As you glide around the shimmering lake, a herd of majestic Roosevelt elk stands peacefully drinking. Fluffy white mountain goats stare curiously back at you. Deep in leafy shade rests a massive moose. Nothing disturbs the forest’s tranquility – especially not you.
Because you’re riding around Northwest Trek Wildlife Park’s Free-Roaming Area in a new electric tram: quiet, immersive and eco-efficient.
The Eatonville wildlife park is now operating six new electric vehicles, along with a new tour station, to guide tourists and locals alike on the beloved Discovery Tram Tours.
“We’re excited to bring back this incredible wildlife tour for our guests,” said Northwest Trek Director Alan Varsik. “Our staff have been working hard to prepare this unique experience that connects people to nature and protects the environment.”
Free with wildlife park admission or membership, the naturalist-guided tours have for years taken awestruck guests around the forests, meadows and lakes of the 435-acre Free-Roaming Area, offering eye-level views of Northwest native animals like elk, bison, mountain goats, moose, bighorn sheep and caribou.
Now, the new experience is even more immersive, with electric trams that are quieter than the old propane ones. They’re also more energy-efficient, with a smaller carbon footprint that helps protect wildlife and keeps the air clean. A modern tour station offers spacious, undercover accommodation for guests. The new $2.0 million tour station is funded through the 2014 voter-approved bond issue for Metro Parks Tacoma (which oversees management of the wildlife park) and the Northwest Trek operating budget. It’s the largest capital project since the wildlife park opened in 1975.
“People love the Northwest Trek Free-Roaming Area – the chance to see these breathtaking animals up close in their stunning Northwest habitat,” said Andrea Smith, president of the Metro Parks Tacoma Board of Commissioners. “This wildlife park is among the best in the country, and now our guests have a brand-new way to see its beauty. We can all be very proud of this.”
Northwest Trek is open 9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. daily. Admission is $16-$23 (online), $18-$26 (at the gate) and free for under-2 and members. Buy tickets!