Minnesota Is Home To The World's Longest Elevated Walking Loop

We have many incredible hiking trails in Minnesota – across all manner of terrain, ranging from rolling prairies in the south and west, to river bluffs along the Mississippi Valley and rugged wilderness in the north. But now, you can hike with brown bears, bison, and tigers – yes, tigers! – all along the same trail. How’s that, you wonder? Well, I’ll tell you. In 2023, the state’s premier zoological garden opened a brand new attraction in the form of an elevated walking trail. In fact, the Minnesota Zoo’s 1.25-mile Treetop Trail, on completion, was the longest elevated walking loop in the world. Read on to learn more about this canopy walk in Minnesota, and why I think you should get out to the MN Zoo and walk it as soon as possible!

Olivia P/TripAdvisor

Runner1928/Wikimedia Commons

In addition to native species, such as wolves, bison, and moose, the zoo is also home to more exotic species like brown bears, Amur tigers, and Amur leopards.

Advertisement

Michael Hicks/Wikimedia Commons

However, because the Zoo could no longer obtain parts to maintain its monorail, it decommissioned the tram in 2013.

Advertisement

Courtesy of Minnesota Zoo, used with permission

Courtesy of Minnesota Zoo, used with permission

Related Stories

This Blink-And-You’ll-Miss-It Town In Minnesota Is So Worth Exploring

This Twin Cities Nature Sanctuary Makes For The Perfect Minnesota Day Trip

I've Lived In Minnesota My Entire Adult Life And I've Never Had Smelt

Courtesy of Minnesota Zoo, used with permission

Courtesy of Minnesota Zoo, used with permission

Courtesy of Minnesota Zoo, used with permission

Advertisement

Courtesy of Minnesota Zoo, used with permission

Visitors flocked to the trail and have been enjoying this Minnesota Zoo canopy walk ever since.

Travis Neill/Google Reviews

You can see the landscape and the animals in way that you never could before - even with the old monorail. Even better, it's out in the open, so your views aren't obscured at all.

Follow the MN Zoo’s Facebook page for updates and to keep up with the latest happenings on the Treetop Trail, or visit its website to learn more about the Minnesota Zoo, its history, and its mission. The Minnesota Zoo is also an awesome spot to visit for seasonal events, such as its Farm Babies encounter in the spring, as well as its Halloween trail and holiday lights display.

Have you walked the Treetop Trail at the Minnesota Zoo? What are some other attractions in Minnesota that folks should know about?