Eric CaffreyCanopy walkways, also known as treetop walks, provide you access to the upper levels of the forest through a series of bridges that spread throughout the forest. Canopy walkways were initially built to allow scientists to gain access to the upper levels of the forest’s ecosystems to conduct research. Now, canopy walkways have become eco-friendly tourist attractions to allow you to experience forests and jungles in a completely new way. Here is a list of nine of the most incredible canopy walkways in the world.
Royal Botanic Garden Kew, Surrey, UK
The treetop walkway is 18 meters above the woodland ground and is 200 meters long. The tree top structure is constructed from 400 tons of steel and rusted steel columns that blend in naturally with the wooden landscape. During your venture around the Kew Gardens, you get an exclusive insight view into the surrounding ecosystems with a wildlife that includes birds, fungi, lichens, and insects. Arguably the best time to trek around the treetop walkway is during the spring while the gardens are starting to bloom with colors and the tree leaves haven’t yet appeared to obscure the gorgeous view.
Photo: Alex Liivet via Flickr
The Valley of the Giants, Western Australia
Walk amongst the green giants at Walpole Wilderness National Park’s Tree Top Walk. The treetop walk is 40 meters high and is 600-meters long. The treetop canopy walkway links to the Ancient Empire boardwalk where you get a personal look at the 400-year green giants that fill the forest. The treetop walk is based on a Gondwana philosophy of walking through the green canopy better known as the Ancient Empire. The elevated pathway leads you to one of forest’s oldest trees known as Grandma Tingle or the Gatekeeper.
Photo: Cookaa via Wikimedia Commons
Bad Harzburg, Germany
High above the Bad Harzburg is the Tree Top Trail that permits you to view the surrounding area and natural habitat in a new perspective. Located in Germany’s Harz National Park near the northern mountain range literally gives you a bird’s eye view of the forest below. The walkway is 22 meters above the ground below, allowing you to learn about the forest’s complex ecosystem as well as the wildlife that includes lynx and bats.
Photo: Michael Wolf via Wikimedia Commons
Bavarian Forest National Park, Germany
Bavarian Forest National Park is home to world’s longest tree top walkway with an elevated pathway that culminates with a towering 44-meter tree tower. The treetop’s wooden construction blends into the surrounding forest that simulates a natural experience. During your venture among the trees, you will find various stops that inform and educate you on the mountain forest. At the same time, the world’s longest tree top gives you a unique perspective of the forest and the different dwellers that inhabit the forest below. The pathway is 1,300 meters long that lead to a tree tower that gives unobscured views of the Lusen and Rachel mountains.
Photo: Taken via Pixabay
Photo: 591360 via Pixabay
Monteverde Park, Costa Rica
Monteverde’s Skywalk is located in one of the world’s most recognized cloud forests. Due to Monteverde’s climate and altitude, the surrounding area is high in biodiversity. Costa Rica’s Sky Walk enables you to trek across canyons and brings closer you to the upper level amongst the green giants. The path permits you to view the forest from a completely different perspective. The journey begins on the ground but then takes you amongst the tree tops through a series of suspension bridges to admire the surrounding Costa Rican forest.
Photo: eflon via Flickr
Photo: Fran Devinney via Flickr
Inkaterra, Peru
Inkaterra has partnered with World Bank and National Geographic to create 2 towers and 7 suspended bridges that navigate through the upper level of the Peruvian jungle. Inkateera Canopy Walkway is one of South America’s largest canopy walkways that sits 98 feet above the ground and is 1/4 mile long. The jungle is full of exotic species, many still undiscovered, and you get to see an incredible variety of wildlife.
Photo: Filipe Fortes via Flickr
Kakum National Park, Ghana
Kakum Canopy Walk is located in the thick jungle of Ghana. The Kakum National Park treetop walked opened on Earth Day in 1995 and was engineered by two Canadians whose goal was to increase tourism in the national park. The Canadians designers wanted to make the Ghana national park a destination and as a result, they constructed the elevated pathway. The elevated trail is over 1,000 feet and is over 130 feet above the forest floor. The unique treetop canopy walk allows you to experience the jungle high above the ground a sight usually exclusive for climbers.
Photo: Francesco Veronesi via Flickr
Hainich National Park, Germany
Hainich National Park’s treetop canopy walkway is 530 meters long giving you a different perspective of the eco-system below. The canopy walkway is made of complex ascending trails that sits 25 meters above the forest floor. The elevated pathway leads to the tree house which is a towering 40 meters tall and gives you an unrivaled view of the Thuringian Basin you can not see from anywhere else.
Photo: Thüringen, Nationalpark Hainich Herbst, Luftbild
Ulu Temburong National Park, Brunei
Ulu Temburong can only be accessible by boat and is located in the eastern part of Brunei. The Temburong District is unspoiled and the national park’s tree top walk gives you a birds-eye view of the magnificent lowland rainforest. Alos, the steel elevated structure is 50 meters above the rainforest floor. As you’re walking among the treetops you will get gorgeous views of tiger orchids as well as the Bukit Belaing in the distance. Additionally, you will get a glimpse at snakes which heavily populate the treetops, such as the vivid Wagler’s Pit Viper.
Photo: Jacob Mojiwat via Flickr
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