The Chandelier Tree in Drive-Thru Tree Park is a tall

coast redwood ''Sequoia sempervirens'' ()''Sunset Western Garden Book,'' 1995: 606–607 is the sole living species of the genus '' Sequoia'' in the cypress family Cupressaceae (formerly treated in Taxodiaceae). Common names include coast redwood, coast ...

tree in

Leggett, California Leggett (formerly Leggett Valley) is a census-designated place in Mendocino County, California, United States. It is located on the South Fork of the Eel River, by road northwest of Laytonville, at an elevation of . It is home to some of the l ...

, with a by hole cut through its base to allow a car to drive through. Its base measures

diameter at breast height Diameter at breast height, or DBH, is a standard method of expressing the diameter of the trunk or bole of a standing tree. DBH is one of the most common dendrometric measurements. Tree trunks are measured at the height of an adult's breast, ...

(chest-high). A historic sign put up in or before the 1930s claims a height of 315 feet high and 21 feet wide (which may have been true for both at the time it was hung), but a contemporary measurement by a Certified Arborist experienced with tall redwoods and using a

laser rangefinder A laser rangefinder, also known as a laser telemeter or laser distance meter, is a rangefinder that uses a laser beam to determine the distance to an object. The most common form of laser rangefinder operates on the time of flight principle by ...

found the tree to be 276 feet high and 16 feet in diameter. It is unknown if the tree was topped by Nature in between the measurements. The name "Chandelier Tree" comes from its unusual limbs that resemble a chandelier. The limbs, which measure from in diameter, begin above the ground. It is 2,400 years old. A vintage postcard of the Chandelier Tree was shown during the opening credits of ''

National Lampoon's Vacation ''National Lampoon's Vacation'', sometimes referred to as simply ''Vacation'', is a 1983 American black comedy road film directed by Harold Ramis and starring Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo, Imogene Coca, Randy Quaid, John Candy, and Chris ...

''.

History

The Chandelier Tree stands on privately owned property. Charles and Hazel Underwood purchased the grove in 1921. The opening was cut in the late 1930s to create an attraction for those driving along the Redwood Highway. In the 1960s, they offered visitors lodging amenities which included cabins, a recreation hall, and bar.

Visiting

A fee of $10 is charged for pedestrians to walk through or motorcyclists to drive through the trees. For regular sized automobiles, the price is $15. Visitors are welcome between 8:30 AM and sundown every day of the year except Christmas and Thanksgiving. Visitors can also enjoy various other features during their visit including hiking trails, a duck pond, meadow, picnic tables, and a gift shop. During the summertime the Chandelier Tree may receive up to 500 visitors daily. Some larger modern vehicles may be unable to fit through due to the small size of the opening. In 2022, the tree won a Traveler's Choice Award from Trip Advisor.

Other tunnel trees

A number of big trees in California had tunnels dug through them in the late 1800s and early 1900s. The tunnel allowed tourists to drive, bike, or walk through the tree. The tunneling inflicted severe damage to the health and strength of the trees. The tunnels were cut to stimulate automobile tourism. Because of the damaging effects of carving through trees, the trend of creating tunnel trees has long passed.

Giant sequoias

The two

giant sequoia ''Sequoiadendron giganteum'' (also known as the giant sequoia, giant redwood, Sierra redwood or Wellingtonia) is a species of coniferous tree, classified in the family Cupressaceae in the subfamily Sequoioideae. Giant sequoia specimens are the la ...

drive-through trees have both fallen: *

Wawona Tree The Wawona Tree, also known as the Wawona Tunnel Tree, was a famous giant sequoia that stood in Mariposa Grove, Yosemite National Park, California, United States, until February 1969. It had a height of and was in diameter at the base. The ...

fell in 1969 in Mariposa Grove,

Yosemite National Park Yosemite National Park ( ) is a List of national parks of the United States, national park of the United States in California. It is bordered on the southeast by Sierra National Forest and on the northwest by Stanislaus National Forest. The p ...

* Pioneer Cabin Tree fell in 2017 in Calaveras Big Trees State Park But two walk-through tunnel trees still stand: *California Tunnel Tree in Mariposa Grove,

. The California Tunnel Tree's passageway was dug in 1895 to allow horse-drawn stagecoaches to pass through the tree. Today, people can walk or bike through it. *A dead tunnel tree in Tuolumne Grove,

. The dead tunnel tree in Tuolumne Grove was the first standing sequoia to be tunneled.

Coast redwoods

Two other drive-through

trees (taller and more slender than giant sequoias) still stand. These are also along US 101 in

northern California Northern California (commonly shortened to NorCal) is a geocultural region that comprises the northern portion of the U.S. state of California, spanning the northernmost 48 of the state's List of counties in California, 58 counties. Northern Ca ...

, in Klamath and Myers Flat.

References

External links

* {{official website
OutWest newspaper link
Roadside attractions in California Individual coast redwood trees Tourist attractions in Mendocino County, California 1930s establishments in California