwest animals such as grizzly bears, otters, and eagles, drive through a giant free-range preserve filled with animals, find and study the indigenous giant banana slug, and enjoy a forest-themed kids playground filled with nets, rope ladders, bridges, and slides. 

Northwest Trek Wildlife Park Tickets

Preferably, you should purchase your tickets in advance. The price per ticket is $3 less if you purchase online rather than at the entry gate.  

You can purchase tickets here: https://www.nwtrek.org/visit/prices/

Online prices per ticket:

• Ages 65+: $20
• Ages 13-64: $22
• Ages 5-12: $14
• Ages 3-4: $10
• Ages 0-2: FREE

Northwest Trek Wildlife Park Hours Of Operation

The hours and days of operation vary depending on the time of year. I highly recommend you check out the Northwest Trek hours of operation before planning your visit.  

How To Get There

Northwest Trek Wildlife Park Address: 11610 Trek Drive East, Eatonville, WA 98328

Dining, Parking, Rentals, And Other Amenities

Northwest Trek Wildlife Park has a restaurant and snack shop called the Forest Cafe near the main entrance. It offers a good selection of foods for kids and adults. They have burgers, chicken tenders, fries, drinks, snacks, and kids’ meals. Trek Treats is a snack kiosk open seasonally and located along the walking paths. Furthermore, the park has a sheltered picnic pavilion, meadow tables, and free water refilling stations. 

The Gift Shop is lovely and has a wide selection of artisan-made pacific northwest gifts and souvenirs.  

The park is ADA-accessible. You can rent single strollers for $10 and double strollers for $12. Wheelchairs can be rented for $12. Additionally, they even rent umbrellas for $6 for those rainy Washington days!

How Long Does It Take To See Everything at Northwest Trek Wildlife Park?

If you plan to walk around the park, see the animals, explore the Cheney Discovery Center, and play at the playground, you should plan on spending about 2.5 hours. Also, you should budget extra time if you are scheduled to take the vehicle tours. Be sure to check the hours of operation before you visit, as they vary considerably depending on the time of year.  

Walking Paths At Northwest Trek Wildlife Park

Northwest Trek Wildlife Park has a network of excellent walking paths snaking throughout the park. Walking these paths is a fantastic way to get a feel for the natural majesty and beauty of the pacific northwest. The emerald green landscape is lush and filled with massive trees, delicate ferns, shady glens, crystal clear creeks, and bucolic ponds.

Map Of Northwest Trek Wildlife Park

You can download a map of the park, and its trails, here. It’s a great resource when navigating the park and planning your visit. In addition, I will also insert a copy here now.

Seeing The Animals At Northwest Trek Wildlife Park

The walking paths will lead you through a wonderfully designed set of natural enclosures that will get you breathtakingly close to all kinds of animals, large and small. 

Part of the path will lead through upper and lower deck viewing areas where you can see grizzly bears (brown bears) and black bears. Nearby are separate enclosures with red foxes, wolverines, and grey wolves.

Further along, is the “cat loop.” This trail takes you to several large areas inhabited by cougars, lynx, and bobcats. Another part of the walking trail takes you through beautiful enclosures designed to be both above and below water.

You can watch playful river otters, raccoons, skunks, porcupines, and beavers here. A trail branch is designated for birds called “Eagle Passage.” Also, they have several gorgeous bald and golden eagles, owls, and vultures here. These massive birds are regal and beautiful. Sadly, they cannot fly due to pre-existing injuries and are living their best lives at the park. 

Animal Encounters at Northwest Trek Wildlife Park

When we went, the animals were active and easily visible. It was a warm summer day in late July, almost hot by Pacific Northwest standards. The river otters were fascinating to watch, with their limitless energy and desire to play.

Likewise, the aquatic displays are especially great for kids because they can get a close-up view of the river creatures. A massive grey wolf rested probably three feet from us, just beyond the glass viewing area. The wolverines darted to and fro. The weather was dry, and it hadn’t rained in a few days, so, unfortunately, the beloved and iconic banana slugs were in hiding, much to Matt’s dismay.

The cats were also lying back in the shade for the most part. Obviously, if we had gone earlier in the day when there was less heat, more of them would have been out and about. Nonetheless, we were able to catch a glimpse of most of them.

Northwest Trek Wildlife Park may be the only smallish park I have ever visited that is home to grizzly bears and wolves. It was a fantastic treat to see the vast array of animals, some of which you may only see in major metropolitan zoos and other world-class facilities.

Kids Trek Playground

The Kids Trek Playground is at the front of the park, near the main entrance and dining area. Kids Trek is a fun and well-designed playground. Specifically, it’s perfect for kids ages 3-8.

The playground is themed like a forest landscape. Its centerpiece is an impressive fake 20-foot tall hollow tree stump you can climb inside to access the upper level of the playground. In addition, there are rope nets and ladders connecting different areas, tunnels where small ones can crawl and explore, and several fun slides.

A charming little stream flows through the playground, allowing kids to get a little wet as they play safely. The area is a lot of fun, even for adventurous adults, and is a great place to blow off steam and wear the kids out. Also, its proximity to the dining area and restrooms makes it a perfect spot to spend time and enjoy the outdoors.

Above all, this was the biggest hit with my 3-year-old nephew!

Cheney Discovery Center

Located nearer the back of the park, the Cheney Discovery Center is an interpretive nature center packed with many fun things for younger kids to do and see. The building houses various reptiles, gophers, snakes, amphibians, banana slugs, and other creatures viewable in tanks. It’s got tons of puzzles and books to occupy small kids and educate them about the local flora and fauna. There is an extensive collection of animal-themed puppets and a stage where you host your own puppet show!

The Cheney Discovery Center is home to a large and diverse array of stuffed animals (the taxidermied kind) where kids can touch and learn about many small and large animals up close. Equally important, the King of the Invertebrates, the banana slug, is prominently represented. You can see them in tanks, watch videos about them, and read everything you ever wanted to know about these fascinating gastropods.

Furthermore, an on-site naturalist is available at the Center to guide you through the exhibits or answer any questions you or your children may have. 

E.H. Baker Cabin 

Abutting the wolf enclosure is a building called the E.H. Baker Cabin. In this forest cabin, kids can crawl through a tunnel, explore a variety of educational tools about wolves, and become regular members of a wolf pack! There’s a natural wolf pelt to feel and an exhibit explaining how we can all do science daily.

This is an excellent place for kids to play, imagine, and channel their inner naturalist.

Self-Guided And Guided Driving Tours at Northwest Trek

Although we didn’t do this, I wanted to mention the driving tours. Northwest Trek Wildlife Park near Mount Rainier offers two types of driving tours through its 435-acre free-roam area. Both include park admission, so factor that into your decision.

In one, you drive your own vehicle, and the other, albeit much more costly, allows you to ride in theirs. The free-roam area is a game preserve inhabited by numerous animals that can move freely and graze across a large area of grass and woodlands. You can see Roosevelt elk, moose, bison, and mountain goats living in their natural habitat.

The Northwest Trek Wildlife Park Wild Drive

The Wild Drive is self-led and allows you to drive your car on designated roads throughout the free-roam area. The price is $90/group for non-members. The maximum group size is eight and includes the people in your vehicle. The tour is about an hour long. Reservations are required.

Park admission is included with this option, so it may actually be a way to save money if you have a large group.

Keeper Adventure Tour

The Keeper Adventure Tour is a guided jeep tour through the free-roam area. A park naturalist takes your group in a jeep on a guided tour. These tours are much more personalized and allow you to get closer to the animals wherever they might be grazing. The price is $90/per person for non-members.

The maximum group size is nine. The tour is about an hour and a half long. Reservations are required. All guests must be 5 or older to participate.

Northwest Trek Wildlife Park Tram Rides

A tram ride through the animal free roam area was once very popular in the park. As of this writing, the tram rides have been temporarily suspended. The park is replacing the legacy trams with new modern electric trams. The trams will, hopefully, again be available soon, with an anticipated launch date of September 2023.

The Zip Wild zip line course is also closed until further notice.

Honestly, we didn’t miss either of them and had a great time exploring the park on foot.

Plan Your Visit to Northwest Trek Wildlife Park

Without a doubt, Northwest Trek Wildlife Park near Mount Rainier is a great place to take your family. It offers so many different options for fun. It is a perfect way to explore the beautiful natural world of the Pacific Northwest. Walking through the park and watching the amazing animals will leave you with a sense of awe and reverence for nature.

Lastly, seeing the animals in the wild and learning about their life and habitat is a magical learning opportunity for your family. Playing at Kids Trek and exploring the Cheney Nature Center add to this beautiful park’s fun and excitement too. I highly recommend making Northwest Trek Wildlife Park a part of your trip to Mount Rainier, Seattle, Tacoma, or Washington State.

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