It’s the baby season at Northwest Trek Wildlife Park. During a tour of the 435-acre Free-Roaming Area, guests can try to spot Roosevelt elk calves, black-tailed deer fawns, and two bison calves. Plus, a bonus: wild goslings and ducklings occasionally make an appearance.
Roosevelt elk (named for President Theodore Roosevelt) are social, polygamous members of the deer family that can form huge herds. They breed from September through November, and after an 8.5-month pregnancy, the female gives birth to a single calf weighing 30-35 pounds.
Black-tailed deer breed from October to December, and after an 8.5-month pregnancy, females give birth to one fawn in the first year and twins after that. Fawns weigh about 7 pounds.
Bison are North America’s largest land mammal, with a tufted tail and long brown hair that thickens in winter. Northwest Trek has plains bison, and the other subspecies is wood bison.
After a 285-day pregnancy, female bison give birth to a single calf, which is reddish-brown and weighs between 40 and 50 pounds.
The Free-Roaming Area is home to herds of bison, elk, deer, caribou, bighorn sheep, moose, and other animals that wander at will through the gorgeous landscape.
On a Discovery Tram Tour, guests can enjoy a tranquil ride through meadows, fields, and wetlands while a naturalist narrates and shares information on the animals seen and the history of Northwest Trek. Our electric trams offer up-close, eye-level views of majestic wildlife and panoramic views of stunning meadows, forests, and lakes.
During a Wild Drive, guests can experience the awe and wonder of the Free-Roaming Area from the comfort of their own car. The guided and narrated tour takes you past the roaming herds of animals. Look close; you might glimpse a fawn darting across the road or the elk calves munching on the grass among their large herd. The tour lasts about 50 minutes as it travels through meadows and forests, passing lakes, ponds, and evergreen trees.
During a Keeper Adventure Tour, guests can hop in a Jeep with one of Northwest Trek’s keepers, go off-road, and experience a 90-minute animal adventure. This experience allows you to get close to animals in the thick forested areas and ask a keeper questions one-on-one.
In addition to the Free-Roaming Area, guests can walk paved pathways through natural habitats that are home to two grizzly bears, two American black bears, gray wolves, red foxes, Canada lynx, bobcats, river otters, beavers, and other animals. All are viewable from up-close platforms or walkways.