GIANT SEQUOIA

Iconic California Tunnel Tree Destroyed by Storm

Famed giant tree was dug out for roadway in 1880’s.

An iconic 137-year-old sequioa tree best known for a trailway dug through its base in California has been destroyed by a winter storm. The feature in the Calaveras Big Trees State Park was 150 feet tall and had a massive 33-foot diameter. Photos stretching as far back as the late nineteenth century show people walking through and staring up at its trunk. The enormous tree has remained a hit for visitors who even today post pictures of it on social media. Many over the years have etched their names into its bark. “This iconic and still living tree—the tunnel tree—enchanted many visitors," said the Calaveras Big Tree Association, in a Facebook post. “The storm was just too much for it.”