Cheyenne Mountain Zoo sits on the forested slopes of Cheyenne Mountain, 6,714 feet up, making it the highest-elevation zoo in the United States. The setting is dramatic — the animal enclosures are built into the mountainside with wide views over Colorado Springs and the plains beyond, and the zoo itself feels more like a mountain park than a traditional flat zoo.
The zoo is particularly known for its giraffe feeding experience, where you can hand-feed the herd from an elevated deck, and its collection of endangered species including Rocky Mountain goats and Mexican wolves. The top of the zoo connects to the Will Rogers Shrine of the Sun, a stone tower visible from much of the city. The zoo is about a 20-minute drive from downtown and is worth a half-day visit, especially with children.