The Treetop Trail at the Minnesota Zoo opened to the public. At 1.25 miles, it is believed to be the longest elevated pedestrian loop in the world.
When it first opened, a monorail was included as part of the zoo’s design to help visitors traverse its massive footprint.
Since that time, the empty track has been a dominant feature in the zoo’s landscape.
After several years of planning, the concept of turning the old monorail track into an elevated pedestrian walkway emerged.
The zoo’s concept for the trail includes programming and events, such as information stations and yoga classes, at the wider areas along the boardwalk.
Visitors to the treetop trail, shown here over the bison habitat, enjoy birds-eye views of the animal exhibits below.
The Treetop Trail tracks many of the same exhibits as the ground-level Northern Trail. Pedestrians have views of animals ranging from moose and bison to Amur tigers and brown bears.
Take a look at this video from the Minnesota Zoo to see what you can expect from a Treetop Trail experience:
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Minnesota Zoo’s Treetop Trail from Minnesota Zoo on Vimeo.
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I, for one, am pretty excited to hit the trail and see the zoo from a different perspective. I remember riding the monorail but was always a little disappointed that the views through the windows weren’t always clear and that I couldn’t linger when I wanted. It seems like the Treetop Trail should offer the best of both worlds: an elevated perspective with clear views and the time to enjoy them.
