Seattle: Woodland Park Zoo

Woodland Park Zoo was frustrating; it was also a zoo so there were moments of magic.

The frustrations mainly came through navigation.

I know there was some construction going on, so I don't know if the navigation difficulties are temporary or normal.

I just know that we kept going places that did not lead where we thought they were going.

I can confirm that some of it was confusing signage.

For the rest, I am not sure.

Construction may have led to one of the really cool moments, though.

There were people clearing some wood in the wolf exhibit. This could have been construction or temporary maintenance, but the wolves were fascinated.

The other thing that was interesting is that it was not clear where the barriers were, so it looked like the humans, the wolves, and the elk were all sharing a space. 

For practical reasons I am going to assume that was not true, but it was interesting.

The day before we had seen divers in the tank at the aquarium... this was like the equivalent with wolves.

In addition, we came across five porcupines chowing down on cabbage...

bears playing in the water...

and a penguin nosing around a little soccer ball (I couldn't get a picture of them together).

Animals are wonderful, so there is always the chance of seeing something cool and certainly something beautiful.

They also had some great statues. 

But zoo navigation is a huge issue.

COVID: It is primarily outside, but there are some closed spaces and there can be a lot of people. 

Accessibility: In some ways this may be better. I didn't see anything that couldn't be navigate with mobility devices and they have a sensory guide with some help for enjoying the zoo on different levels.

https://zoo.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/2023-ZM-Social-Story-FINAL.pdf 

However, some of that can make it more tiring for mobility issues without devices, like bad knees or stamina issues.

For example, the Living Northwest Trail kept going up. It was a ramp with a gradual incline, so not taxing, and at the end of the path there was a Steller's Sea Eagle.

However, you then have to go all the way back the same way; there are no stairs down or connecting paths.

There are multiple entrances, so it may be best to plan ahead for which exhibits are priorities and chart a path. 

https://zoo.org/