travel
Oakland Zoo: California Trail and the Gondola
Oakland Zoo's gondola ride to the California Trail is the best part — grizzlies, bay views, and an easy visit for kids and toddlers.
We went with friends and their kid — our toddler came too. Oakland Zoo works well for a mixed group because the California Trail does most of the heavy lifting.
The gondola ride up is free with admission. Eight-passenger electric cars carry you 650 feet up over Knowland Park to reach the California Trail at the top. It takes about four minutes and the kids loved it. Plan extra time for the gondola line before you leave — everyone has to ride it back down to exit.
The California Trail is the reason to come. Grizzly bears, gray wolves, bison, mountain lions, and California condors spread across a hillside. The grizzlies were in the pool when we visited, which held everyone’s attention for a good while. The exhibit was named one of USA Today’s top ten zoo exhibits in the country.
The views from the top reach across seven Bay Area counties on a clear day. August was clear enough to see the bay and SF skyline from the trail.
Admission used dynamic pricing when we visited, so booking earlier online cost less. Parking was $13 in advance or $16 at the gate, and children under two entered free. Check current prices and hours before going. From San Francisco, it is about a 45-minute drive or a BART ride to Coliseum followed by AC Transit 46L. Monterey with a toddler offers a longer day trip built around the same short-stop logic.