Chandelier Tree, Drive-through redwood tree in Leggett, California.
The Chandelier Tree is a coast redwood in Leggett, California, 276 feet (84 m) tall with a base diameter of 16 feet (4.9 m). A tunnel 6 feet wide and 6 feet 9 inches high (1.8 by 2.06 m) is cut through its base, its ceiling and walls showing saw marks and charring. A small wooden sign reading "CHANDELIER TREE" stands at the foot of the trunk.
The tunnel was cut into the trunk in the late 1930s when entrepreneurs along the roads through the redwood region were creating attractions for travelers. The modification to the tree followed a trend that also led to drive-throughs in other living trees elsewhere.
The name comes from limbs 4 to 7 feet (1.2 to 2.1 m) thick that begin about 100 feet (30 m) up the trunk and branch out like a chandelier. A vintage postcard of the tree appears in the opening credits of National Lampoon's Vacation. Visitors drive or walk through the cut opening and photograph the passage.
The park opens daily except on Thanksgiving and Christmas, and entry is possible by car or on foot. Larger vehicles such as motorhomes may not fit through the opening, so it helps to check dimensions beforehand.
A vintage postcard of the Chandelier Tree appears in the opening credits of National Lampoon's Vacation. The tree also won a Traveler's Choice Award from TripAdvisor in 2022, and in summer it may receive up to 500 visitors a day.
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