Is the drive through redwood tree still standing?

The iconic Wawona Drive-Thru Tree in Yosemite fell over decades ago. Only the Redwood Coast has standing, living drive-thru trees.



As of March 2026, the most famous "live" drive-through tree, the Chandelier Tree in Leggett, California, is still standing and open to the public. This 2,400-year-old Coast Redwood survived the carving of its 6-foot-wide tunnel in the 1930s and continues to thrive today. However, travelers often confuse it with the Pioneer Cabin Tree (the famous "Tunnel Tree" in Calaveras Big Trees State Park), which unfortunately fell during a massive storm in January 2017. Another famous one, the Wawona Tree in Yosemite, fell back in 1969. In 2026, if you want the "drive-through" experience, you have three primary options, all on private land in Northern California: the Chandelier Tree, the Klamath Tour Thru Tree, and the Shrine Drive-Thru Tree. While modern conservation efforts prevent the carving of new tunnels into healthy trees, these existing historic landmarks remain major "bucket list" stops for road-trippers along Highway 101.

People Also Ask

The iconic Wawona Drive-Thru Tree in Yosemite fell over decades ago. Only the Redwood Coast has standing, living drive-thru trees. Also, for those with large vehicles, at best you'll have to tuck in your mirrors and drive super slow.

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While some of the tunnel trees did not survive their maiming, the Chandelier Tree still stands today, attracting visitors decades later.

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The Wawona Tunnel Tree was one of the most popular until it fell down in 1969. The Pioneer's Cabin Tree in what would become Calaveras Big Trees State Park was the third tunnel tree. This tree fell down in a storm in 2017.

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In their native California, the humid summer fogs combined with winter rainfall allow redwoods to grow to immense heights. Did you know? The largest redwood in the world lives in Sequoia National Park, California.

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A powerful winter storm in California has brought down an ancient tree, carved into a living tunnel more than a century ago. The Pioneer Cabin Tree, a sequoia in Calaveras Big Trees State Park, saw horses and cars pass through it over the years.

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Entrance Passes There are no entrance fees to drive the scenic roads or highways in our three state parks and national park.

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No, you can't stay inside the Redwood National Forest, only in nearby towns. However, you can stay in the campgrounds which are located in Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park and Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, the parks that are joint together with Redwood.

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A Mexican cypress - Taxodium mucronatum in the village of Santa Maria del Tule is the thickest tree in the world with a diameter of 11.62 metres and a circumference of 36.2 metres.

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Sequoias and giant redwoods are often referred to interchangeably, though they are two very different, though equally remarkable, species of tree. Both naturally occurring only in California, these two species share a distinctive cinnamon-colored bark and the proclivity for growing to overwhelming heights.

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