I’m not sure what I expected when I visited Northwest Trek Wildlife Park with a friend and her two kids last year. The image of a zoo in the woods came to mind, replete with animals in cages. What we found was anything but. We visited predators and smaller animals—bears, wolves, lynx, foxes, eagles, owls, bobcats, and porcupines — in spacious, naturalistic habitats. Technically, they are enclosures that keep animals and viewers safe.
But when we jumped into an open jeep with an animal keeper and headed out on a Keeper Adventure Tour through the park’s free-roaming animal area, the comparison to a zoo vanished. Besides educating us about the many animals we encounter, the keeper got the jeep close enough actually to smell the bison — but not scare them off.
“So cool,” Mason, my 10-year-old companion, enthused, peppering the keeper with at least 20 bison questions. Mason has a thing for buffalo, which is why we made the trek to the Trek on his birthday. A bison isn’t a buffalo, but they’re close enough for Mason.
Not everyone can go on safari, but this felt pretty close as the air rushed through the open jeep, and the kids pulled out their binoculars like pros.
It started with one couple
Vision is a mighty thing—it can bring rescue and protect wild animals, allow them to live out their lives in natural wide-open spaces, help conserve species and provide humans the chance to observe animals their natural habitat. It was that vision that led to the opening of Northwest Trek Wildlife Park 50 years ago this weekend, on July 17, 1975.
Meet a North American porcupine at Northwest Trek. (Image: Katie Cotterill / Northwest Trek Wildlife Park)
“This place is the dream of a children’s doctor and his wife,” said Connie Anne Hellyer, daughter of Dr. David “Doc” and Connie Hellyer who donated the land that became Northwest Trek. “They saw that their land, with its many habitats, would be an ideal place to dedicate to animals of the Northwest. I’m thrilled to see their dream come true and visitors, especially kids, filled with wonder.”
A birthday celebration 50 years in the making
The park is celebrating its 50th anniversary July 19–20 from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. with family activities, including a historical photo scavenger hunt, creation of antler birthday hats, and special keeper chats with raccoons, Grizzly bears, porcupines, and gray wolves. Visitors will also get to watch as animals receive special treats in commemoration of the Northwest Trek’s “birthday.”
A raccoon checks out a celebratory and enriching snack. (Image: Katie G. Cotterill/Northwest Trek Wildlife Park)
Meet the newest arrivals: Two rescued cougar cubs
On Friday July 18, two rescued 7-month-old cougar cubs will make their first public appearance at the park just in time for the its anniversary party.
Visitors will have the chance to see the cubs in a forested habitat along the park’s Cat Loop, near the bobcat and lynx habitats. The cubs have spend months received medical and have bonded during their recovery, animal keepers say.
“These cubs have shown incredible resilience, and now they’re ready for this next chapter,” said Becca McCloskey, Curator at Northwest Trek. “They’ve formed a strong social bond and giving them the chance to grow and explore together is a beautiful part of their story.”
Wildlife encounters and free-roaming animals
Located in Eatonville, the park covers 725 acres, 435 of which are reserved for free-roaming animals like American bison, Roosevelt elk, mountain goats and more. It’s home to many rescued animals whose stories deepen visitors’ empathy and understanding of nature. The park’s Eagle Passage, where rescued eagles reside, is recipient of the National Exhibit Award—a the top accolade from the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA).
The list of animals on view includes eagles and porcupines, badgers and red fox, cats and more. Guests might even hear the clash of antlers as elk clash and bugle in mating season.
Here’s what a birthday treat looks like for a Grizzly bear. (Image: Katie G. Cotterill / Northwest Trek Wildlife Park)
The park is considered a facility of Parks Tacoma.
“Northwest Trek is a treasure, not just for Pierce County, but for the entire Pacific Northwest,” said Andrea Smith, President of the Park Board. “It stands as proof that when a community comes together around a shared love for wildlife and the outdoors, amazing things happen.”
To learn more about Northwest Trek’s history and the planned celebrations, visit nwtrek.org.
