3 Things To Do in Klamath CA | Trees of Mystery
Looking for things to do in Klamath, CA? We recommend visiting the Trees of Mystery, hiking the easy Yurok Loop Trail, and driving the scenic Coastal Drive Loop. Don’t have time to read this now?
Trees of Mystery
As we pulled up to the Trees of Mystery I saw Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox in the parking lot. Both me and Penguin remembered seeing these two when I was a kid, and they are just as large as I remembered.
According to the Trees of Mystery website Paul is 49'2' high and weighs 30,000 lbs. Can you believe his boots are 10 feet high?
Babe weighs the same as Paul but measures 35 feet at the horn tips. In late 2007, Babe's 1000-pound, 9-foot-wide head fell to the ground as a result of rain-damaged materials. Babe’s head was replaced and reinforced.
Paul Bunyan and Babe are the greeters of the Trees of Mystery but the stars are the unique Redwood trees including my two favorites: The Brotherhood Tree and The Cathedral Tree.
The other unique thing about the Trees of Mystery is the seven-minute SkyTrail gondola ride through the treetops, and coming this Spring is a new aerial trail named the Redwood Canopy Trail.
The Brotherhood Tree Stats
- Over 2,000 years old
- 19 feet in diameter
- 60 feet in circumference
- 297 feet tall
- Largest tree on the property
- Even after losing 74 feet of its top in a storm, it is still one of the largest living things in the world
The Cathedral Tree Facts
- Nine trees growing together as one
- The world’s largest “cathedral” tree
- Approximately 800 to 1,000 years ago a very large tree stood in the middle of this formation. When it fell it didn’t die. The roots and burls of the stump sprouted and these nine trees happened to grow together in a circle around the original mother tree’s stump, which has long since rotted away.
The SkyTrail is a unique experience as you get to see the top of these giant Redwoods which is typically not possible when you are on the ground, and you get to be in the trees. The new aerial trail will consist of platforms on multiple trees linked by suspended walkways. These walkways looked like so much fun. I was bummed this trail wasn’t complete yet during our visit although Penguin was happy because with his fear of heights he was not sure that was something he would want to participate in.
At the top of the SkyTrail is Ted's Ridge observation deck where you can see the Pacific Ocean, and a great spot to have a snack so we did. After finishing our snack, instead of riding the SkyTrail back down, we opted for the one mile Wilderness Trail. This trail was described as rugged and that is very accurate. They had walking sticks at the beginning of the trail and thank goodness we grabbed them as we needed them along with rope handrails they installed on the steepest parts. The hike is a very steep downhill and we would periodically slip even though we were both wearing good hiking boots. You finish with a trail devoted to the folklore of Paul Bunyan and some impressive Redwood carvings.
Yurok Loop Trail
After the Trees of Mystery, we wanted to do an easy hike so we decided on the 1.25 mile Yurok Loop Trail that begins at the Lagoon Creek picnic area. This trail has great views of False Klamath Cove and Lagoon Creek. If you are looking for an easy trail overlooking the ocean we recommend this hike.
Coastal Drive Loop
Prefer scenic drives to hikes? We finished our day with the pretty Coastal Drive Loop. This nine-mile loop starts just South of the Klamath River. You take the Klamath Beach Road exit from US 101. It is important to drive this loop clockwise as part of the loop includes an unpaved road that is restricted to one-way, northbound traffic only.
There are great views from the High Bluff Overlook and you get to see an old World War II Radar Station disguised as a house.
California Pacific Coast Highway Road Trip
Where are we going next on our CA US 101 road trip? Check out our CA Pacific Coast Highway Road Trip by RV route.
Wondering where to stay in Klamath with your RV? Check out our Places to stay in Klamath CA article. Thinking about visiting the Redwoods? Looking for things to do? Check out our Redwood articles including our 5 Tips for Hiking Fern Canyon in the Redwoods article.
Interested in things to do in California? Take a look at our California articles.
Klamath California Pictures
