Your Tour of the Great Northwest Exhibit
Start
your journey at Cascade
Crest just past the zoo's entrance plaza with mountain
goats in an alpine meadow setting. You can learn about
the Cascade mountains, who lives there, and how they survive
through the harsh winters.
Next,
cross the suspension bridge that leads to the Cascade
Canyon Trail, which winds its way down from the mountains to the sea.
First stop along the trail is Black
Bear Ridge. Here you may see our black bears climbing trees
or resting on heated rocks. Also check out the heated den for
a close encounter with a bobcat.
A
stroll through the woods leads to a fork where you can choose
to explore Eagle Canyon,
or enter the Cascade
Stream and Pond exhibits and out into the Marsh Aviary,
where you catch another glimpse of the black bears moving
about on
the hillside. Eagle Canyon, tells the stories of bald eagles
and endangered salmon, while stressing the importance of
forest streams and rivers. Visitors walk through a wooded
ravine to
get a bird's-eye view of majestic bald eagles and come nose
to nose with salmon and aquatic reptiles and amphibians.
Next
along the trail is Cougar
Crossing. Watch these big cats through a wide opening,
with just piano wire separating you from the animals. Another
path leads to a rocky, heated cougar den, viewed through a
window.
Your last stop along the Cascade Canyon Trail is the Trillium
Creek Family Farm, which features domesticated, pettable
animals while telling the story of the region's agricultural
roots and continuing rural vitality. A two-story barn, based
on a traditional Willamette Valley farm, is a center of activity.
Six indoor stalls and three outdoor yards house livestock and
offer chances for children to meet farm animals such as sheep,
chickens, and cows including registered rare breeds.
Once
you have completed the trail, get a clear view of Elk
Meadow and its inhabitants from a large, covered, raised
platform, as elk wander slopes overgrown with native plants.
Your
final stop in your Great Northwest tour is Steller
Cove. This exhibit is home to Steller's sea lions, sea
otters and a variety of ocean fish. There are both above and
under-the-water views for both species. Exiting this area,
you encounter a large tide pool, sea stars, sea anemones and
other creatures. |
Artist's
Rendering of The Great Northwest Exhibit