Drive-Through Redwoods: California's Living Auto Tunnel Trees

According to Jalopnik, a California redwood tree that drivers can pass straight through is waiting for anyone who has wanted to motor through a tree. The outlet's report points to the history of these carved giants, noting that the first one was cut as early as 1878.

Jalopnik also reports that California still has at least three redwoods that continue to see traffic today. The piece frames them as a novelty that has outlasted the era that created them, rather than as a relic kept behind a rope.

The report's summary does not detail the exact locations, the current condition of each tree, or how their openings are maintained. Those specifics are not part of the reporting available here, so readers wanting them should consult the original article.

What the report does make clear is the basic appeal: a tunnel cut through living wood, large enough for a vehicle to pass, that has become part of the driving experience for visitors to the state.

Background

The drive-through tree is one of the older forms of roadside spectacle in the American West. As automobiles became affordable in the early twentieth century, travel was no longer confined to railways, and motorists began looking for destinations that gave a trip a memorable centerpiece. Scenic stops, novelty attractions and roadside curiosities grew alongside the national road network, and many were promoted to visitors who were newly mobile and eager to see the landscape.

Coast redwoods, the tallest trees on Earth, grow in a narrow band along the northern California coast and into southwestern Oregon. Their size and age made them an obvious draw for early tourists. Their thick, fibrous bark and the way they regrow from their bases made it possible for people to carve openings in living trees, and the practice spread as the trees became accessible by road.

Living trees carved this way raise practical questions. A cut through a trunk removes wood that would otherwise help the tree carry weight and move water and nutrients. Over time, the health of an opening depends on the tree's vigor, the amount of wood removed and the weight and frequency of vehicles passing through. Preservation of these trees has generally focused on protecting the root zone and limiting further damage.

The broader tradition of tourist features built around cars, from drive-in restaurants to motels with garages, reflects how the automobile reshaped leisure. The redwood tunnels are an early and enduring example of that relationship.

Why it matters

For a site covering cars, the drive-through redwood is a useful reminder that the automobile has always shaped how people experience the landscape. These trees were turned into attractions because cars made long-distance travel and sightseeing routine, and the vehicle became the lens through which visitors saw the wood, the scale and the setting.

The story also touches on the tension that runs through many roadside attractions. A feature that delights visitors can also put strain on the thing that draws them. Living trees do not carry the same easy maintenance logic as a built structure. Decisions about access, traffic and protection affect how long such an opening can last, and those decisions are not always visible to people who simply drive through.

There is a historical dimension as well. A tree carved in 1878 predates the car by decades, which means the attraction was originally built for a different kind of traveler. Its survival into a period of paved roads and large vehicles shows how a novelty can be reinterpreted over time, and how the meaning of a roadside feature changes with the mode of transport that uses it.

For enthusiasts, the story offers a light but real connection between motoring culture and the natural world. It invites reflection on what kinds of experiences cars have made possible, and what they can cost the places they pass through.

What to watch

Readers should watch for any official guidance on the condition of the drive-through trees, including whether access is limited or monitored. Changes to vehicle size limits, traffic rules or approach roads would signal how managers view the trade-off between visitor access and tree health.

It is also worth following how tourism at these sites develops, particularly if interest in them grows. Rising visitor numbers can change the pressure on a single trunk and the surrounding roots.

Finally, watch for updates from the original reporting on the specific sites still open to traffic, since the summary available here does not give the details that would confirm their current status.