Alpaca Adventures: Seattle-Area Farms for Families to Visit

I can’t pinpoint when exactly I first started to admire alpacas. Maybe it’s simply because I grew up in the state with the most alpacas (Ohio!), or because I took a weaving class in college that led me to appreciate alpaca fiber, but I think there is more to it. These charming creatures are truly a joy to be around. They are just incredibly soft, gentle animals with adorable faces — and they’re curious enough to get close to people.

Several local farms give you the opportunity to interact with alpacas directly, whether feeding them through a fence, walking around the pasture with them, or even having a picnic lunch or yoga class alongside them.

Enchanted Farms, Duvall

Tucked away on a quiet road in Duvall, you’ll find this charming five-acre farm with 35 alpacas. There are also sweet mini donkeys, affectionate goats and other friendly farm animals to meet. The tour starts with the rabbits — all rescues — who happily eat food pellets from your hand. Starting with the smallest animals helps introduce kids to the farm, and my daughter went from acting shy at the entrance to softly petting and talking to the rabbits with a huge smile on her face. The rabbits gathered around her, and she learned how to hold the food in her hands and walk gently around the animals. When she was feeling more confident, we moved on to the goats, donkeys and sheep before meeting the alpaca herd.

The alpacas here are curious, friendly animals. In the winter, you’ll find them under a covered area but in the spring and summer, they’re out in the pasture. (The farm even hosts alpaca picnics, which is absolutely on my summer bucket list.)

David, one of the farm owners, led us inside a pen with eight alpacas. The alpacas quickly approached us as we held food out flat in our hands, with some more eager than others to get the most of the pellets. They let us gently pet their necks and sides, and we felt the soft, thick fleece that alpacas are known for. There are 22 color variations of alpacas, ranging from shades of white and brown to black and gray.

Alpaca fiber is hypoallergenic and moisture-wicking, making it a versatile fiber for products. Enchanted Farms keeps a small shop in the barn, with blankets, clothing, plush animals, dryer balls and accessories made from alpaca fiber. They send the alpaca fiber sheared from their animals to mills and co-ops to create products, and source items from other vendors as well. We couldn’t resist peeking in the shop before we left, and my gift wish list now includes a blanket and apparel (and several alpacas).

Location: 31620 N.E. 129th St., Duvall
Tour info: Reservations are required, and tickets must be purchased online in advance. An immersive hour-long farm tour costs $18.50 per person on weekdays and $21.50 per person on weekends. Kids younger than 2 are free. In the winter, tours are only available Friday–Sunday.

Cascade Rose Farm, Carnation

With 107 alpacas on the farm, Cascade Rose Farm is the largest in the area. We were greeted by Rainbow, a friendly alpaca that came right up to us as soon as we got out of the car. (Yes — all the alpacas have names, and the farm’s owner knows them all.)

We fed a small herd of alpacas through the fence. My daughter held both her hands together in the shape of a bowl, filled with food pellets, and the alpacas gathered at the fence to gently eat right from her hands. She happily refilled her hands several times, trying her best to feed different alpacas each time (though one alpaca was hungrier than the rest, and not shy about getting most of the food).

Tours here are an hour long, starting with an educational portion that covers unusual facts about alpacas, what daily life is like for them on the farm, how the guard dogs on the farm keep them safe and more. You’ll also learn about alpaca fiber and touch different products made from it. Then you’ll meet, feed and take pictures with a selection of the farm’s friendliest and most social alpacas. Shari, the farm’s owner, finds that while everyone loves feeding and interacting with the alpacas, the information shared on the tours is most engaging for ages 6 and older. She plans to have a custom coloring book (filled with charming drawings of Cascade Rose alpacas) for younger kids to color during the tour.

The farm shop includes skeins of alpaca yarn and accessories made from the farm’s alpaca fiber. There are also plush animals, blankets and apparel sourced from Peru. My daughter couldn’t resist cuddling with a soft pink alpaca stuffie (that made its way home with us, of course).

Location: 1826 324th Ave. N.E., Carnation
Tour info: One-hour tours are offered on weekends at 11 a.m. or 2 p.m., and tickets can be purchased in advance online. Tours cost $18.48 for adults; $13.04 for children ages 4–11; free for kids younger than 4. Casual visits just to walk around the farm during open hours are free, and you can buy a bag of alpaca food to feed them through the fence.

Green Apple Alpacas, Auburn

This five-acre fiber farm offers tours, classes, events and birthday parties. All tours include a meet-and-greet with the resident alpacas, llamas, sheep and goats. The animals will happily eat carrots and animal cookies from your hand — just watch out for the pushy llama that tries to eat every carrot. You’ll also explore the garden, look for eggs and browse the farm’s well-stocked gift shop.

You can upgrade your visit with an activity tour and make a soap felting craft with fiber from the farm’s animals. The farm also offers classes on cooking, sourdough, felting, and making beeswax wrap. (I have my eye on the felted cat cave class.)

The farm has a zero-waste shearing process, where the fiber is sent to a mill for fiber goods. Leftover fiber is used to make dryer balls or pellets for garden soil.

If you’re planning to garden this spring, the farm lets you fill a bag with alpaca manure for free (or you can purchase a bag they’ve filled).

And if you’re looking for a truly immersive experience, you can book a stay at the farm through Hipcamp.

Location: 38609 200th Ave. S.E., Auburn
Tour info: Green Apple Alpacas offers basic and activity tours. Basic tours last 45 minutes and cost $20 for up to four people; $30 for five people; and $5 for each additional person. Activity tours are one hour long and start at $10 per person.

Sawdust Hill Alpaca Farm, Poulsbo

For an alpaca adventure, plan a day trip to Poulsbo and visit this working farm. The educational tour of the 10-acre farm (appropriate for ages 7 and older) includes the history of alpacas and llamas, details about alpaca fiber, and everything else you could hope to learn about these curious creatures. You’ll have the chance to feel alpaca fiber and ask questions about the farm and herd before meeting the female alpacas. While they’re a bit too pushy for feeding by hand here, you can pet them during the tour. There are 18 alpacas on the farm, with baby alpacas due this September (alpaca pregnancies last 11–12 months!). The farm also has two llamas, giving visitors the chance to see just how different they are from alpacas.

While you’re at the farm, you can say hi to livestock guard dogs Butch and Sunny (named after “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,” naturally). And don’t miss the stunning mural on the barn that features animals who have lived at the farm over the years, painted by the farm owner’s son, Blaine Fontana.

The farm shop has alpaca fiber goods, including yarn, socks, clothing, dolls and handmade items. The farm sells alpaca manure, too, which doesn’t require composting and can help plants grow. And you can pick up a dozen eggs in a variety of colors from the farm’s chickens.

Location: 25432 Port Gamble Rd. N.E., Poulsbo
Tour info: Tours cost $50 for the first three people; each additional person costs $14.50. This is a working farm and children younger than 7 are not permitted for safety reasons. Reservations are required; call 360–265-2122 to schedule.

Little Green Acres, Redmond

This delightful 10-acre farm in Redmond is home to a trio of alpacas — Mr. Beans, Tater and Pumpkin — who will happily come up to you for nose rubs. We walked out to the pasture and were greeted by all three. The trio of alpacas stayed close together, venturing over to us for attention after they had their fill at their feed buckets. All of the animals at Little Green Acres are gentle and friendly, and we loved meeting the goats, sheep and chickens just as much as we enjoyed our time with the alpacas.

The farm had 10 baby goats and four lambs born this year, with more farm babies to come. Each year, a theme is picked for naming the farm babies. My daughter was thrilled to hear that this year’s animals will have Disney-themed names.

In addition to the farm tours and petting zoo, Little Green Acres has seasonal events and summer camps. You can also book private events (including birthday parties!).

Location: 20911 N.E. Novelty Hill Rd., Redmond
Tour info: One-hour tours are offered on Saturdays and Sundays at 10 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 1 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. Pre-registration is required. A tour for groups of 2–4 people costs $25; groups of 5–8 cost $50. All children younger than 10 must be accompanied by an adult.

Firwood Farm Alpacas & Gift Shop, Fife

About 30 miles south of Seattle, you’ll find this sweet alpaca rescue, which fosters alpacas and offers educational tours and alpaca yoga classes.

Both private and public tours are available seasonally. On the tour, you’ll learn about the farm’s rescue efforts and how they care for their alpacas before meeting and feeding the herd. The alpacas are socialized and happily approach the fence to eat grain right from your hands. After your tour, you can peruse the gift shop, which has hats, scarves, rugs, blankets, stuffed animals, and yarn made from the fiber of the rescued alpacas.

For a unique alpaca experience, book a beginner-friendly yoga class at the farm. The 45-minute yoga class is followed by a 15-minute alpaca meet-and-greet. The class is open to ages 15 and older (kids ages 12–15 welcome with an adult) and costs $30 per person.

Location: 8002 48th St. E., Fife
Tour info: Firwood Farm offers both public and private tours, which resume in the spring. Public tours are $15 for adults and $10 for ages 3–10. Private tours (where you are the only visitors at the scheduled time) are $20 for adults and $15 for ages 3–10. Kids younger than 3 are free.

Alpacas from MaRS, Snohomish

Don’t let the farm name fool you — these alpacas aren’t from outer space. Rather, the farm name is a nod to the initials of its owners, Mark and Rebecca Suryan, who started their alpaca journey 25 years ago. Their full-service alpaca farm focuses on breeding healthy alpacas in a range of colors, and they show their alpacas regionally. They also shear their alpacas, and the fleece is used to create products sold at the farm.

The educational tours include an overview of alpacas and the camelid family, touching different alpaca fleeces and comparing it to other fibers, and a meet-and-greet with the farm’s alpacas. There is the option to add a felting activity to your tour.

Location: 424 153rd Dr. S.E., Snohomish
Tour info: Tours resume in April and cost $10 for adults; $8 for children ages 4–17 and seniors ages 65 and older. Children younger than 4 are welcome, but must stay with an adult for the duration of the tour. Tours that include the option to make felted soap cost $18 per person.

More opportunities to interact with alpacas

Beyond farm tours, there are several other ways to interact with alpacas in the Greater Seattle area.

If you’re looking to host a birthday party with alpacas and other farm animals, look no further than Infinity Farm in Issaquah. We hosted my daughter’s third birthday party here, and she loved spending the afternoon feeding the alpacas, sheep, Highland cows and other farm animals (in between roasting s’mores and playing lawn games). The farm also hosts Toddler Tuesdays and offers farm and garden tours for its CSA program members.

To shop at a local boutique with alpaca fiber goods (and a herd of 10 alpacas outside), head to Alpacas of South Fork Farms in Mount Vernon. While the farm does not offer tours, their alpacas will likely come to the fence to scope you out. Keep an eye out for Kiki, the black alpaca, who is the friendliest of the bunch.

And if you want to immerse yourself fully in alpaca farm life (sign me up!), you can book a stay at the Alpaca Farm Retreat on Camano Island or at Paca Pride Guest Ranch in Granite Falls. We visited the Camano Island farm with family last spring, and had a wonderful afternoon feeding the alpacas and learning more about their origins.

Tips for a fantastic farm visit

• Wear comfortable shoes that can get a little dirty. We opted for rain boots, which were perfect for the spring weather and muddier farms. Dress for the weather, since most farm tours take place fully outside.
• Book your visit in advance. Many farms require reservations for tours, and many can be booked online. Weekend tours can fill up quickly, so it helps to plan ahead.
• Keep in mind that alpacas are prey animals and can be a bit skittish if you approach them too quickly or reach for their heads. Pet their sides and walk slowly around them.
• When feeding alpacas, keep both hands together, flat or slightly rounded, and filled with food pellets. Be sure to ask your farm tour guide for tips, as each farm may differ slightly in their guidance.
• Alpacas only have bottom teeth in the front (and a hard gum line up top), and you won’t have to worry about getting bitten. Alpacas aren’t likely to spit at you, either, though they may spit at each other.
• Working farms tend to have handwashing stations and porta-potties (if they have restrooms at all). You may want to make a bathroom stop before your visit, especially if you have younger kids with you.

Most of all, have fun! Alpaca farms are a great outing for the whole family, and you’ll walk away from your visit with a newfound appreciation for these farm animals.