An Iconic Northern California Tourist Destination Has Toppled…
You’ve no doubt seen this: the ancient Redwood tree so big that you can walk through it…you can find many pictures of this unique redwood tree online…
This Redwood is located in Calaveras Big Trees State Park, and it fell during a powerful storm that hit Northern California this past weekend – this tree was was 150 feet tall and had a 33-foot diameter.
As The Modesto Bee reports:
“This iconic and still living tree – the tunnel tree – enchanted many visitors,” reads a post on the Facebook page of the Calaveras Big Trees Association. “The storm was just too much for it.”
Here is the picture they posted of the downed tree:
The giant sequoia was originally hollowed out in the 1880s as a tourist stunt, since it allowed people to walk “thru” the tree.
And The Los Angeles Times reports:
“The tree, named for the tunnel that had been carved into its broad base 137 years ago, was located in the Calaveras Big Trees State Park and toppled Sunday.
“We lost an old friend today,” wrote county resident Jim Allday, who posted a picture of the fallen titan on his Facebook page.
His photos show the tree trunk splintered heavily at its base.
Visitors could once drive through the tree, but it was most recently open only to hikers along a 1.5-mile loop.”
This is sad news, but know that there is still a Redwood standing in Northern California that offers the same unique viewpoint:
My wife Alex and I drove down the Oregon coast and through Northern California’s incredible Redwood forest on highway 101…
The Chandelier Tree Lives!
At first, I thought that the “drive thru” tree that we experienced, called The Chandelier, was the tree that had fallen…
Luckily, this tree is still standing, located in another part of Northern California…so if you’ve ever wanted to see a unique tree like this, now is your chance! The Chandelier Tree was opened in 1937, and can still be visited today.
The state of California has long since stopped the practice of carving roads through these magnificent trees, but there are still two remaining….it was all part of an incredible adventure we had down the Pacific coastline of Oregon:
If you’ve never had the chance to discover the west coast of the US, it’s really magical…you can see our entire trip down the incredibly beautiful Oregon coast here:
Sad news about the Redwood in Calaveras Big Tree State Park, and happy to know that two others still survive…
Categories: Art, Books / Media, Exotic Travel, Memoirs, Travel, Travel Adventures, Travel Memoir, TV Show, Uncategorized
johnrieber 
When my parents and I come to California from Wisconsin in September of 1953, I remember going through the “Redwoods forest” and driving through a tunneled tree. There was a light inside at the top of the tree. We were told that the tree was hollowed out by a lightening strike, so they had enlarged the hole at the bottom so cars could drive through. That was most likely a myth, but we were 2000 miles from home among the biggest trees in the world. What did we know.
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Some have criticized this practice and I remind them it was done decades ago – only a very few survive and this was absolutely “of its time” – love your story, thanks for sharing!
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There are a couple more of these trees. Scroll down to the bottom of the article and it will list the other two besides the Chandelier tree: http://www.latimes.com/travel/la-tr-california-bucket-list-updates-drive-through-this-redwood-while-you-1481314119-htmlstory.html
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Thanks for sharing! Many people have said they don’t like these trees being carved up, but it happened so long ago, might as well appreciate them now while we can, no others will be done this way!
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Very interesting post. Very sad that tree is lost. A question that comes to mind is why not do it a few more trees for the future. Only a couple, don’t go nuts. No longer ethical?
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Lloyd, it was an idea way back in the old days – a way to get tourism to an area that was much more remote at the time…it was outlawed soon after, so these last few are all we have…however, they are privately owned so there is a much more rigorous effort to protect them…they are absolutely massive! Oh, the one my wife and I visited is right in the area where a LOT of pot farms are hidden in the hills!
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Pot farms, haha. “Hey man I saw this old tree with a massive hole in it you could drive through”….”Man you trippin.”
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HA! Indeed!
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NOO! I’m sorry to hear this. We better get to the Chandler Tree soon!
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Considering these trees have been up for a century or longer, it may be worth a road trip to see them while you can…thanks of your comment, Cindy!
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What lovely way to escape the AZ heat in July. I wish I could drive over. Maybe next summer.
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Not sure if you’ve ever driven through Northern California on the 101- just miles and miles of lush green forest….lots of pot as well, but that’s well hidden!
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Ha! I used to live in CA as a girl. But not the pretty part. I always wanted to go on the back of a bike up the 101 stopping spontaneously. I haven’t given up that dream. Maybe now I’d rent a cool, fast car.
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Just as well that they no longer carve tunnels through them, John. They are magnificent enough to admire as they are, without have to walk under them too.
Best wishes, Pete.
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It was a strange tourist-y thing done almost a century ago, and yes, they are magnificent enough without the hold carved in them!
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