MAX Light Rail
MAX (Metropolitan Area Express) runs through downtown from the suburbs to the west and east, from the airport, and from the Expo Center. Washington Park has its own MAX stop, which lets you off right at the zoo entrance. Allow some time to explore the station. It's an attraction in itself.

Leave your car at your hotel, your home or at a Park and Ride location near you. Check out TriMet’s web site for route maps, fares, connections and schedules or use TriMet's Trip Planner to MAXimize your zoo experience today!

Bus
Bus #63 Washington Park is slower than the MAX, but will take you on a scenic route from downtown Portland through Washington Park, past the POVA Visitors Center, the Portland Center for the Performing Arts, the Oregon Historical Society, the Portland Art Museum, the International Rose Test Garden, the Japanese Garden, the Forest Discovery Center and on to our zoo.
Catch it downtown on SW Jefferson, between 4th and 5th. This bus comes seven days a week, twice an hour in the summer and once per hour in other seasons.
Call 503-238-RIDE for exact schedules and fares, or use TriMet's Trip Planner.

From the Amtrak Station (by bus and MAX Light Rail)
Go out the front door of the train station and walk left to the end of the block. Turn left and walk another block. Turn right, and you’ll see a bus stop. Any bus that comes to that stop is headed downtown. Hop on the next bus and ride to Morrison Street, where you catch the MAX light rail. (The bus driver will be happy to tell you when to get off and where to catch the MAX. Be sure to ask the bus driver for a transfer ticket, because the bus fare gets you on MAX for free.) The train takes about nine minutes. MAX drops you off at the Washington Park station, which is right at the zoo entrance. Spend some time in the Washington Park station. It’s a tourist attraction in itself! Have fun.

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Coming south to Portland on Interstate 5 (from Washington), follow the signs for Beaverton and get on US Highway 26 West. Go through the tunnel, and up a gradual hill, then look for the zoo signs and exit 72. It’s the first one you’ll see on Highway 26.

Coming north on I-5 (from the direction of Salem), take exit 299B for Beaverton, which is just before you get downtown. This puts you on I-405. Take exit 1D to Hwy 26 West. Go through the tunnel, and up a gradual hill, then look for the zoo signs and exit 72. It's the first one you’ll see on Highway 26.

Coming west to Portland on I-84, merge onto I-5 south and follow the signs for Beaverton, which will send you across the river and put you on I-405. Take exit 1D to Highway 26 West. Go through the tunnel, and up a gradual hill, then look for the zoo sign and exit 72. It’s the first one, once you are on Highway 26.

Coming east on Highway 26 from the coast, you can’t miss it. You’ll see the zoo exit, off Highway 26, just before you get to downtown Portland.

From downtown Portland, drive up Broadway (or any of the numbered streets) and turn right onto Clay street. This street takes you right on to Highway 26 West, and then take the first exit. You can’t miss the signs.

Coming from the Portland International Airport, drive straight on the road leading from the airport and take the exit for I-205 South towards Portland. In a few miles you will see the sign for I-84 west, which also says Portland. Take that towards downtown Portland, then go on I-405 towards Beaverton. Then head west on Highway 26, which says "Zoo." It's about a 25-minute drive.

Hint: Highway 26 West is also called the "Sunset Highway" by the locals. Don’t let them confuse you!

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Alternate Car Routes To The Zoo If HWY 26 West Bound Is Closed.

From downtown Portland:
Drive west on W Burnside St.
Left (south) on SW Skyline Blvd toward SW Barnes Rd.
Left at SW Highland Pkwy.
Left at SW Canyon Ct.
Left at SW Canyon Rd.
Here's a map of this route from Google Maps, starting at Powells on Burnside. On the map, click the little + boxes by the word "Drive:" to expand the directions.

From the south:
Take I-5 north to HWY 217 north. Take HWY 217 north to HWY 26 east. Take HWY 26 east to the zoo's exit - #72.

From the north:
If you know how to reach W Burnside St, follow the "From downtown Portland" directions, above. If not, here's another way to the zoo:
Take I-5 south to the City Center exit. Follow that road (SW Washington) to 13th Ave. and take a left. Take 13th to Taylor and take a right. Take Taylor to 17th and take a left. Take 17th to Salmon and take a right. Stay on Salmon until you get to King Ave. At King, Salmon turns to the right and then again to the left. At that point, Salmon St. has changed to Park St. Stay on Park street and that takes you into Washington Park. Once you are in the park, you'll start seeing signs for the zoo. Just follow the signs from there.

From the east:
If you know how to reach W Burnside St, follow the "From downtown Portland" directions, above. If not, here's another way to the zoo:
Take I-84 west to I-5 south. Take I-5 south to the City Center exit. Follow that road (SW Washington) to 13th Ave. and take a left. Take 13th to Taylor and take a right. Take Taylor to 17th and take a left. Take 17th to Salmon and take a right. Stay on Salmon until you get to King Ave. At King, Salmon turns to the right and then again to the left. At that point, Salmon St. has changed to Park St. Stay on Park street and that takes you into Washington Park. Once you are in the park, you'll start seeing signs for the zoo. Just follow the signs from there.

From the west:
HWY 26 east is open! Exit # 72.

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There are 960 parking spaces, 17 of which are reserved for disabled persons. There is a parking fee of $1 per vehicle. Members and visitors attending catered events will be exempt from paying the parking fee.

Visitors can avoid the parking fee and receive a discount on admission by taking TriMet buses or MAX. Each TriMet rider that shows proof of ridership will receive a $1 discount on zoo admission. Additionally, there is a shuttle service on busy days as follows:

Parking Lot Overflow
On very busy days, our parking lot may fill by mid-day. When this happens, we run a shuttle from nearby parking lots. The shuttles run continually, so the wait should not be long.

• On weekends and concert nights, the shuttle parking is at the Sylvan Medical Plaza at the Sylvan Exit (just west of the zoo exit).
• On weekdays before 5, the shuttle runs from the Church of the Nazarene, also the Sylvan exit.

When the shuttle is running, signs on the freeway and at the exits will direct you to these lots. If the signs are not up, the shuttle is not running!

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Unfortunately, the quickest route to the zoo is on a part of the freeway that doesn't allow bicycles. However, there is a scenic route that takes you up "the back way" through Washington Park. The best access point to the park from downtown is up Salmon Street. From there, you can just follow the signs to the zoo. It's a beautiful, but quite uphill, ride.

Another way, if you are coming from the north, northwest or east (or even many points from the southwest) is to ride to the PGE Park MAX light rail station (17th and Salmon), put your bike and yourself on the train, and let the train do the work of getting you up the hill. MAX drops you off right at the zoo entrance. Read more information about Bikes on TriMet.

The WORST way to get to the zoo by bike is to ride up Burnside and go through Hoyt Arboretum. Burnside is very busy and there isn't much of a shoulder.

Biking or hiking to the zoo from the west

A new multi-use path makes biking or walking to the zoo from the west an easy option for your next visit. The new route is a great opportunity to include a bike ride or long walk with your visit - try getting off the MAX at the Sunset transit center and crossing the pedestrian bridge to the beginning of the path.

The three-mile path begins just east of the intersection of Highways 26 and 217 on Wilshire St. near the strip mall with the Big Lots store. Paralleling Highway 26, the path ends at S.W. Pointer Road. By traveling a few blocks along low-traffic Pointer Road, you can cross over the freeway at S.W. Camelot Ct. Once you cross the overpass you’ll find yourself at Sunset Hills Memorial Park Cemetery where the path will start again. Soon enough you’ll be on the wide sidewalks of S.W. Canyon Ct. Follow that all the way up to the main gate and you’ve made it to the zoo!

For more information check out Metro’s Bike There! map, available on Metro's website and at numerous retail locations for $6.

Retail locations:

• Barnes & Noble
• Bike Gallery
• Bike N’ Hike
• New Seasons Markets
• Powell’s Books
• REI (Recreational Equipment, Inc.)
• Fat Tire Farm
• Sunset Cycle
• Annie Bloom's Books
• Bicycle Transportation Alliance
• Bike Central
• Multnomah Bicycle Shop
  

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