Once upon a time promoters of California’s tourism industry devised a clever way to entice visitors to see the captivating beauty of the redwood forests — cut a tunnel through a redwood and charge people a fee to drive their cars through to the other side. It was a great photo opportunity that quickly caught on. In time there were drive-thru trees, drive-on trees, walk-through trees and even step-thru stumps. Today, three trees with open trunks remain. All are privately owned, charge a nominal entrance fee and are open daily year-round.
The Original Drive-Thru Tree in Myers Flat has been family-owned since 1958. Known worldwide as the Shrine of the Redwoods, the natural opening in the tree was created by fire centuries ago. It is large enough for full sized autos and pickups to drive through. This Old Giant is 21 ft. across and 64 ft. around. The Shrine Tree along with the Drive-On Log, Tree House Village, Cathedral Trees, Rings of History and The Balance Tree are all part of the Shrine Drive Thru Tree Auto Park. Visit the gift shop for locally made items.
Where: off Hwy 101, Exit #656 on the
Avenue of the Giants, Myers Flat
More Info: 707-925-6464 | DriveThruTree.com
Next Up: #24 – Redwood Hiking Trails
