Woodland Park Zoo will debut its new Forest Trailhead exhibit on Friday, May 1, 2026, bringing an immersive forest experience next to the zoo’s West Plaza entrance.
The 12,000-square-foot indoor space and surrounding one-acre grounds are dedicated to the global movement for forest conservation. Designed as an interactive, multi-sensory journey, Forest Trailhead features an elevated treetop path, a lush forest landscape, and an all-seasons pavilion.
Visitors will start along a sky-high canopy walkway, offering a treetop perspective similar to the animals who live there. Highlights include Papua New Guinea’s Matschie’s tree kangaroos—kangaroos that live in trees—and Nepal’s red pandas. This marks the first time in a decade that tree kangaroos have been on view at the zoo. The exhibit also shares the story of Papua New Guinea communities partnering with the zoo’s Tree Kangaroo Conservation Program for 30 years to protect one of the world’s last intact cloud forests.
A fully accessible path leads to the building’s mid-level, home to New Zealand kea parrots, known for their intelligence and curiosity. On the lower level, guests can explore habitats featuring tree-dwelling reptiles and amphibians from Africa, Asia and Australasia. Species include four-eyed turtles, Chinese crocodile lizards, Fiji banded iguanas and blue-legged mantellas, along with fish and invertebrates in mixed-species exhibits.
Outdoor paths emphasize the forest floor’s vital role in healthy ecosystems. Open plazas throughout the pavilion will host keeper talks, special events, and conservation activities, alongside Indigenous art honoring communities leading forest protection efforts worldwide.
“From the forest floor up to the treetop canopy, Forest Trailhead is a dynamic reminder that our lives—animals and people—are connected to forests every day,” said Alejandro Grajal, Woodland Park Zoo President and CEO. “Through the immersive forest exhibit and experiences in the wildlife and plant habitats of these ecosystems, guests will discover how to make simple, everyday choices as a consumer and a community member to help forests thrive.”
The new Forest Trailhead exhibit is also unique in that it is designed to “reveal the zoo’s often hidden work of caring for animals, habitats and people,” unlike another other part of the zoo.
“The urgency and scale of forest conservation that are needed today require active, hands-on management, and Forest Trailhead uniquely reveals and celebrates the caretaker’s role,” said Katie Bang, Woodland Park Zoo Senior Director of Facilities & Built Environment. “It’s a place where we can show what we do as a zoo, amplify what communities are doing around the world and welcome our guests to be part of this movement.”
You can read more about Forest Trailhead in the full announcement on the zoo website, and see it for yourself starting on May 1.