Chandelier Drive-Thru Tree

As one of the oldest and most highlighted attractions in the county, the Chandelier Tree is a must! Enjoy the picnic area canopied by redwoods and, of course, take your picture at the tree or get a snap of the whole family driving through this massive opening. The grove itself has been owned by the Underwood family since 1922, and it’s a beautiful piece of land, with massive Coast Redwoods adorning the property. Trails are sprinkled throughout the 200-acre virgin redwood grove and are open to visitors. This is also a perfect place to picnic, with a comfortable meadow next to a pond offering ideal views of the redwoods. The opening to the tree was cut in either 1936 or 1937, by Charlie Underwood, to create an attraction for visitors on the Redwood Highway, and it has continued to serve guests over the intervening decades. It gets its name (Chandelier Tree) because its branches actually jut out from the trunk of the tree and then turn upwards, giving it the appearance of a giant chandelier.
The sign at the base says 315 feet (and 21 feet wide), but that’s open to some debate. The tree is also believed to be right around 2,000 years old. Do keep in mind that cars in the 1930s were more narrow than some of the widest today, and the largest SUVs may not be able to make it through the aperture in the tree (which is 7 feet wide).