Northwest Trek - The Perfect Summer Outing

I took my son to Northwest Trek for his first time early last year. He had just turned six years old and wanted to experience nature with a little more action than walking around the zoo. When I was young my parents took us to this fascinating park to teach us about nature that was relevant to the Pacific Northwest . I still remember riding the tram through the park and seeing all of the darling babies and mothers wandering the 435 acres that is still entertaining children and adults 30 years later. Northwest Trek is located in Eatonville , WA not far from Mt. Rainier National Park.

Early summer is the BEST time to visit Northwest Trek. To see a mother and her young in the gorgeous sunshine and on the range is priceless. This time was no exception. While the tram began up the hill into the forest we abruptly stopped for big horn sheep and their herd to cross in front of the tram. One of the babies decided to ram the side of our tram and my son jumped for joy that we were that up close and personal with Mother Nature at her finest. When we stopped in the forest and saw the moose and her baby sleeping behind a log I felt like we were sneaking up on them! It was amazing how nonchalant they were about the tram (obviously they see it every day) and how we actually saw the little one nursing mama for her dinner. The nature guide let us know how rare it was to see as many animals as we had that day. There were bison, deer, moose, rabbits, skunks, sheep, and many other creatures that thrive in the northwest.

There is also a free roaming walk area where you can spy grizzlies, black bears, wolves, bobcats, lynx, cougars, owls, eagles and wetland animals in beautiful natural exhibits. I remember the bald eagle that had a gigantic wing span and was beautiful perched in a hollowed out log. My son was so excited to see one just a few feet away as we'd only found them up in a tree near a lake close to our home and it was hundreds of feet up.

The pricing for this excursion is extremely reasonable. Adults enter for $13.50 a piece, children under 13 are $9.00 (unless you're 3-4 and it's $6.00) and children under 3 years old are free. For the summer hours are 9:30 - 4pm but after June 30^th they go until 6pm. They also offer birthday parties for kids starting at $290 for up to 15. This includes a lunch, guided tram tour and you can also request live animals to be shown by their staff for an unforgettable birthday party!

The gift shop is stocked with wonderful prizes for your children to take home a memory. They offer candles, Native American artifacts, stuffed animals, and a variety of northwest artworks, music, etc. My son chose the DVD on Northwest Trek so that he could relive the memory and find any animals that might have been missed during our entertaining tram ride. The people working there truly love their job and teaching newcomers all about our northwest heritage.

For children that have short attention span things stay busy and entertaining through your entire visit and the tram drive makes sure to keep the commentary fun for all ages. If you've always thought about visiting Northwest Trek now is the time! Don't let another year go by without experiencing this incredible park in season. Fall is a great time as well as mating season is abroad and animals are out trying to find their Mr./Mrs. Right.