It’s hard to miss the giant statues of Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox towering over the parking lot at Trees of Mystery (treesofmystery.net; adult/child $30/15)with a gondola running through the redwood canopy and a fun "Tall Tales Forest" where chainsaw sculptures tell the tale of Paul Bunyan.
The park itself is a nature trail with attractions along the way, including intriguingly shaped redwood trees, a series of aerial suspension bridges in the canopies and a gondola ride to a scenic lookout. At times it's cheesy, but it's also the delightful kind of roadside attraction that feels straight out of a different era. And in fact, Trees of Mystery has been family-owned and operated since 1946. The surprisingly wonderful End of the Trail Museum located behind the Trees of Mystery gift shop has an outstanding collection of Native American arts and artifacts, and it’s free.
This attraction is perfect for families, anyone unable to take a strenuous hike or lovers of kitsch. If you’d like to make a full weekend of the experience, there’s a retro roadside motel across the street, Motel Trees (moteltrees.com), and a restaurant called Forest Cafe (forestcafe.net).
