Sea Otters in Salt Lake City — Photo courtesy of quinn.anya

The Hogle Zoo has been a Salt Lake City institution for more than 80 years. Open since 1931, Utah’s only zoo is home to more than 800 individual animals. For years, Hogle has had a stand-up exhibit roster, including hits such as Great Apes, Elephant Encounter, Primate Forest and Asian Highlands–with its tigers, leopards, linx and pallas cats. However, to this already impressive list, Hogle just added another big success:  Rocky Shores.

Opened at the zoo in June 2012, the new, 3.5-acre Rocky Shores exhibit simulates the coastline of western North America. A multi-animal area, this exhibit provides both above-water and underwater views of sea lions, otters, seals and bears (including polar bears). Featuring state-of-the-art habitat design, Hogle Zoo’s largest ever exhibit showcases these species’ behaviors, instincts and feeding patterns in a setting designed to strongly impact visitors.

An excellent facility, Hogle Zoo is part of the elite 10% of USDA-licensed wildlife exhibitors in the nation to be accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. The Hogle Zoo has made a lasting commitment to professional animal care in the zoo and in the field, as well as local and global conservation initiatives. With 42 acres of terrain situated at the mouth of Emigration Canyon, this zoo is open in all seasons.