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Article Archives: 2006 Edition / Feature 3
Walk on the Wild Side
At Northwest Trek Wildlife Park, visitors can see animals up close
A guided tram at Northwest Trek Wildlife Park gives visitors a glimpse of animals such as wolves, bobcats, bears, foxes and caribou.
Have an urge to go on a safari? Then look no further than Eatonville’s Northwest Trek Wildlife Park.
The 715-acre park is home to more than 200 animals representing 39 species native to the Northwest‚ including grizzly bears‚ black bears‚ cougars‚ otters‚ wolves and foxes.
Endangered species such as gray wolves and woodland caribou are also among the wildlife at Northwest Trek Wildlife Park.
“You don’t feel like you’re in a zoo‚ because it’s a very natural setting‚” says Cherilyn Williams‚ public relations coordinator for the wildlife park. “The animals are contained‚ but not caged – each pair of bears has about one acre to roam.”
A guided tram takes visitors on a tour of the park and allows them to see animals at a close range.
“The tram is great because you have someone narrating‚ so if you see the bison acting a certain way‚ the naturalist can tell you why‚” Williams says. “The experience you get here is one-of-a kind in this region.”
In addition to the tram tour‚ the park offers nature trails‚ a picnic meadow‚ a gift shop and café‚ and the Cheney Discovery Center for kids.
“The Discovery Center has opportunities for kids to touch furs‚ pick up antlers‚ look inside a beehive and do hands-on crafts‚” Williams says.
“We also have the Baker Research Cabin‚ where you can go in and watch the wolves from windows to get an idea of what a researcher’s life is like when they’re observing animals‚” she adds.
Williams says Northwest Trek Wildlife Park is nothing short of a national treasure.
“What makes this place so cool is you can come away from urban life and reconnect with nature by watching the animals‚” she says. “It connects you with nature in a way that watching Animal Planet doesn’t.”
Story by Jessica Mozo
Photo by Alan Poizner
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