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All the United States California Leggett Chandelier Tree
AO Edited

Chandelier Tree

This massive redwood tree has a hole in the base big enough to drive through.

Leggett, California

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Nick Jackson
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A car mid-drive through the tree.   Samir S. Patel (Atlas Obscura User)
Approaching the tree.   Samir S. Patel (Atlas Obscura User)
The view from under the tree.   Samir S. Patel (Atlas Obscura User)
Coming out the other side.   Samir S. Patel (Atlas Obscura User)
The Chandelier Tree in 1941.   TigerPaw2154/CC BY-SA 3.0
Car driving through the tree   ccesare / Atlas Obscura User
Summer 2018   ccesare / Atlas Obscura User
  amandams1147 / Atlas Obscura User
Leggett, CA   ccesare / Atlas Obscura User
Summer 2018   ccesare / Atlas Obscura User
Leggett, CA   ccesare / Atlas Obscura User
one of many intricate wood carvings on the grounds   Holly Prz / Atlas Obscura User
18April2022   shaunk82 / Atlas Obscura User
  kks523 / Atlas Obscura User
Summer 2018   ccesare / Atlas Obscura User
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A 300-foot-tall marvel, the Chandelier Tree in Leggett, California, has a hole cut in its immense trunk that's large enough for a car to drive through.

The hole is six feet wide and nearly seven feet tall, carved sometime in the 1930s. Miraculously, this tree is so big and strong that is has survived the gaping wound in its base.

The Chandelier Tree—which was named not after its massive girth, but its dangling limbs that resemble a chandelier—was carved during the unfortunate “tunnel tree” trend of the early 20th century. Several giant sequoias had large holes cut out of their trunks to attract the growing number of automobile tourists, with little regard for the health of the great trees.

Luckily, environmentalists now work to make sure that no new holes are cut into redwood trees, so the few drive-thru trees that remain are precious and fairly rare. While some of the tunnel trees did not survive their maiming, the Chandelier Tree still stands today, attracting visitors decades later. The shape and style of the cars that pass through its trunk have changed considerably over the years, but the novel delight of driving through the middle of a tree is just as it ever was.

Related Tags

Natural Wonders Drive Through Trees Cars Nature Plants

Know Before You Go

Leggett is just shy of midway between the Canadian and Mexican borders, located off the main artery of US Highway 101. The Chandelier Tree has a gift shop and a picnic area nearby for visitors.

Community Contributors

Added By

nbj914

Edited By

jondilks, bishops837, MrCarl, Avoiding Regret...

  • jondilks
  • bishops837
  • MrCarl
  • Avoiding Regret
  • shaunk82
  • Holly Prz
  • matthewtaub
  • ccesare
  • amandams1147
  • kks523
  • causeiwander

Published

December 16, 2015

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Sources
  • Wikipedia: Chandelier Tree: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chandelier_Tree
  • Roadside America: Big Tree Drive-Thru: http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/2043
  • https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/09/us/pioneer-cabin-tree-sequoia.html
  • https://www.google.com/maps/place/Drive-Thru+Tree+Park/@39.8577382,-123.7253954,1396m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m12!1m6!3m5!1s0x54d4ce21c34ed9f9:0xe28d99d2827b25f!2sDrive-Thru+Tree+Park!8m2!3d39.8585618!4d-123.7190225!3m4!1s0x54d4ce21c34ed9f9:0xe28d99d2827b25f!8m2!3d39.8585618!4d-123.7190225
Chandelier Tree
67402 Drive Thru Tree Rd
Leggett, California, 95585
United States
39.8588, -123.719216
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