A brand-new suspended walkway in Northern California will give visitors a unique perspective on the region's gigantic redwoods.
Located at the Sequoia Park Zoo in Eureka, Redwood Sky Walk is a network of platforms and bridges hanging up to 100 feet over the forest floor. That's about a third of the way up the tallest trees in the old-growth and mature second-growth redwood grove on city grounds.
(Credit: Redwood Sky Walk at Sequoia Park Zoo)
In total, the sky walk stretches a quarter of a mile, making this the longest structure of its kind in the western U.S., according to the attraction's website.
Whereas the world's tallest, oldest trees can feel remote in their unfathomable immensity at ground level, a walkway like this (there's a similar one amid the coastal redwoods of New Zealand) brings humans closer to the mighty trunks for unparalleled views of the forest. (Despite the proximity, Redwood Sky Walk advises against touching the fragile bark and vows that the walkway was built without harming the trees or impeding their growth.)
(Credit: Redwood Sky Walk at Sequoia Park Zoo)
The entire route is wheelchair-accessible, too, save for the "adventure leg," a narrow, 369-foot-long segment with open mesh decking evidently designed to traumatize acrophobes.
Redwood Sky Walk's grand opening is scheduled for Friday, June 4. Admission for out-of-towners is $24.95 for adults, $12.95 for kids ages 3–12, and free for kids ages 2 and younger. Your ticket includes admission to the Sequoia Park Zoo.
Visit RedwoodSkyWalk.com for more information.
