After finishing up our month in Portland, OR, we made our way down to Fort Bragg, CA to meet up with Shae’s mom and stepdad. On our drive down we saw a sign for the Chandelier Tree – a tree you can drive through in the appropriately named Drive-Thru Park in Leggett, CA.
I was confused about that because I’d read recently that the tree you can drive through had blown down during a storm. It turns out that that tree is one in Yosemite National Park and that there are other giant trees on the west coast you can still drive through, one of which is the Chandelier Tree.
We arrived just before they closed for the day and so we made our way down the short drive towards the Chandelier Tree. The drive-thru hole in the tree isn’t particularly wide or high, but there was just enough space for our car with Shae’s bike on the back.
There was another couple there when we arrived, so they kindly took a photo of Shae, Truffles and me in front of the tree.
Knowing that this was something Shae’s mom and stepdad would want to visit, we returned there a couple of days later during the daytime. That was great because it gave us much more time to enjoy the site and see everything in the daylight.
For example, something I’d missed on our first visit is that there are lots of excellent wood carvings on the drive from the entrance to the tree.
When paying for entry we were given a coupon good for 10% off in the gift shop.
To the right of the gift shop was a field which was a little muddy when we visited due to all the rain, but is probably a great space for kids to run around in nicer weather. There was also a pond at the far side; I’m assuming it was a pond anyway rather than just a giant puddle from all the rain.
Seeing as we’d already driven through the Chandelier Tree ourselves, Shae and I got out so her mom and stepdad could drive our car through the tree.
The Chandelier Tree is a coast redwood tree that’s labeled as being up to 2,400 years old, 315 feet high and 21 feet wide. However, apparently it’s been officially measured as being 276 feet high and 16 feet wide which is still pretty big!
To fit a tree that large fully into a photo you have to stand way back and use a wide angle.
The hole itself is 6 feet wide and 6 feet 9 inches high. That means it’s large enough to fit cars through, but we saw some SUVs not wanting to risk getting their vehicle stuck.
After they’d had a chance to drive through the Drive-Thru Tree for themselves, we wandered around the grounds a little more. There were lots more impressive wood carvings around the place, including these two excellent – and tall – carvings of two sasquatch looking longingly at each other.
In addition to the Chandelier Tree that you can drive through, there are several other large trees you can climb on or in, so it’s a fun place for kids and adults alike to explore and provides a bunch of photo opportunities.
If you find yourself driving along the California coast, it’s definitely worth making a stop at the Chandelier Tree.
How Much Does It Cost To Visit The Chandelier Tree?
When we visited in December 2021 it cost $10 for cars and $5 for motorcycles, bikes and walk-ins. That was very reasonable seeing as it’s based on your vehicle rather than the number of people in your vehicle.
What’s The Address?
The address for the Chandelier Tree is 67402 Drive Thru Tree Rd, Leggett, CA 95585. It’s near where State Route 1 meets US Route 101.
[…] Leggett (where the Chandelier Tree is located) is about halfway between Fort Bragg and the southern entrance of Avenue of the Giants, so we stopped there along the way so that Shae’s mom and stepdad could drive through the tree as well. Check out this post to read more about the Chandelier Tree. […]