COLUMN: Logan’s hidden treasure
I’m here to tell you that Zootah is the happiest place in Cache Valley.
The name might be a little corny, but we unironically call ourselves “Aggies” — a moniker that isn’t even a real word, let alone a mascot. And our favorite song is about a dude from the other side of the pond who wears kilts and loves thistle as much as we love sagebrush.
The name is fine.
Tucked into that corner of Logan you only go to once a year for Pioneer Day, Zootah — formerly known as Willow Park Zoo — is easily forgotten about. But when I first moved to town, as a young student trying to find entertainment options with my minimum-wage paychecks and some student loans, the zoo’s “donations accepted” entry fee was heaven-sent.
Chantelle McCall Zootah has grown in the past six years and that donation box has turned into a $4 ticket, but the zoo has remained the best bang for your buck in Logan. You could pay five times as much for a movie ticket and some popcorn to watch CGI dinosaurs and nonsensical plot twists, but it won’t be nearly as fulfilling of an experience.
And that’s the thing: The price isn’t even Zootah’s best selling point.
Overwhelmed with your classes? Hoodini the Western Screech Owl has a smile that could melt even the coldest professor’s heart and will surely make you feel better.
Life feeling a little empty and you’re not sure why? It’s because you haven’t watched a herd of Hyraxes chase each other around, but Zootah can fix that for you.
Bummed that you’ve been to two True Aggie Nights and still haven’t found love? Appa the yak is blind but he’s adorable and will happily listen to your problems.
Ever wonder why you’ve never hugged an Alpaca? Well if you bee-bop over to Zootah between the hours of 11-12 or 3-4, Monday through Saturday, you can take a swing through a petting zoo that’ll warm your soul.
Just want to see a monkey that was named after an obscure order of Franciscan friars? Well by golly Zootah’s got your back (this one sounds like a joke but it’s not, I promise).
Chantelle McCall Part of Zootah’s charm and beauty is that it is so small. There aren’t any large crowds and there’s never a line to see one of the animals; it’s an intimate and friendly experience you can’t get anywhere else.
And a peaceful stroll around one of Cache Valley’s hidden treasures is a wonderful way to appreciate the last few days of summer we have, while stocking up on Vitamin D to get you through another Cache Valley winter. So do yourself a favor in the next couple of weeks and head on over to Willow Park.
Disneyland may be the happiest place on earth, but Zootah is the happiest place in Logan.
Thomas Sorenson is a graduate student at Utah State who got a behind the scenes look at Zootah for a story he wrote last spring. His favorite animals at the zoo are the Hyraxes, and he desperately hopes the rumors of red pandas coming to Zootah are true.