October 25, 2022

CHEYENNE MOUNTAIN ZOO

4250 Cheyenne Mountain Zoo Rd, Colorado Springs, CO 80906

“The Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is a zoological park located southwest of downtown Colorado Springs, Colorado, on Cheyenne Mountain in the United States. At an elevation of 6,714 feet above sea level, it is the highest zoo in America. The zoo covers 140 acres, 40 of which are in use.” - Wikipedia

I think I may have just found my favorite zoo, and to think I almost skipped it because I was skeptical about how good it would be.  The zoo’s unique layout, being built into the side of a mountain, was just one of the intriguing things about it.  The animal enclosures, for the most part, just seemed more natural than a lot of zoos.  For example, a lot of zoos try to incorporate large boulders in their design, but most look manmade.  Here, the boulders were real, and it might have been my imagination, but the lions just seemed more comfortable scaling the real thing.

I loved the huge herd of giraffes, the African elephants, the grizzly bears, and the Rocky Mountain goats.  There were impressive indoor facilities housing the giraffes, elephants, hippopotami, penguins, and apes.  There was a lot of uphill climbing, as one might expect on a mountain, but it didn’t seem excessive and I only remember having to rest once, after climbing the three-story tower leading to the grizzly bear viewing area (but there were 20-somethings that had to rest also, so I didn’t feel that bad).

I definitely recommend this zoo if you are in the area.  I know I will visit again if I am ever anywhere close.