KLAMATH, Calif. — Along Highway 101, a giant stands tall in a mysterious section of Del Norte County’s redwood forest, and no we're not talking about one of the enormous trees.
This giant is a legend in this area, and if you visit him between the hours of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., he might just talk to you.
The friendly giant is a talking statue of Paul Bunyan and you'll find him at the Trees of Mystery with his faithful sidekick, Babe the Blue Ox.
A giant logger and his blue ox are just the beginning of the mysteriousness. Walk inside the gates and you’ll find a lineup of odd characters guide and manager Jennifer Guenther will introduce you to.
“These are various people in the logging camp. Jack the Back, Red Thumb Robbie who planted so many redwoods his thumb turned red,” said Guenther as she points to a collection of larger than life wooden statues.
Statues and carvings are sort of the side show, though. The real mystery of this place is the trees. The giant and odd-looking redwoods and pine inside this nature-themed attraction have been luring tourists since 1946.
“My grandfather, after the war, didn’t want to go back to San Francisco; he wanted to get into nature,” said Guenther.
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After purchasing an old logging site in Klamath, Jennifer’s grandparents Ray and Marlee Thompson discovered a strange growth pattern in many of the remaining trees. What started out as a walking trail through the property soon turned into a redwood theme park.
One of their most popular rides is the Sky Trail. Instead of looking up at the trees, the Sky Trail offers visitors a unique look down on them.
“The tree needles up here are much wider so they can catch the water from the fog and rain and you can only see that up here,” said Guenther.
At the top of the Sky Trail, you get a nice look at the misty redwood forest. On a clear day you can see the ocean and the park's oldest redwood, the Brotherhood Tree.
“They believe it is 3,000 years old and when they climbed it, they found many things -- a bat cave in the middle, salamanders and these little land crabs growing up in the top canopy,” said Guenther.
The newest attraction in the park is the Redwood Canopy Trail, which is essentially a series of high-flying rope bridges specially built by tree house company Tree-Mendous.
“The highest point of the Sky Trail is 100 feet,” said Guenther.
There are many more mysteries to find at The Trees of Mystery. Visit to find out yourself. The park is open seven days a week. Find out more info on their website.
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