Located in the heart of the Redwood Empire, at the very center of Redwood National and State Parks, Trees of Mystery is California's premier nature attraction on the North coast! For over 65 years we have been educating, entertaining, and introducing visitors from the world over to this awe-inspiring natural treasure. Welcome to the California Redwoods!

Sky Trail

Come Ride The Unforgettable SkyTrail!

One of the most appealing and exciting features of the entire Trees of Mystery experience is the nearly 1/3 mile journey through the forest tree tops via the unique SkyTrail gondola ride. Surely nowhere else are you going to have the chance to get an up-close downward perspective from the tops of redwood trees that measure 100s of feet in height. A total of 8 Gondola Cars continuously make the approximately 8-10 minute, 1570 foot trip up the mountain each day - giving riders not only spectacular views of magnificent redwoods, but a fine mountaintop ocean vista at the observation deck at the summit as well.

All Aboard!

Inside the park, a leisurely stroll along one of the interpretive trails will bring you to Brotherhood Station where you can climb aboard! A shuttle is also available for those who cannot easily walk the trail to get to the station. There is much to see along the way however, so take your time. Skytrail runs all day, so there is no reason to hurry.

Getting Ready for Take-Off!

Once there, one can see that the cars and machinery - which began operating on June 18th, 2001 - are all thoroughly modern, and well-maintained. Each of the comfortable Swiss-made, CWA Omega Series cars carry up to 6 passengers, are fully enclosed, and handicapped accessible. The lift mechanism itself was designed and manufactured by Poma, in Grand Junction, Colorado. The Austrian-made cable is 42.5 mm (or about 1.5 inches) thick and tested to 296,000 pounds - which is enough to lift all the towers, drive station, return station, bullwheels, all of the concrete and both control shacks!

A Moving Room With a View!

Each SkyTrail gondola travels through the redwood forest at about 11 mph. There are three short periods where the cars slow down to about 1/2 mph in each direction allowing for great picture taking opportunities. Once at the top you will be afforded some amazing views of mountains, forests, and the nearby Pacific Ocean and more chances for taking pictures and looking at the distant scenery through binoculars. Many visitors exclaim that the the SkyTrail ride alone is worth the price of admission. Some ride it more than once on a single visit. Considering everything else you get with admission to Trees of Mystery it's a great tourist value, good family fun, and an entertaining and eye-opening educational opportunity wrapped up in one package.