Minnesota Zoo's Treetop Trail -- world's longest elevated pedestrian loop -- opens Friday
APPLE VALLEY, Minn. -- A new trail at the Minnesota Zoo is opening Friday and will give visitors a unique perspective on some of its most popular animals.
Treetop Trail will open to zoo guests at 11 a.m. following a private ceremonial ribbon cutting. The 1.25-mile trail, which brings guests 32 feet above the ground, is the world's longest elevated pedestrian loop, the zoo said.
To celebrate the grand opening, Gov. Tim Walz declared Friday "Minnesota Zoo Treetop Trail Day."
Visitors will see tigers, moose, bison, birds and other animals from the heightened trail.
"The Treetop Trail marks a new chapter for the Minnesota Zoo," Minnesota Zoo Director and Foundation President John Frawley said in a previous release. "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."
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The Treetop Trail's construction integrated the retired monorail track and took about a year to build.
The zoo's director, John Frawley, said the idea came after a trip to New York.
"Our friends took us on the high line, which was an elevated treetop trail that was converted into a trail from a railroad track over Manhattan," he explained.
Visitors said it allowed them to admire the animals from a new perspective. The entrance will feature a new habitat featuring native Minnesotan species, including the trail's ambassador, a porcupine named Quillber.
It's also about being in nature. People are in the trees and the woods for half of the trail.
"Walking that trail, it clears mind," Elante Holston of Minneapolis said.
The Treetop Trail is included with the price of admission and will be open year-round.
The trail is open to all zoo guests on Friday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Check with the zoo for more details on hours.
