Oakland Zoo Voted Top 10 Exhibits in the USA

Congrats to the Oakland Zoo, whose popular “California Trail” exhibit made the Top 10 list of Best Zoo Exhibits in the country. The nominees were selected by USA TODAY 10Best editors and the top 10 winners were determined by popular vote.

The California Trail, one of the newest exhibits at Oakland Zoo, opened in 2018, was designed to be more like a wild animal park. It provides a chance to interpret one of the great stories of change in California and emphasizes the role of humans in shaping the ecology of the San Francisco Bay Area. Through live native animal and plant habitats, the Zoo highlights the delicate balance between plants, animals, and humans, and the impact of change on all three. From casual visitors to serious students and scientists, all can join in the effort to nurture and create a better California.

To get up to the California Trail, visitors take a scenic gondola ride over the rolling hills of Knowland Park. Up 650 feet above sea-level, visitors can take in breathtaking views of the San Francisco Bay and six Bay Area counties. Favorite animals in the California Trail exhibit include the endangered California Condors, mountain lions, eagles, Gray Wolves, jaguars, American Bison, and the highlight, American Black Bears and Grizzly Bears, who have an expansive habitat, among the largest in the world.