Provo, UT

Nestled at the mouth of Emigration Canyon, Utah’s Hogle Zoo is home to about 900 animals, including endangered and threatened species and several Utah natives. You’ll find all of your typical zoo favorites here, many in surroundings recreated to mimic their natural habitats.

September is the perfect time of year to visit Hogle Zoo. With temperatures cooling down, more animals are likely to be out and about. Cooler temps also mean a more enjoyable time for visitors: there’s a lot of walking and the terrain is pretty hilly, although you can count on wide, well-paved paths and plenty of shade trees. Wear comfortable shoes, bring sunscreen and water, and don’t forget a stroller. Plan to spend the better part of a day so you can take your time and enjoy the park.

We go to the zoo two or three times a year, usually for special events. Hogle Zoo hosts tons of these throughout the year, such as Dari the Elephant’s Birthday party, a Teddy Bear Picnic, character meet-and-greets, Salute to the Military, and Boo at the Zoo. The zoo website has detailed information about events throughout the year.

We usually head to the right, past the gift shop (where you can also rent strollers if you didn’t bring one) and the Beastro to see the Ghost of the Bayou, the rare white alligator exhibit on display through the end of September. You’ll pass the primate building on the way to the Elephant Encounter, where there’s usually a zookeeper on hand to answer questions about elephants and rhinos. There’s also a weighing station where you can find out if you weigh as much as a baby elephant, or as much as they eat or poop in a day. The kids love that.

Just beyond the Elephant Encounter you’ll usually see brilliantly-feathered friends roaming around Peacock Pavilion, on your way to Bear Grotto–where the bears may or may not be out depending on time of day, the weather, and their mood. Then move on to the African Savanna to see the zebras, where I’m pretty sure we have the same pictures of the same zebras in the same pose visit after visit. (It seems zebras are much more reliable than bears.)

My daughter likes to take the zoo map we receive with admission and choose where she wants to go from here…usually to see her favorite, the giraffes. Since you can walk almost all the way around the giraffe house and go inside, you can probably see them better than any other animal at the zoo. You can even go up to the second level of the giraffe house for a giraffe’s-eye view.

Next stop: Asian Highlands. This section has only been open for a few years and it’s pretty incredible. You can almost always catch a glimpse of some big, beautiful cats: tigers, leopards, lynx to name a few. Interestingly, the animals in this section all come from climates in Asia similar to Utah. If you didn’t have a chance to grab a bite at The Beastro or the Oasis Café (near the bears) you can eat here at the Cat Wok Café. I love the clever little names of the eateries in the zoo. But you can bring your own drinks and snacks and save a bundle. (If you do decide to buy lunch or drinks at the zoo bring sippy cups for the kids, since the zoo doesn’t provide lids or straws with drinks because they’re a choking hazard for the animals).

A new attraction at Hogle Zoo is the Conservation Carousel. It features 42 hand-carved replicas of endangered animals. I think it costs $2 per ride, or you can buy a combo pass for the carousel and the Zoofari Express train ride. The train ride is short but the kids love it.

Don’t forget to stop and see how you measure up to the apes on your way over to Discovery Land–if you still have any energy left to play. Actually, this zoo is a really manageable size but for a long time we overlooked the play land, which is really fun, especially the snake slide.

If I have one complaint about the zoo it’s that parking can be a pain–there just isn’t enough to accommodate the number of visitors, especially on event days. Otherwise, the zoo is great–and one of only 218 accredited by the AZA.

Hogle Zoo is located at 2600 East Sunnyside Avenue in Salt Lake City.

Admission:
Adults $8.00
Seniors (65 and older): $6.00
Children (3 to 12): $6.00
Children 2 and under: Free

Memberships are also available. Check the zoo website for occasional discounts.