Trees of Mystery

I had not been here in years and my family took a road trip this past summer up the coast. this was a definite place to stop. we have three kids 16,12, and 11. this was a perfect place to spend the afternoon
it has a great shop with lots of stuff to see. the trail is interesting and keeps you busy
the sky tram is a nice addition to see the tops of the trees and the over look up top
over all a great way to spend an afternoon and recommended.

This is a great place to stop for a photo op with Paul Bunyan and Babe, the Blue Ox… and a restroom break if you need it. Restrooms are located (when facing the gift shop) to the left. The gift shop has some cute stuff like normal tourist stuff, rocks and crystals in one room, and a fudge vendor. The staff are all very sweet and nice. Have fun shopping!

Beautiful and scenic hike through the redwoods. The gondola ride to the top is worth it for the beautiful view.

I love the commitment to kitsch! A must stop on the way up or down the 101. Take the obligatory pics next to Paul, Blue, and the bear. The setting could not have been more perfect. While you’re at it. hop inside the gift shop and Squatch out! Who wouldn’t love a Bigfoot statue as a souvenir? They even have Bigfoot crocs! They also have a public restroom located around the outside of the shop, too. Happy Squatching!

Visit to Trees of Mystery in Klamath, California on August 3, 2015
Haven’t been here in 40 years and wish I had taken time to get back sooner — this is such a beautiful section of the coast and the park itself is fun, looking at all the different type of arrangements within the trees or of the trees themselves. As a family we enjoy backpacking so this is right up our alley in fun!
If you are up for an adventure, be sure to ride the Sky Trail to the top of the mountains and then once you’ve looked at the sights from that elevation of Ted’s Ridge take the Wilderness Trail back down — it is strenuous but a beautiful way to see parts of the park others may not dare stroll! And warning, the signs say «mostly downhill» but there are some strenuous uphills to overcome, especially of you are on a jog down…
Overall this is a must see for everyone, history, myth, and factual all rolled into one! Oh, and if your dog is well mannered, they are welcome along the trail, and even in the Sky Trail gondola!!!

Whilst on a family road trip, during the long stretch from southern Oregon to Ferndale, I saw a billboard for Trees of Mystery. I have to say, I was… mystified. I hadn’t planned any stops during the trip, the crew was needing a break, and I had been trying to see what old-​school roadside attractions we could catch, anyway. My 4G was spotty in this area (damn you, beautiful wilderness!), but I was able to catch enough to see that this might be something we’d enjoy. Plentiful parking made it a great bet from the start. This was the coolest weather we’d experienced in weeks (thanks to global warming) and a nice walk through the shady and looming trees was a tempting proposition. The Paul Bunyan statue was a classic photo op. Add a sky tram and I was in. Cost was minimal and included access to pretty and family-​friendly hiking paths. The main (easy) trail is peppered with signs that name various trees along the way (Elephant Tree, Brotherhood Tree); the centipedes peppered all over the path truly freaked my kiddies out (I thought they were pretty). Once we reached the line to the tram, the wait was minimal. And the ride was breathtaking. There is also a bathroom at the top, so this really is genius attraction planning. Back at the bottom, there is a fantastic gift shop with a little bit of everything, and at this moment I am regretting the pretty $ 10 earrings that I didn’t buy. All in all, a great surprise and fun stop if you are passing through.

Place is very touristy. That goes without saying. But at least one women inside was rude as heck. We got there literally two minutes before five with a party of ten after checking the Web sight an hour before and it said the tours close at 6:30. Well she says their closed at 5. When I mention the Web sight she replies «Well obviously it’s wrong because we are on the fall schedule!.» Much better ways to handle that I would think. I still give them 3 stars because places like this are great for kids to see as well as adults. But if your heading here CALL and check on things because they don’t seem to update the website and you don’t want to make the bear behind the counter mad. Haha

We took a weekend trip here to with our family of five. We have three kids ages 15, 12, and 10. They really loved seeing the Trees of Mystery and the whole trip was entertaining and engaging for all.
Kids loves the larger than life statues of Paul Bunyun and his Bill, Blue. Paul speaks to everyone arriving and engages specifically with kids. Quite entertaining and cute. The kids loved climbing on the statues and taking pictures. Bathrooms are clean as well and available on the other side of the gift shop.
The cost to enter was $ 15 per person. This includes a short, leisurely hike along the trees and a gondola ride. The hike is a bit uphill but is not treacherous at all. You can even take strollers on it if you needed to. There are signs and bits of information along the walk and plenty of opportunities to take pictures. Dogs are allowed as well. Our kids were amazed by the different trees and the history behind this natural area.
The gondola ride was quite thrilling. It takes you on a short trip through the trees (10 minutes) and lets you off on top for a spectacular sight seeing area. The wait for the ride can be long. We waited 30 minutes to get on but there are lots of things to do and areas to sit while you wait.
After the ride, it lets you off at the same spot to finish your hike and concludes in the gift shop. Lots of little trinkets and décor but nothing too original.
Overall the trip including the hike and ride was about 2 ½ hours. This will allow you to see everything and enjoy the sights. Well worth it.
NOTE: Pack bag lunches cause there is nothing to eat anywhere near this place besides a small café across the street. We ate lunch in our car after the hike which held us over until dinner.

Wow. Haven’t been here since I was kid. Tree’s of Mystery is a fun place to stop if you are driving on the 101. They are very dog friendly. My kids loved talking to Paul Bunyan. The sky trail was pretty cool but a bit of a hike to the ramp. They have a shuttle for those who need it. I would take the hike of you can. Lots of great places to stop for pics on the way up to the gondola. Once on the gondola the ride is pretty cool. We had a few scaredy cats with us. If you are afraid of heights it might not be for you. Once you get to the top there is a deck with great lookout. We spent a little time there and then rode the gondola back down. The gift shop is huge. Plenty of stuff to blow money on. They had a food section with ice cream and candy but it was closed by the time we got down from the sky trail.

Not much of a mystery here. The Redwoods are beautiful as they are throughout the state. We arrived when they opened and paid the $ 15/​adult; $ 8/​kids fee. What is interesting is they have unique trees throughout the forest. A sign says, «These are the trees you have seen in Ripley’s Believe it or Not.» While the gondola was neat, there isn’t anything special to see at the top. What my kids loved most is the place is crawling with caterpillars… tons of them. Overall, it took about 2 hours to see everything.

Was very interest in hike, liked the scenery, gift shop. The sky trail was not that impressive. I thought when it meant you would be at birds eye view meant above the trees not in them. So your scenery on the sky trail was limited to only the trees cut out for the trail itself.
Other than that it was ok.

This was a great experience at a great price. The walk up to the gondola is easy and has lots of incredible trees and photo ops. After the beautiful ride in the gondola the are more breathtaking views from the very top observation area. After that, there is a choice to ride the gondola back down or hike down. As non-​experienced hikers — I mean real city folk — we decided to choose the hike, of course. (There are signs that say it is only for advanced hikers, and they provide walking sticks). We made it through the hike, and it was actually fun to be challenged. The museum at the end is also very interesting.
All in all this was a great day stop. We were there for about 3.5 hours. This is a must do!

Dog friendly everywhere here. Only reason for four stars is the girl inside said the steepest portion of the hike to the Sky Trail was the ramp just outside the store leading to the ticket booth and was pretty flat the rest of the way. NOT! It’s four tenths of a mile hike to the gondolas. All up hill.
Fascinating trail though. Unique trees everywhere. Some areas are narrated.
Gondola ride is a wow experience. Looking down at the beauty the forest is needs to be appreciated from that height. Gives you a greater respect for nature.
The path back down goes through an area they call the Trail of Tall Tales. Pay attention to the very last totem.
Great artifact museum inside. Plus there is Paul Bunyon and Babe the Ox outside.
All in all pretty tiring but we had a bunch of fun!

Such a wonderful experience! So much to see and experience here the tram was such a cool addition to the already awesome trail… There was just so much life and history there… A once in a life time experience.

Very pretty scenery, the ride is a little intense if you don’t like heights but the little shop next to the hiking area has some of the best fudge and ice cream!

Fun and kitchy, a visit to the Trees of Mystery harkens back to the 1940s or ‘50s, when all the men apparently sounded like they were narrators for those Britannica Films all kids were forced to watch in elementary school until the early 1990s. There are ample opportunities to soak in (or photograph if you prefer) the beauty of the California Redwoods while taking a break from sitting in the car with the kids (or yourself).
The gravel trails wind guests past different trees that are shaped a little more unusually than your standard giant redwood. There are wooden signs with the names of each tree, and some of the stops have boxes with buttons you push to hear the narrator describe the «mysterious» conifers. The hike is very easy and takes you to a gondola/​sky tram that whisks you to the top of the mountain for panoramas of the surrounding forest and Pacific Ocean. You then have the choice to ride the gondola back down or hike about a mile back down. They describe the hike as steep and difficult, and loan you walking sticks, but due to time restraints, we had the tram back down. The last bit of the trail pays tribute to Paul Bunyan and his tall tales. There are giant wooden carvings of different characters and scenes from the stories and more button boxes to entertain you and the family along the way.
Finally, as with any good American tourist attraction, you are routed through the gift shop as you exit. Items included are a fudge and candy counter, kids’ items including overpriced colorful plastic toys that have nothing to do with the attraction, but get kids to beg incessantly, Bigfoot figurines and t-​shirts, any number of items with «Trees of Mystery» printed on them (koozies, magnets, shot glasses, tiny spoons), cedar items, and of course, one of those machines where you put two quarters and a penny in and they render your penny worthless by pressing it into a picture. Americana at its finest!

Trees of Mystery is a must-​see tourist attraction, specifically for the gondola ride. It’s quite breath-​taking. The trees located in this private park are just but a taste of public [State and National] parks within the redwood areas.
In order to get to the sky trail (which will lead you to the gondolas), you’ll have to get on the main trail (0.8 mile), then follow the signs to the sky trail. Get on a gondola. At the top you can hike the wilderness trail (1 mile). It’s quite nice, and you may borrow walking sticks next to the office of the return gondola operator.
The redwood trees in the National and State Parks are much larger, the forests much more dense, but the Trees of Mystery gondola ride allows you to see the tops of these majestic trees. The view at the top is phenomenal.
Worth the 15 $ ticket price.

I was here before. In fact, it was fifty years ago. Fifty years ago, it was typical California coastal tourism: family run, kind of tacky, affordable, family oriented. My wife wanted to go so we stopped off and had a look.
First off, there is no mystery here. It’s a walk in a redwood forest with some signage and push a button for information stations. Trees of Wonder may be a better description. There are a number of truly wonderful trees here, with excellent signage. The walk is a bit rugged at times, fine for us but we encountered a few people who were having a bit of a time if it.
It’s about the same as it was fifty years ago, except for one major addition: the Sky Trail, which is an aerial tramway that takes you through treetop level to the top of a mountain. The ride is steep and breathtaking, and the views from the mountaintop are wonderful. This alone makes it worth the visit.
There is also a Paul Bunyon themed area, with chainsaw carvings of characters from the stories. And an outdoor wedding chapel that is blaring out creepy wedding music, or perhaps music from my grandparents’ wedding.
Overall, there’s a lot of content here for not much money.
In a world of constant stimulation and need to be entertained, will families be happy walking through the woods looking at the marvels of trees? Apparently, yes, they are as they have been for decades.
And how was it fifty years later? The Sky Trail rocked :-)

No complaints about this place! It does cost $ 15 to enter, but that includes the cost of the Sky Trail. Trust me, that’s a great deal seeing how I went to South Lake Tahoe and the same «ride» costs $ 50! I recommend taking the hiking trail to the Sky Trail that goes to the top of the forest because there are so many things to see along the way. If you can’t do the hike, which is ⁸⁄₁₀ of a mile, there is a shuttle that can take you to the Sky Trail. The hike is an easy hike and you won’t even notice how long the hike is because of the amazing things you see along the way. Many of the trees there are on Ripley’s. I felt like I was walking through Jurassic Park! The trees will amaze you!
When you get to the Sky Trail, you get into the little pod and it’s about a 10 or 15 minute ride to the top. At the top there is an observation deck where you can overlook the whole Redwood Forest and see the ocean in the background as well. It’s pretty amazing and worth the stop if you have time! Going back down, you have 2 options, you can do a 1 mile hike back down — be warned, it’s a steep hike where they even provide hiking sticks to help you hike down. We chose to take the Sky Trail back down. When you go down, you take another trail back to the entrance. This trail take you through what they called «Tall Tales», you do have the option of just skipping that route and just going back out — I suggest taking the Tall Tales route. They have many beautifully and amazingly carved trees telling the story of Paul Bunyan.
There are 3 bathrooms I saw. One before going into the Trees of Mystery, one before the Sky Trail, and another on top at the observation deck. I don’t understand the complaints from people because $ 15 for this is NOTHING! I would say though that they do need to maintain some of the information plaques better since some are worn out and hard to read.
When you exit, it take you to a gift shop and museum. It’s totally worth it for $ 15. I think we spent about 2 hours exploring everything including the gondola ride to the top. Well worth the stop and I suggest everyone going to the Redwoods to check out this attraction. At the entrance is also a giant Paul Bunyan and Babe statue. and Paul Bunyan will talk to you too!!! He answered my question! LOL.

It’s been many years since my last visit and time has not been kind to this classic roadside attraction. While the parking lot appears to indicate that it continues to be a big draw for tourists and tix are $ 15 per adult, it doesn’t appear that maintenance of the attraction is a high priority: many of the audio kiosks that are supposed to provide information on the trees were out of order and one looked as if it were about to fall over. The gift shop, however, is in great condition… it’s where you will be funneled at the end of your walk thru the trees.
I did enjoy the Sky Trail (gondola to the lookout at the top of the mountain) but the view towards the ocean was obscured by fog.
The museum of Native American artifacts which is connected to the gift shop is also worth seeing. It’s one of the best collections I’ve seen and you should plan on spending some time taking it all in.