Seattle is about to get a whole lot closer to the canopy. Woodland Park Zoo will open its long-awaited Forest Trailhead exhibit to the public on May 1, 2026, giving visitors a treetop vantage point on animals that have spent years out of sight. The all-season complex combines a raised canopy path, an indoor habitat gallery and roughly an acre of forested terrain where guests can look for red pandas, kea parrots and, for the first time in more than a decade, tree kangaroos. Zoo leaders say the new experience is built around conservation stories from Papua New Guinea and other mountain forests and is designed to show how everyday choices can shape the fate of those forests.
Woodland Park Zoo President and CEO Alejandro Grajal notes that tree kangaroos have not been on public view at the zoo for more than ten years, which helps explain the fanfare around their return. Staff held a ribbon-cutting ceremony and staged member previews ahead of the official opening. Members will get an early look from April 28 to 30, before Forest Trailhead opens to all on May 1, 2026, as reported by KOMO.
What’s Inside the Forest Trailhead
At the heart of the exhibit is a 12,000-square-foot pavilion that connects to about one acre of outdoor forest landscape, with a two-story canopy path that sends visitors walking at treetop level. Inside, the Habitat Gallery is set to house nearly 20 species of reptiles, amphibians and fish, along with close-up views of forest specialists such as red pandas and sharp-eyed kea parrots. Woodland Park Zoo says the layout is intentionally interactive and multi-sensory so guests can hear, see and feel what a healthy forest is like.
Tree Kangaroos Return to the Treetops
Rocket, a male Matschie’s tree kangaroo, is the first mammal to move into Forest Trailhead, and keepers say he has already started testing branches, climbing routes and elevated perches. “I think the first day we put Rocket out here, I wanted to cry because it was so special seeing him do what he was supposed to do,” keeper Amanda Dukart said, according to KOMO.
Conservation at the Center
The Forest Trailhead is closely tied to the zoo’s Tree Kangaroo Conservation Program, a decades-long collaboration with communities in Papua New Guinea that works to protect cloud-forest habitat for species such as Matschie’s tree kangaroos. The exhibit also spotlights partners including the Red Panda Network and is meant to help Seattle visitors connect their own daily habits with forest-friendly choices, according to Woodland Park Zoo.
Plan Your Visit
Members can preview Forest Trailhead from April 28 to 30, and the exhibit opens to the general public on May 1, 2026. Tickets, hours and visitor guidelines are listed on the zoo’s website and through local visitor guides. Woodland Park Zoo is located at 5500 Phinney Ave N in north Seattle, and guests are encouraged to check the official listing for timed-entry details and current policies, per Visit Seattle.
