It’s one thing to stand next to a redwood tree, look up, and marvel at its height. But now, thanks to a new skywalk, you can walk among the redwoods — 100 feet above the forest floor — for a unique experience.
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The grand opening — including a ribbon-cutting ceremony — for the Redwood Sky Walk located at Sequoia Park Zoo in Eureka, California, will take place this Friday, June 4.
“We are thrilled to announce the opening of the Redwood Sky Walk,” Emily Kirsch, marketing specialist at Visit Eureka Community, told TravelAwaits. “As the home to the oldest accredited zoo in California, we’ve long been interested in inspiring visitors and helping them grow in their appreciation of the natural beauty that surrounds us. We are incredibly excited that the Redwood Sky Walk now offers visitors a chance to experience the world’s tallest trees from an entirely new perspective.”
The World’s Tallest Trees
The giant sequoia can be found growing singly or in groups scattered for a distance of 250 miles along the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada in central California, the National Park Service explains. Redwoods, on the other hand, grow along the northern California coast in a swath approximately 450 miles long and 15 miles wide.
Just how tall are the trees? Old-growth redwood and sequoia are often called “ancient kings of the forest” because they are the tallest trees in the world — capable of growing more than 300 feet. Indeed, a magnificent coast redwood called Hyperion is taller than the Statue of Liberty in New York.
A Truly Majestic Skywalk
The self-guided walk along the Redwood Sky Walk begins with a 360-foot-long ramp leading up to a bridge network that includes nine platforms. The ramp, the zoo explains, is a virtual “redwood climb.” What’s more, with a length of 1,104 feet, the skywalk is the longest in the Western U.S., the zoo notes.
Although the trees can reach heights of up to 300 feet, the Redwood Sky Walk only reaches heights of just over 100 feet. This height means, visitors will be able to look down at the forest floor and up at the tree canopy towering above them.
Pro Tip: There are no stairs, and the entire Redwood Sky Walk experience is ADA accessible — except for one optional 369-foot “Adventure” segment. That said, it may be difficult for some motorized accessibility devices to traverse the bridges.
A Safe Experience
The zoo explains that Redwood Sky Walk is not an adventure course — so harnesses and climbing helmets are not required. Plus, the skywalk has guardrails that are between 3 feet and 4 feet high “to maximize visitor safety,” the zoo explains.
On the other hand, there also is what’s called an “Adventure leg,” which is 369 feet long and 36 inches wide with square open mesh decking. Even though the section is safe, users will “feel more exposed to the natural surroundings and more aware of their height,” the zoo explains. The Adventure bridges will sway in the wind, and may even move while people walk across them.
In addition to protecting visitors’ safety, the skywalk was designed and built to ensure it does not harm trees.
“The bridges and platforms that will allow visitors to traverse the Redwood Sky Walk are suspended from the trees themselves without any impact to the forest floor below,” the zoo explains. “The technique and mechanics of these attachments have been designed specifically to ensure minimal impact on the trees to which they are anchored and provide room for them to continue to grow unimpeded.”
Know Before You Go
The Redwood Sky Walk is only accessible through the Sequoia Park Zoo. The experience is “intentionally integrated and complements the natural environment, current animal exhibits, and nature play areas,” according to the zoo.
This Friday, June 4, the City of Eureka will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the official grand opening of the Redwood Sky Walk at Sequoia Park Zoo. Additionally, there will be a number of special activities to mark the grand opening. Information about tickets and hours of operation may be found here. For more on incredible trees, consider
