Just a little over an hour’s drive from Seattle is the unique wildlife park , Northwest Trek . Located about 6 miles north of Eatonville i n Pierce County, NW Trek features Northwest wildlife , all in a natural setting of some 600-pl us acres. Our club will be visiting Trek on Saturday, May 7. Bring t he kids and a picnic lunch for both a fun and informative day.

Those who have spent time tramping about the unspoiled areas of our region know how enjoyable observing animals in the wild can be. Northwest Trek has d one a fine jo b of creating that experience. In so doing they have made as natural an environment as possible for their charges. Some 400 acres of the park are accessed via a 45-min ute tram ride during which there are plenty of photo opportunities. The patient observer is amply rewarded; the guides are informative and quick to point out animals that otherwise might go unnoticed. This makes the expe­rience enjoyable for children.

On any given trip through the park one might see bison, caribou, elk, moose, bighorn sheep, beaver, badger, trumpeter swans, and many other birds and mammals . There are separate exhibits for bears and wolves as well as the newly-opened “Cat Country”, which features three Northwest feline predators: the lynx, bobcat, and cougar.And a final note about the animals and the weather: d on’t be discouraged by rain. Some animals that are difficult to see on a sunny day are often more active (and hence, more visible) when it is gray and damp.

As Trek has grown more popular and expanded, so in turn has its reputation within the conservation community. Trek is currently receiving a grant which is being used to start a captive breeding program for the wolverine . More projects of this type are expected to come Trek’s way in the future.

In addition to the

tram ride, there are picnic facilities and some five miles of trails, as well as a gift shop. Previous visits to Trek have found the staff there to be very helpful. Prices are $5.50 for adults and $3.50 for children. There is plenty of free parking at the site.

We plan to meet at Southcenter’s theater parking lot at 9:30 A. M. The parking lot is in the northwest corner of the complex (north of Nordstrom’s and the Bon). From there we will take 405 to Highway 167, which we will follow south through Puyallup. There we will meet Highway 161 and follow it south to NW Trek. This promises to be a wonderful family outing, so bring a picnic lunch and spend the day.

For those wishing to explore the area further, Pioneer Farms stands out as a destination just a little ways d own the road. This is a reproduction of a 19th century farming community . There are some back roads one can take, not only to explore the country­ side, but also as alternative routes home . For further information, call Tom or Trish Williams at

This article was originally published in the April 1988 edition of Zundfolge