In the northern part of California, there is some unique West Coast history, that has been something of an attraction since the late 1800’s. Drive Thru Trees are visited by thousands of tourists every year. People come from all over to take in a piece of history, first hand. These giant trees can hold life spans upwards of 3000 years.
The idea of rolling a vehicle through a tree, originated in the 1800’s. Nature enthusiast began carving through these massive trees in an attempt to learn more about them. The novelty of driving through a tree became a tourist attraction, and more drive thru trees were created. Obviously, this was somewhat of a disregard for nature preservation, and drive thru trees are no longer being created. Which makes these last standing drive thru trees a wonder of the past. (For locations & entry fees to the drive through redwoods, skip to the bottom)
With the recent news of a drive through tree toppling over, due to flooding from a storm, there has been some confusion on social media, as to which drive through trees remain. I did not realize how many drive through trees there actually are. After hearing the news, I assumed that the tree we had visited, was the tree that fell. In fact, it was a different ancient tree.
On the afternoon of January 8, 2017, Pioneer Cabin Tree aka Tunnel Tree, toppled over in a storm.
This tree was a drive through attraction since the 1870’s. It is estimated to have fallen due to a shallow root system that was affected by extreme flooding.
Location: Calaveras Big Tree State Park Highway 4, Arndold, CA
Type of Tree: Sequoia
Age Estimate: over 1,000 years old
Height Estimate: noted in the 1900s as 280 ft tall but unknown to a more recent height
Today, there are three living coastal redwood trees that you can drive a vehicle through. They are Chandelier Drive-Thru tree, Klamath Tour Thru Tree, and Shrine Drive Through Tree. These massive trees are located north and south of Eureka, within 150 mile stretch along Highway 101. This highway is also referred to as the Redwood Highway. We were lucky enough to visit one of these iconic trees, just a few months ago.
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Signs pointed towards an opportunity to drive through a tree, and our curiosity perked. When driving our Sprinter Van camper in the summer, without AC, we always welcome a good random stop. We turned off the 101 and followed a frontage road down a few miles, until we saw Drive-Thru Tree rd. No sooner did we make the turn, then we came to a small booth. The sign listed $5 for entry, and an attendant waited in the booth to collect our money. We were unable to see the Tree from there, so went ahead and paid the $5, and continued down the bumpy dirt road. Although, we didn’t make it very far. Immediately around the bend was a line of cars, all waiting to capture a photo of their own piece of history.
Feeling very silly and touristy, (but kinda excited) we waited patiently for our chance to drive though a tree. As we neared the massive hole in the base of the tree, it became apparent that the van may not fit. Yup, too tall. Luckily we still managed to take a few good photos, and baby will have some good ones for her history book.
Below is a list of Northern California’s historical Coastal Redwood Drive Thru Trees.
Chandelier Drive-Thru Tree has been a drive thru Trees since around 1936. Further up the tree, it’s branches hang low, and resemble that of a pretty chandelier.
Location: Drive-Thru Tree rd., Leggett, CA
Type of Tree: Redwood
Age Estimate: over 2,000 years old
Current Height Estimate: around 315 ft tall
Entry Fee: $5 per car
Klamath Tour Thru Tree has been one of the drive thru trees since 1976
Location: 430 Highway 169, Klamath, CA
Type of Tree: Redwood
Age Estimate: over 725 years old
Current Height Estimate: around 167 ft tall
Entry Fee: $5 per car
Shrine Drive Through Tree has been one of the drive thru Trees since the 1920’s. The shortest of the 3 redwood drive through trees, this one is securely held in place by cables. The tree is hollow, and has a dramatic lean. Speculators wonder if it will be the next to fall.
Location: 13708 Avenue of the Giants, Meyers Flat, CA
Type of Tree: Redwood
Age Estimate: over 2,500 years old
Current Height Estimate: around 96 ft tall
Entry Fee: $5 per car
In addition to the recent fall of Pioneer Cabin Tree, Yosemite’s Wawona drive through sequoia tree also fell in 1969. With these fallen trees, and the speculation on the Shrine Drive Through Tree, will these classic novelty experiences soon just be historic tales of the past?
If these places interest you, it would be super awesome of you to pin the pictures to your Pinterest. 🙂
Thanks for following our scenic route!
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