Trees of Mystery is a park and tourist attraction along

U.S. Route 101 U.S. Route 101, or U.S. Highway 101 (US 101), is a north–south United States Numbered Highway that runs through the states of California, Oregon, and Washington, on the West Coast of the United States. It is also known as (The Royal Roa ...

(US 101) near the coastal town of

Klamath, California Klamath (Tolowa: ''Taa-chit'') is an unincorporated, rural census-designated place (CDP) in Del Norte County, California, situated on US Route 101 inland from the mouth of the Klamath River. The current population of Klamath, California is ...

. It features interpretive trails through Giant Redwoods and a number of unusual tree formations, many of which can be seen from its Trail of Mysterious Trees. Its Trail of Tall Tales displays some 50

chainsaw sculpture The art of chainsaw carving is a fast-growing form of art that combines the modern technology of the chainsaw with the ancient art of woodcarving. The beginning of the art form The oldest chainsaw artist records go back to the 1950s, which inc ...

s and carvings illustrating stories of legendary logger

Paul Bunyan Paul Bunyan is a giant lumberjack and folk hero in American and Canadian folklore. His exploits revolve around the tall tales of his superhuman labors, and he is customarily accompanied by Babe the Blue Ox. The character originated in the or ...

and his crew. Trees of Mystery is best known for its statue of

and statue of Bunyan's companion

Babe the Blue Ox Babe or babes may refer to: * Babe, a term of endearment * A newborn baby * An attractive (especially female) person People Nickname * Babe Adams (1882–1968), American Major League Baseball pitcher * Babe Barna (1917–1972), American Major ...

, which are visible from US 101. Constructed largely of wooden beams, chicken wire and stucco, the current Babe was built in 1950 and the current Bunyan in 1961. The original Bunyan was built in 1946, but was destroyed by rain that winter. In late 2007, the half-ton, head of Babe fell to the ground as the result of rain damage; it has since been replaced. An early 1950 brochure referred to the attraction as "Unbelievable but True, World's Largest Group of Natures Living Wonders".

Attractions

The trees

Trees of Mystery highlights a selection of novel tree formations, including: * The Cathedral Tree, consisting of nine trees growing in a semicircle out of one root structure, often used as a site for weddings * The Brotherhood Tree, so named for its massive size of 19 feet in

diameter In geometry, a diameter of a circle is any straight line segment that passes through the center of the circle and whose endpoints lie on the circle. It can also be defined as the longest chord of the circle. Both definitions are also valid for ...

and 297 feet in height. Since 2014, the official height is 246 feet. It seems like the top of the tree has been struck by the lightning, so the height decreased. * The Candelabra Tree, formed by a fallen tree with younger trees sprouting from it * The Elephant Tree, resembling an

elephant Elephants are the largest existing land animals. Three living species are currently recognised: the African bush elephant, the African forest elephant, and the Asian elephant. They are the only surviving members of the family Elephantidae an ...

's trunk, with multiple limbs branching from its base Given the trees' ages and sizes, it is generally assumed that Trees of Mystery's creators discovered the formations in-place and decided to build an attraction around them. However, the attraction's history and kitschy style have given it archetypal status among West Coast tourist destinations.

Skytrail

In 2001, an

aerial tramway An aerial tramway, sky tram, cable car, ropeway, aerial tram, telepherique, or seilbahn is a type of aerial lift which uses one or two stationary ropes for support while a third moving rope provides propulsion. With this form of lift, the grip ...

was installed called the Skytrail. It takes guests on a 1/3-mile ride through the forest, allowing them to see parts of the attraction from a different point of view. It culminates at an observation deck where the

Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...

is visible above the surrounding forest.

The End of the Trail Collection

The End of the Trail holds a large private collection of Native American art, crafts and tools. There is also a gift shop with souvenirs, many of them handmade, reminiscent of Pacific Northwest's colorful logging history.

References

External links

*
Roadside America

Trees of Mystery Webcam

“In honoring Paul Bunyan Day, no one stands taller than Minnesota”
– ''Star Tribune'' (

Minneapolis Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...