Welcome to the warm winter Pocket-Sized Adventure and come with us on a hike through Irvine Park! Irvine Park & Zoo is free to visitors all year round. With incredible walking trails and animals that you can’t see anywhere else in the area. It truly is a remarkable place for the whole family (especially when the Olson’s Ice Cream stand is up and running in the summer months).
We started our hike by the Main Pavilion/Activity Building and walked up to the paved road leading up the river. We made our way to some of the unpaved trails through the woods that during a normal winter would be perfect for snowshoeing and cross-country skiing! They were covered with a light dusting of snow, and we trekked through the winding trail through the woods. We didn’t use the map and any time we came to a fork, we just chose one of the two trails with little rhyme or reason. It was very peaceful to just chat and enjoy the beautiful scenery.
We even got to see 3 deer and they let us get within about 20 to 30 feet from them. It was really neat to see them so closely! Our overall walk took about an hour and we looped back through the woods to follow the paved road that follows the river back to the main zoo area. On our way, we saw a little snowman that sadly had melted with the warm weather and then we caught a nice view of Glen Loch Dam. With the waters flowing through. Some trails allow you to get closer to the river and the dam but we decided to keep to the trail to avoid getting our feet overwhelmingly wet.
Then, we made our way down the hill toward the zoo and saw the bison munching on their dinner. They got a little spooked as we neared the fence but allowed us to watch them for a few minutes before we continued past the animal exhibits. The birds were still in their habitats, but the remainder of the animals had been moved away for the winter. We arrived back at the parking lot where we parted ways after our outdoor pocket-sized adventure.