Skip to main content

Trees of Mystery; a US Route 101 Landmark

By

US Route 101 near the village of Klamath in Del Norte County has a notable roadside attraction in the form of Trees of Mystery. 

Trees of Mystery is a park noted for being a significant roadside attraction on US Route 101 ("US 101") in Northern California.  Trees of Mystery can be found approximately five miles north of the Klamath River and the Village of Klamath.

Part 1; history of the Trees of Mystery

Trees of Mystery largely is surrounded by the much more preservationist minded Redwood National Park and California State Parks.   Trees of Mystery offers a slightly different experience given it's trails are located on private land.  What eventually became Trees of Mystery opened in 1931 by Carl Bruno as a fishing camp known as "Wonderland Redwood Park."  Under Bruno's ownership the name Wonderland Redwood Park was changed to "Kingdom of Trees."  Bruno's business partner Carl Lewin which rebranded the park to "Trees of Mystery" in 1946.  

Trees of Mystery is easily identified from US 101 by the statues of Paul Bunyan and Babe the Ox which are located in the park parking lot.  

The original Paul Bunyan statue was constructed in 1946 but was destroyed by rains during the following winter.  The Babe the Ox statue was constructed in 1950 and the current Paul Bunyan was built in 1961.  Both statues are constructed from wooden roards, chicken wire, and stucco.  In what has to be the most 2020 thing ever both statues as of late are featuring face masks. 


Trees of Mystery has been expanding almost continuously upon opening in it's current form in 1946.  In 2001 a aerial tramway known as the "Sky Trail" was constructed from the Brotherhood Tree to the canopy atop Trees of Mystery.  As of June 2020 Trees of Mystery opened the Redwood Canopy Trail via a network of wooden netted suspension bridges. 


Part 2; the trails of Trees of Mystery

The primary trailhead at Trees of Mystery begins at the Visitor Center.  A guide sign indicates the distance to each of the major trails via the Kingdom of Trees Trail.  

The Elephant Tree can be found near the trailhead of the Kingdom of Trees Trailhead. 


The Upside Down Tree is two trees that have grown together.



The Octopus Tree features a hollow underneath it's trunk. 


Some of the Coastal Redwoods which serve as the primary attraction at Trees of Mystery. 


More Coastal Redwoods.


The 3 in 1 Tree.


The 297 foot tall Trinity Tree.


The Redwood Canopy Trail as noted above is the newest feature at Trees of Mystery and probably the best emulation of Return of Jedi (a Ewok free version) I've encountered.  













The Cathedral Trees upon returning to the Kingdom of Trees trail.


The turn towards the Skytrail offers a view of the substructure of the Redwood Canopy Trail.  


The Forest Experience Trail connects the Kingdom of Trees Trail to the Skytrail.  The Brotherhood Tree can found on the Forest Experience Trail.  The Brotherhood Tree once stood at a height of 297 feet but has been reduced by lighting. 




The Skytrail ascends from the vicinity of the Brotherhood Tree to Teds Ridge.  From Teds Ridge the Pacific Ocean can be viewed to the west and Rattlesnake Ridge to east.  The Wilderness Trail can be taken as an alternate to the tramway borne Skytrail. 










The Tower Inferno Tree. 


Trees of Mystery also featured numerous wood carved sculpture displays and art. 





 






Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Yes, the color of your nearby fire hydrant matters...

By
...and here's why. You will find White, Red, Yellow and Violet colored fire hydrants pretty much everywhere.  But there's a reason for this - and it's because of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA).  This association has issued guidelines for color coding standards for fire hydrants.  These color codes from the body of the hydrant, top of the hydrant, and in some municipalities the outlet caps are designed to allow fire fighters to know what type of system, water flow rate (Gallons Per Minute or GPM), and level of water pressure.  This guideline is known as NFPA 291 and is intended to be used universally throughout the United States. The NFPA guidelines are specific to the body and the top cap of the hydrant.  If a hydrant is WHITE or YELLOW - it means that it is connected to a public/municipal water system.  If a hydrant is RED - the hydrant is connected to a private system, typically a well.  These are most common in rural or unincorporated areas
1 comment
Read more

Phase 1 of the California State Route 132 West Expressway (in the making since 1947)

By
On September 15, 2022, the Phase 1 of the California State Route 132 West Expressway opened in the city of Modesto from California State Route 99 west to North Dakota Avenue.  Phase 1 of the California State Route 132 West Expressway was built upon a corridor which was tentatively to designated to become the branching point for Interstate 5W in the 1947 concept of the Interstate Highway System.  The present California State Route 132 West Expressway corridor was adopted by the California Highway Commission on June 20, 1956.  Despite almost being rescinded during the 1970s the concept of the California State Route 132 West Expressway corridor lingered on for over half a century and became likely the oldest undeveloped right-of-way owned by California Transportation Commission.  Pictured above is the planned California State Route 132 freeway west of US Route 99 in Modesto as featured in the May/June 1962 California Highways & Public Works.   The history of the California State Route
Post a Comment
Read more

Aptos Creek Road to the Loma Prieta ghost town site

By
Aptos Creek Road is a roadway in Santa Cruz County, California which connects the community of Aptos north to The Forest of Nisene Marks State Parks.  Aptos Creek Road north of Aptos is largely unpaved and is where the town site of Loma Prieta can be located.  Loma Prieta was a sawmill community which operated from 1883-1923 and reached a peak population of approximately three hundred.  Loma Prieta included a railroad which is now occupied by Aptos Creek Road along with a spur to Bridge Creek which now the Loma Prieta Grade Trail.  The site of the Loma Prieta Mill and company town burned in 1942.   Part 1; the history of Aptos Creek Road and the Loma Prieta town site Modern Aptos traces its origin to Mexican Rancho Aptos.  Rancho Aptos was granted by the Mexican Government in 1833 Rafael Castro.  Rancho Aptos took its name from Aptos Creek which coursed through from the Santa Cruz Mountains to Monterey Bay.  Castro initially used Rancho Aptos to raise cattle for their hides.  Following
Post a Comment
Read more