Chandelier Tree facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Chandelier tree |
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| Species | Coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) |
| Location | Leggett, California, US |
| Coordinates | 39°51′30″N 123°43′09″W / 39.8583984°N 123.7192347°W |
| Website | http://www.drivethrutree.com/ |
The Chandelier Tree is a famous coast redwood tree located in Leggett, California. It's part of the Drive-Thru Tree Park. This amazing tree is special because it has a large hole cut through its base. This hole is big enough for a car to drive right through it!
The Chandelier Tree stands about 276 feet (84 meters) tall. Its base is around 16 feet (4.9 meters) wide. The tree gets its name from its huge branches, which look like a fancy chandelier. These branches are very thick, measuring from 4 to 7 feet (1.2 to 2.1 meters) across. They start about 100 feet (30 meters) above the ground. People believe Charlie Underwood carved the tunnel in the early 1930s. A vintage postcard of the Chandelier Tree was even shown in the opening credits of the movie National Lampoon's Vacation.
Other Tunnel Trees
Many years ago, people dug tunnels through several large trees in California. This was done in the late 1800s and early 1900s. The idea was to let tourists drive, bike, or walk through the trees. This trend helped attract visitors who wanted to see something unique.
However, cutting tunnels through trees caused a lot of damage. It hurt the trees' health and made them weaker. Because of these harmful effects, creating new tunnel trees stopped a long time ago.
Giant Sequoia Tunnel Trees
Two very famous giant sequoia trees that once had drive-through tunnels have unfortunately fallen down:
- The Wawona Tree fell in 1969. It was located in Mariposa Grove in Yosemite National Park.
- The Pioneer Cabin Tree fell in 2017. This tree was in Calaveras Big Trees State Park.
But there are still two tunnel trees you can walk through:
- The California Tunnel Tree is in Mariposa Grove, Yosemite National Park. Its tunnel was dug in 1895. Back then, horse-drawn carriages could pass through it. Today, people can enjoy walking or biking through this historic tree.
- A dead tunnel tree stands in Tuolumne Grove, Yosemite National Park. This dead tunnel tree was the very first standing sequoia to have a tunnel cut into it.
Coast Redwood Tunnel Trees
Besides the Chandelier Tree, two other drive-through coast redwood trees are still standing. Coast redwoods are generally taller and more slender than giant sequoias. These other tunnel trees are also found along US 101 in northern California. You can find them in Klamath and Myers Flat.
