Walk Among Treetops on the World’s Most Epic Suspended Hikes
Get ready for picture-perfect views without all the sweat and agony of a difficult climb.
Hiking up mountains is cool, but what if you could have the same soaring views while the walk is a little more, say… flat? Or—even better—what if you could float around the mountain, hundreds of feet off the ground, hovering over open air? Unfortunately, we’re not talking about defying Newton’s law of gravity, but rather a “suspended hike.”
These aren’t just elevated boardwalks, these are hikes all over the world that get you up into the treetops, on top of mountains, and into rare forests. All the while, you’re on a relatively flat, raised platform that allows you to see the ground far below you and incredible surrounding views. These are hikes you can do with your dog, kids, or even with a stroller or wheelchair. Open to most ages and abilities, they’re a fresh look at Mother Nature from towering bridges, high walkways, aerial platforms, and absolute feats of engineering. Here’s where to find the lofty views—no hiking skills required.
Grindelwald, Switzerland
If you can forgive the fact that even hiking trails aren’t safe from being branded with a title sponsor, Switzerland’s First Cliff Walk is spectacular: It hangs off the side of Mount First at nearly 7,000 feet in the air. With suspension bridge elements, the 1,000-foot metal walkway presents hikers of all abilities with outrageous views of the Bernese Alps, culminating in a viewing platform 148 feet off the ground.
To get there, take the Grindelwald-First Gondola. You can either head straight to the summit restaurant to seek out the viewing platform, or—to follow the suggested route—walk the trail toward Bachalpsee Lake and take the Cliff Walk via the lower entrance. The viewing platform can get quite crowded; your favorite views may be from the walk itself.
Banff National Park, Canada
One of the most popular hikes in Canada’s Banff National Park, the 3.3-mile (round-trip) Johnston Canyon Trail is rich with waterfalls, caves, cliffs, and canyon views—and thanks to the walkway, rated easy. The majority of the trail is suspended, with elevated pathways along the canyon walls and above the water, getting visitors up close and personal with both Upper and Lower Johnston Falls. The hike is so popular, it gets two whole parking lots—which should tell you one thing: Come early.
Tahune Forest, Tasmania
Not many people have seen the Tasmanian Forest from above. And those who have likely did so via the Tahune Airwalk. Set 100 feet above the forest floor—with a final section above the Huon River rising to 165 feet—it’s 2,000 feet of bird’s-eye views over the beech, sassafrass, and leatherwood trees. Needless to say, it’s a great wildlife-spotting walk, too. There’s one caveat: This one’s less accessible than most others on this list, with 104 steps required to get to the top. Benches line the way for those who need a rest or simply want to prolong the adventure—or those who think they’ve spotted a Tasmanian Thornbill.
North Vancouver, Canada
Don’t picture anything like the Golden Gate or the Brooklyn Bridge. Apart from engineering principles, the Capilano Suspension Bridge isn’t anything like its urban counterparts. Instead, picture winding through Vancouver’s mystical temperate rainforest on a series of elevated walkways, wooden boardwalks, treetop and aerial platforms, cliffside tracks, and one massive 450-foot suspension bridge across Capilano Canyon. This one does require a timed ticket, which you can book online. It’s the most popular attraction in Vancouver—come early or late for golden-hour vibes and more elbow room.
Eureka, California, US
The longest skywalk in the western United States gets you up into the country’s most famous trees—roughly 1⁄3 of the way up their giant, towering trunks. The Redwood Sky Walk at the Sequoia Park Zoo loops for a quarter-mile at 100 feet high, getting visitors a new look at these juggernauts and the forest floor from which they rise. The walk is wheelchair-accessible, and there’s a 360-foot ascent ramp for ease of access—plus treetop platforms and one hangout-ready launch deck to extend your too-short time in the trees.
La Fortuna, Costa Rica
Have you ever forest bathed off the slopes of an active volcano? That’s what’s on offer at Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges Park, in northern Costa Rica, near La Fortuna. The elevated trail winds for two miles across a series of 16 bridges—six of which are suspension bridges—escorting visitors through the forest at 150 feet off the ground. Beyond the verdant flora, you’ll catch views of Arenal Volcano, plus exotic birdlife like motmots and solitaires, and maybe even peccaries (a cute, boar-like creature). Come early for this one, too, as bus tours tend to arrive after 9am.
Janské Lázně, Czechia
Czechia’s Krkonoše Treetop Walkway is likely the world’s only forest-focused walkway that honors the entirety of the trees, from root to leaf tip; it might also be the only one that’s a spiral. Over 4,250 feet long, some parts are 150 feet in the air—that’d be the lookout tower—some parts are at ground level, and some parts are even underground (it’s basically a museum dedicated to the forest underworld). It’s sort of like being your own tree in Krkonoše National Park. Except there’s a restaurant at your top and, like Senda dil Dragun, there’s a spiral slide that will take you right back down to Earth.
Tingledale, Australia
A rare tingle forest, Australia’s Valley of the Giants Tree Top Walk winds amongst three species of tingle trees, many of which are over 400 years old. The steel walkway zigs and zags for nearly 2,000 feet, coursing toward a deep valley that elongates the view. Most spots are roughly 130 feet in the air, offering plenty of opportunity to take in this rare ecosystem—the ancient trees rival the giant sequoias, some measuring 50 feet around at their base.
Tingle trees—which look like something out of Jurassic Park—are a relic of another time. It’s thought they can be traced back to when Australia was joined with Antarctica, and their range is only shrinking with time. That’s what makes a wander in their treetops uniquely important—it’s a chance to pay homage to a forest in its slow goodbye.
Laax, Switzerland
Switzerland’s at it again. Opened in summer 2021, Senda dil Dragun (“Path of the Dragon”) is the longest treetop walkway in the world. A wide walkway built on gigantic, locally sourced wooden beams, it winds for roughly a mile above the Laax Forest, varying anywhere from six to 90 feet in the air. At the path’s end, you can opt to get back to solid ground via a twisting, 240-foot slide. If kids are with you, they’re welcome to the park’s tablets, where they can learn about the local flora and fauna via augmented reality. And if kids aren’t with you, know that you can still take that spiral slide.
Kalbarri National Park, Australia
While Kalbarri National Park has no shortage of challenging hikes amongst dramatic, rust-colored cliffs, its new skywalk, which just opened in 2020, offers a bit of a breather (that is, if you’re not afraid of heights). Walk along a quick, 15-minute trail to get to the pair of cantilevered viewing platforms hanging 330 feet above the Murchison River Gorge, one extending 55 feet beyond the rim and the other 80 feet. While you essentially float on air, enjoy reading plaques about the local Nanda people. Pro tip: Time the walk for sunset, so you can watch the warm colors of the sun spill over the red rocks.