Head To The Alaska Zoo To Walk On Outdoor Trails And View Animals Right Now
By Megan McDonald|Published March 19, 2020
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Megan McDonald
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Megan McDonald is a writer, photographer, and owner of humu media, an Alaska-based digital media agency. She spends her free time traveling with her husband and daughter around the US and the world.
If you’re looking to get out of the house while avoiding the crowds, the Alaska Zoo has miles of outdoor trails throughout their animal enclosures that you can explore. Located in Anchorage, Alaska, most of the exhibits are all outside. Visit polar bears, wolves, and even alpacas on your walk through the zoo.
The Alaska Zoo is located in Anchorage, Alaska, but they have taken great care to make you feel like you're in the middle of the woods, and not Alaska's largest city.
The paths throughout the zoo are gravel, and the snow is packed down nicely in the wintertime. You can bring strollers and sleds and push them easily through the long, snow filled trails.
It's so hard to pick out which way to go when you arrive, and which animal to see first.
There are rare mammals to see like the snow leopard and the muskox. The animals you'll find at the Alaska Zoo are all Arctic and sub-Arctic type species, as this zoo is a nonprofit that cares for orphaned and injured wildlife.
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Close to the entrance to the zoo is one of the most popular exhibits, the polar bear exhibit.
The Alaska Zoo is the only organization permitted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to help rescue sick and injured polar bears. They have facilities to help polar bears in an emergency, but you won't meet these wild polar bears. Instead, you'll have the pleasure of meeting Cranbeary. Polar bears don't hibernate, so you can see her in all of her glory during your winter season visit.
Harbor seals are a hoot to visit with, and they are frequently a big hit with every age in your family. Playful and energetic, you'll see them zoom around their water tank and rest on ledges to soak up the winter sun.
And of course you'll find plenty of four legged friends throughout the zoo as you continue on your trails.
Say hello to their alpacas, and then visit with the large wolves. There are also coyotes, an Amur tiger, and a Canadian lynx. You will be fascinated with all of these hearty cold weather animals playing in the snow.
The coffeeshop at the zoo will still be open during the zoo's hours of operation, but you won't be able to dine inside at this time.
Grab a hot chocolate or coffee to go, and keep exploring the trails with your family. Make sure you don't miss the fun looking porcupines, or the giant bird exhibit with bald and golden eagles.
The Alaska Zoo is open every single day of the year.
For the months of March and April, they are open from 10:00 a.m through 4:00 p.m. every day. This is a great way to get out of the house this spring!
This is the perfect time for you to break out of your house and get the blood moving while supporting the Alaska Zoo. Have you ever visited the zoo? What did you think? What was your favorite animal to see? Let us know in the comments below!
