Walk Among Wildlife: Discover Minnesota Zoo’s Treetop Trail Adventure

Quick Smiles:

• Experience wildlife from an innovative treetop walkway at the Minnesota Zoo.
• The Treetop Trail, a transformed monorail track, has been recognized for its unique construction.
• Visitors can enjoy year-round views of animals and landscapes from above.

At the Minnesota Zoo, a visionary transformation has taken place, offering guests a unique way to observe wildlife. The zoo has ingeniously converted an obsolete monorail track into a pedestrian walkway, allowing visitors to experience nature in a whole new way.

This innovative Treetop Trail, which opened in 2023, has already garnered significant acclaim for its design and construction.

The trail provides guests with year-round access to a vast expanse of hardwood forest, ponds, and marshes. It offers fresh perspectives on various zoo animals, including tigers, moose, and bison, all while maintaining a respectful distance.

Originally opened in 1978, the Minnesota Zoo’s monorail was completed in 1979 and served visitors until its decommissioning in 2013. The track, once left to rust, has now found a remarkable new purpose.

Thanks to the efforts of Snow Kreilich Architects and PCL Construction, the monorail has been transformed into the world’s longest elevated pedestrian treetop walkway, stretching 1.25 miles. The walkway is consistently 8 feet wide and features several platforms extending from the main path, allowing visitors to look down into the large animal enclosures.

Construction involved prefabricating 20-foot-long segments, which were later assembled on-site. Skilled construction teams, equipped with harnesses, bolted these segments onto the monorail’s existing steel framework.

The work was thoughtfully divided into four stages, taking into account the daily routines of the zoo’s animal residents.

“The Treetop Trail marks a new chapter for the Minnesota Zoo,” stated John Frawley, the zoo’s Director and Foundation President, at the trail’s opening.

He added, “As we look ahead to the Zoo’s next 45 years, the Treetop Trail is a major step in furthering connections to nature and animals in an accessible and immersive way.”

This award-winning attraction is a treasure in the North Star State, inviting everyone to share in its wonders.

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