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Location
Accessibility
ADA-accessible, all-electric eight-passenger gondolas transport guests to California Trail. Gondolas are wheelchair accessible.
Visitor tip
Time your visit to catch animal feeding times and enrichment activities, particularly for the grizzly bears and mountain lions, which visitors frequently mention as highlight moments when animals are most active and engaging.
Visitor tip
The gondola ride is the most frequently mentioned feature (52 mentions) and provides scenic views of the bison herds on the hillside—ride it early in your visit to orientate yourself and see animals from above, then explore the trail on foot for closer encounters.
Quick Facts
- Type
- Zoo
- Highlights
- California Trail, African Savanna, California Wilds! Playground, live animal encounters, petting yard
- Interactive Features
- Touch experiences, play zones, Otter Den, fossil discoveries, live animal encounters
- Special Access
- ADA-accessible gondola to California Trail at 650 feet elevation
What visitors say
So much to do there. During our last visit we enjoyed the bears out and playing as well as the cougars meal time. The buffalo area has a breath taking view. The learning zone is also a greay time for the kids.
The California trail is a unique and special part of this zoo. The habitats were very spacious and natural for the animals. They had plenty of hiding spots and places to lounge. When we came down from the trail, we saw the big herd of…
This was an awesome visit during Glowfari and the CA trail was lit up with all new lanterns! Really a beautiful sight to see! I highly recommend!
From 1,148 Google reviews Read all reviews
Did You Know?
- California Trail features all-electric eight-passenger gondolas that transport guests up the hillside, making it an ADA-accessible way to experience the exhibit while reducing carbon footprint
- The zoo houses California condors, a critically endangered species with fewer than 500 individuals in existence, making the exhibit part of a significant conservation effort
- California Trail exhibits over 100 species across multiple ecological zones, with review data showing particularly popular exhibits featuring mountain lions, grizzly bears, wolves, bison, and bald eagles native to California
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