Pretend you are a swinging monkey, a climbing bear and a hanging sloth at Zoo Atlanta’s Treetop Trail!

This just-scary-enough-to-be-fun adventure is situated atop the playground near the main gate, and it is shaded underneath trees so kids really feel like they are in the canopy. Each child (or adult – we saw a few!) is safely strapped into a harness that connects to overhead rails, and they are then free to explore this soaring play structure.

The minimum height requirement is 48″ for Treetop Trail. Kids too little for Treetop Trail? Check out Treetop Tykes Trail.

We tried out Treetop Trail with two eight-year-olds boys, and they both declared it, “awesome!” One favorite was the zip line at the very tiptop, “because it felt amazing – like I was flying through the trees like a bird.” Another highlight for our boys was a section that only had knotted ropes to grip. They reported that the view from the top was cool and that it made them think about how animals move around in nature. It was fun (and only slightly terrifying) watching them bravely pick their way across a swinging rope bridge, carefully maneuver from step to step and make their way around the different parts of the structure. Every kid there was having a blast.

There was plenty of staff on hand to help out, and the kids got to play for a long time. The hardest part was getting them down! They celebrated with a sticker at the end. Whether the Zoo is in your regular family rotation or not, this additional experience is a reason to head over to Grant Park.

–Sherry V. Crawley

This review was published in June 2017 and updated in June 2023.

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