MAX Light Rail:
MAX (Metropolitan Area Express) runs through downtown from the suburbs to the west and east. Washington Park has its own MAX stop, which lets you off right at the zoo entrance. Leave your car at your hotel (or your home) and make the train ride part of the adventure! Check out TriMets web site for route maps, connections and schedules. Allow some time to explore the station. It's an attraction in itself.
Use TriMet's Trip Planner.

Bus:
Bus #63 Washington Park-OMSI 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 Gardens, the Forest Discovery Center and on to our zoo.

Catch it downtown on Main Street, between 4th and 5th. You can also catch it at OMSI and the Rose Quarter. This bus comes seven days a week, twice an hour in the summer; once per hour in other seasons.

Call 238-RIDE for exact schedules, or get them from TriMet.
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 youll 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. MAX drops you off at the Washington Park station, which is right at the zoo entrance. The train takes about nine minutes. Spend some time in the Washington Park station. Its a tourist attraction in itself! Have fun.

MAX from the Portland International Airport
Take MAX light rail from the airport terminal to downtown Portland. From there, catch the next westbound train toward Hillsboro. Get off at the fourth stop, Washington Park Station.
For more information visit http://www.trimet.org/max/redline/index.htm
Use TriMet's Trip Planner.

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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. Its the first one youll 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 youll see on Highway 26.

Coming west to Portland on I-84, follow the signs for Beaverton, which will send you across the river and put 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 sign and exit 72. Its the first one, once you are on Highway 26.

Coming east on Highway 26 from the coast, you cant miss it. Youll see the zoo exit, off Highway 26, just before you get to downtown Portland.

From downtown Portland, drive up Broadway (or any of 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 cant 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 I-26, which says "Zoo." It's about a 25-minute drive.

Hint: Highway 26 West is also called the "Sunset Highway" by the locals. Dont let them confuse you!

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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 to 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.

We are currently exploring routes from west of the zoo.

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