panama canal

Unless something has recently changed, not sure you can even get to/near Pipeline Road using public transportation though it'd be the Gamboa-bound buses that would get you the closest.

For exploring this whole area, your best option would be to find an inexpensive rental car and explore at your own leisure. Just beyond turn-off from the highway is the Botanical Gardens and Zoo, and just beyond that is el Camino de Plantación; a hiking trail through an old Cocoa Plantation that's easy, enjoyable, and where I saw more birds and wildlife at sun-up in one hour than 3-weeks combined in other parts of the country!

The local park ranger friend I was with always comes here, and recommends it over Pipeline (which appeared fairly rugged and remote, and we saw little to nothing later in the day.) Also unless something has recently changed in the LP Panamá guidebook, this Cocoa Plantation trail is listed as Sendero del Charco and while I've no idea where that name comes from, it is 3km past the zoo.

This whole roadway and region meanders along eastern bank of the canal and through old U.S. military base camps; really scenic. It was as "close" as I got to the Canal, as I wasn't overly interested either.

Suppose you could "book a birdwatching tour", but here's what I noticed - people pay all this money to go birdwatching, but groups never seemed to show-up anywhere until about 9:30am - well after birds and wildlife had retreated.

I did the Panama Railway train up and back with a side bus trip to Portobello. You see a lot of the canal this way. You can also take the Gamboa bus(Albrook terminal all the way to the end, turn right and go down to the stop) and get off at various stops including Miraflores lock, the botanical gardens and the sendora.

A very good place to see the Panama Canal in operation is from the viewing platform of the Miraflores Locks, located about a US$5 fifteen-minute taxi ride from central Panama City. Next to the viewing platform is a well-done museum explaining the construction and operation of the Canal, as well as its expansion. For a description and photos of our visit see the "Panama" section of Our Travel Journals: http://www.evcal.org .

i do tours out that way...
pipeline road is pretty dry right now...less wildlife this time of year, but a nice walk. I do the walk in the morning, lunch and optional tours in gamboa in the afternoon with a stop at the locks upon returning...