We went early and rode the gondolas up to California Trail as soon as we got in. So many animals were out. Five wolves (could only get pics of 3 of them), a grizzly bear playing in the pool, bald eagles, a jaguar, bison getting fed. Great exhibit.

Great place to visit on a day with ideal weather. The zoo looks over a picturesque view of the valley and the bay. The animals available are fewer but grand. The ticket price feels a little steep at first, but when you come to know how much Oakland Zoo contributes to nature and wildlife conservation, it feels worth it.

I loved this new addition to the zoo. The gondola ride is slow so you can take in the sights. It shows that Oakland is beautiful. The native animals were fun and friendly. Really beautiful.

Amazing zoo. Definitely a family favorite. It wasnt too crowded. Heads up you will need to have a reservation prior to your visit. Very clean and they have sanitizer everywhere. Would of been 5 stars but quite a few parts of the zoo attractions where closed.

I cannot believe I got to see California grey wolves AnD grizzly bears AND mountain lions AND buffalo! This is my favorite spot at the Oakland zoo. Theyve done a great job giving the wolves places to go and they looked comfortable and relaxed. The grizzlies playing in the water on a hot day is amazing to see as well.

It is so beautiful on this trail. Definitely a must see and breath taking! You see amazing animals as well as great views of Oakland City (whisper voice - not of San Francisco) You did your thang Oakland Zoo! But the Gondola takes you pretty high so careful.

I loved the bears! They were very playful.

Nice zoo with friendly staff. Wish more animals were available (lots of empty areas) but our kids love it here and we we like to support any place that helps protect and care for animals.

Each time we come we see something different and learn something new. The zoo staff were doing a good job of sanitizing the gondolas in between passengers, letting them dry while going the other direction. People were all wearing masks and it was easy to keep social distancing

This is a very nice experience for the zoo. Was pleasantly surprised. The place is clean, well kept and had great animals to see. Not sure when this was built. But you could tell effort is put in to keep it nice.My only concern was the trip on the gondola up and down. Employees didnt seem to stay on task with park guest safety. I think a little better supervision will work wonders. And also help keep the park in good public standing.

Even in this pandemic its still a great place to take your kids and the family very clean environment and safe for the whole family

I am just absolutely amazed with this new addition to the Oakland zoo. 1st of all the gondola ride is amazing its slow and it has the most gorgeous view of the Bay. I have been a zoo member for quite some time, and although; the price at of admission has gone up a bit, I see why, and Im truly impresse. Im glad to see my funds going to improving the zoo.

Its wonderful! Great information about the animals. The set up is great. Just beautiful.

Nicely done outdoor exhibit where animals are living in a natural environment. It is really hard to spota mountain lion laying on the branch or an oak tree

We always enjoy a trip to the Oakland zoo. Today was very hot and an awful lot of things were closed due to covid19. When I read the message that the zoo was endanger of shutting down and money was needed to feed the animals we called to get our tickets immediately! We want to support this zoo as much as we can, it is worth fighting for! We however nearly melted in the heat & it was difficult to breathe in the mask, so well go again when cooler weather arrives. The Grisly Bears were our favorite this time as they played in their pool, made us jealous, they were so cool.

There were four brown bears playing together in the water on this warm afternoon. What a treat!

This area of the zoo is fun to get to and has wonderful environments to view. We were 20 feet from some tussling grizzlies and a plane of glass from two of them playing in a pond. It was an incredible experience.

The California Trail is a must see expansion at the Oakland Zoo. The gondola provides an amazing view not just of the bison grazing area but the entire Bay Area. The elevated viewing trails at the top were a cool surprise.

Ride the gondola up to get here. Its got some pretty cool animals including bald eagles, condors, wolves, jaguars, bears, mountain lions, and bison. Its free with zoo admission.

Bald eagles, bears and mountain lions plus fantastic views of the bay.

Pleasant weather and not crowded. Very relaxing

Great place to visit. The precautions the Zoo took to make their members be safe amd sanitary were great

A great view and a splendid learning experience

Wolves were very active. It was feeding time.

Not what I expected. Still good place to bring kids. Be prepared to walk a lot and food prices are doubled

The monkeys are hilarious! Covid-19 conscious, social distancing facilitated.

Well handled Halloween event with hand sanitizer, and limited indoor exhibits, and entrance times.

What they have created with this trail is just great. Lots of fun and animal exploring.

Great exhibits of native animals. Great views of the bay area. Great place for kids. Didnt like that the bald eagle and California condors are caged up. You are up high on a ridge line over looking the bay with local birds flying all around them. It seemed like a mockery to how the caged majestic birds are living now. Oh well, its the zoo.

Great addition to the zoo. Feels like it has revamped the entire place. The gondola itself is a huge attraction for my kids. Cafe is great. Animals are beautiful and the habitats are well designed. The playground is the BEST according to my girls. Its a bit crowded on the weekends.

Fantastic. All the animals were out!

Zoo animals looked happy to see the public and nice pics taken on the gondolas

Neat place. Lots of active exhibits and a neat play place for the kids to run around on for a break.

Very nice, peaceful but couldnt see some of the animals lol

Awesome zoo. So fun

Oakland zoo is a beautiful zoo. Lots of walking and exercise as you walk around the zoo. In winter a lot of the animals are in their dens because its cold or hibernating. If you plan to see a specific animal, its best to visit during the time they are active, otherwise you wont see them.

Its a very nice place to spend some quality family time. Its fun for people of all ages. Mom even got a senior citizen discount.Good place to visit round the year. New exhibits are added every now and then. We have been regularly visiting this place since 7 years and we have never gotten bored so far. My 2 kids love it too. Its fun for whole family.

When the weather is not too hot, its wonderful up in the hills. Actually saw the wolves napping and the condors and the bear. Very cool!

We love the new trail at the zoo. The Bears are always wrestling and playing in the water! The Eagles and Condors are always out. The Jaguar and Mountain lions are usually prowling around. The Wolves are usually walking around somewhere. The kids love the new playground and kids zipline. The restraunt serves some delicious food varieties. The gondola ride up is a fun ride itself. We barely get back down to the main zoo now. We spend most of the day on the California trail.

This was a nice new edition to the zoo. It has been a long time since I have been here, so I wasnt expecting it. The animals seem to have more room here than in the lower portion of the zoo. Great face in hole photo opportunities!! The cafe and museum area were closed unfortunately.

What they have done at the Oakland Zoo is amazing! We love it there! The views are incredible on a clear Day from the gondola and all the upgrades and additions that they have done to the zoo are incredible!

This is a great part of the Oakland Zoo that you can reach through the free gondola ride up (stroller accessible). Great views of Oakland and SF on the ride up and on the porch of the restaurant. My 3 year old loves particularly loves the playground areas up there.

This new feature at the Oakland Zoo is so cool. There is a habitarium at the top where kids can learn about animals and even see brown bears up close. We happened to be there at feeding time and saw them so close! Right around the corner from the gondola are beautiful eagles, a jaguar and wolves.

This trail in it self is worth the admission fee.You should spend at least 2 hours here. Check out the bear, mountain lion, bison, and other wildlife. But spend time at the observation deck at check out the beautiful San Francisco bay.

A very good view

Panoramic view of Oakland, San Leandro, San Francisco. The Grizzly Bear exhibit is excellent. Wildlife biologists are informative. The staff are courteous and helpful. Family friendly and check out the playground.

Really enhances the zoo. it is perfectly planned out and entertaining without leaving you feeling sad for the animals

Here for Zoo lights. My husand and I have season passes. We have so much fun. I think the baby likes it too. Happy Holidays

Clean and well-designed little trail; after a brief gondola ride (now conveniently included with the zoo ticket price!) see the grey wolves, bears, jaguars, bison, and condors in close proximity! Doesnt take too long to walk around- it would only take about 10-15 minutes if you didnt stop anywhere. We didnt stop at the restaurant since their prices were a bit high ($8 for mac n cheese, $12 a burger or tuna salad sandwich) and we already snacked earlier. I also loved their thoughtful attention to kids needs- from a cool play area at the top of the trail to a sweet little habitarium with lots of conservation and exploration interact-ables.

We love it. Second time in a month to just relax and watch the AMINALS. Great display of huge mammals that abundantly roamed North America. Sad to see them largely in a zoo. So go now. The airy views of the bay area are spectacular. And the trail is super well maintained and family friendly. Love the gondola ride. Fits strollers!

Such an awesome spot for animals and views!

AMAZING!!!!! Sooo incredible!!! The condors were breath taking, yes California Condors, rescued and on exhibit... the wolves were so cool and the amount of space the Oakland zoo gives them makes you really feel they have the animals well being as their first priority!!!! And I havent even mentioned the Grizzlies... or the mountain lions... and the gondola up, some times we just ride that up and down and up.... congrats to the zoo a GREAT JOB!!!!

This place is so much fun for the family

Lovely. Make sure to ride the gondola

Lots of North American animals to look at and a great playground for kids, including a mini zipline. You have to take a funicular to get up there, but its free.

Largest animal encloses Ive ever seen in a zoo, but the elevated walk still give visitors a great view of the animals.

Great views from the FREE gondola ride. The exhibits are well placed and do not confine the animals to a small space. The walking was easy with paved trails and no steep inclines. The staff was courteous and willing to assist my companion who has some mobility challenges. Overall, a great experience.

It was just so amazing to walk around and see the difference animals they have for such a small place ...it is will worth the trip at less once

Oakland Zoo is awesome. I recommend getting there early as...1)parking lot fills up quickly and 2)there is A LOT to see!

The trip to oakland zoo was awesome. Looking at these grizzle bear playing in the water was beautiful.

A nice way to spend a day.

I love Wolfs and I loved the California Trail! The gondola ride is so much fun with an awesome view.

Great little part of the zoo. Playground for the kids and a restaurant. Lots of restrooms and water filling stations. Beware the line at the gondola. There is no other way up or down. But it moves quick

Love Oakland Zoos new California Trail! While its sometimes a little chaotic to get back down on the gondola, you can basically spend a whole afternoon up in the North America section. Youll see grizzly bears, black bears, mountain lions, vultures, bald eagles, wolves (if youre lucky, we didnt catch any), bison and beautiful leopards. They also have a fun outdoor play area with a zip line, a reasonably priced cafe with amazing views, and an indoor education play area for kids.

It was a fun day for all!

Super fun. Stroller friendly. Line ups go by fast.

We enjoyed the animals! Everything was so clean, organized and a wonderful place to visit!

Amazing time to spend with kids

Nice brown bear display area. Has a great habitarium with an educational area. There is also an outdoor kids play area.

Great place to spend the day with the family. Lovely zoo. The chimps are a blast. Only exhibit Ive seen to showcase animals native to North America.

Gondola ride was awesomely. Childrens play area is going to be a star attraction once fully done. Got to see a variety of animals

Fantastic brown bears

Kids had a blast in-laws n kids and husband gave this place a thumbs up.beautiful scenery

Must see and must do! The gondola ride is amazing and a wonderful experience for all. The bears are my favorite to watch. They have so much space to wonder and roam it just warms the ️.

Great newaddition. Game changer for the zoo.

Food was excellent, experience was more than ever expected... even though there were many ppl everything seemed to move smoothly.. associates very pleasant n helpful..

Was really cool to watch the bears. They have a big open play area, and they were very lively. The big issue was the line to get back on the gondola. We waited for an hour and with a young child it was not ideal. Plan on riding the gondola back way before closing time to decrease your wait.

You have to visit the Oakland zoo. They are improving a lot and their new California trail exhibition is great. They have big mammals and huge California Condor and bald eagle. If you get there early you can see the Grey wolf and the cubs.

The trail is great, the restaurant on the trail is a disaster. Go for the animals and the awesome playground for your kids, but pack a picnic unless you want to wait in line for food for 3 hours.

Nice zoo in Bay Area. Got great view and animal at 2nd level.

Well-designed area. Kids play. Reasonable, quality food with views. Great views of some of North Americas best animals. Including up-close-and-(almost) personal views of grizzlies. Ride the gondola.

The view and the animals were great & fun. the food was quite expensive, I recommend to bring your own food

The tram ride is fun. There is a stream kids can play in too.

Very exciting to see mountain lions and bears unfortunately the wolves were in hiding

While we saw very few animals, I was only a little disappointed. I firmly believe that zoos have an obligation to provide a comfortable and enriching environment for the animals housed there. If that means that the wolves didnt want to come out the day I was there, so be it. If nothing else, the views of Oakland and the hills are spectacular

My favorite area in the Oakland Zoo!

This place is AMAZING!!

This is the newer section of the Oakland Zoo. The gondola ride up was great; the entry ticket to the zoo includes this as well. The view of Oakland from there was great. Nice little area for toddlers to play around too.

It was really cool to see the wolves, eagles, condors, jaguar, and Grizzlies.

My family is very happy with the new attractions here. The exhibits are very well done, and have lots of space for the animals to be free.

Beautiful mountain top trail with a great playground for youngins.

Great change of scenery for the kids (if at the very least, a fun gondola ride up to a creative play area with nommy food) but also an open space to experience California wildlife! (Just wish we could ONE time see the )

Best part of Oakland zoo. Very informative. Bears are awesome.

Really nice part of the zoo. Only negative is the lack of shade in summer months.

Love this new Trail. I love this Zoo

New addition. Good to go in the a.m. cause you can get to catch the animals waking up. Bear.leopards.bald eagle ECT...

Great addition to the Oakland Zoo. Well designed and the animals are spectacular. The Grizzlies are amazing, the condor is unbelievable, the wolfpack is a site to see.

Really disappointed with the new addition to the zoo. A very inefficient use of space and money. Would have been better either if they left it as an open space park or if they had integrated it much better.

Always fun and great be here .Now zipline and tiny pool here .kids love this

Beautiful day with the family ️