The California Tunnel Tree is one of the most popular and beloved trees in the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias, with good reason. This is the only place in the world where you can walk through a living giant sequoia tunnel tree. Learn where to find this legendary tree and some of its fascinating history below.
Whatever else you do, be sure to add a visit to the California Tunnel Tree and the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias to your Yosemite itinerary. Fortunately, it’s easy if you’re staying nearby at The Redwoods In Yosemite.
Where the California Tunnel Tree Grows
The California Tunnel Tree grows in the lower grove of the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias, just past the Grizzly Giant tree.
You’ll find the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias in the southern region of Yosemite National Park, just a few minutes from the small community of Wawona and The Redwoods In Yosemite cabins. (Side note: Because of the similar names, some people end up confusing the Mariposa Grove with the town of Mariposa, which is not at all nearby.)
From the parking area at the Mariposa Grove Welcome Plaza, take a free shuttle (in summer) or hike the 2 miles/3.2 km (one way) up the Washburn Trail to reach the lower grove. From there, take the popular 2-mile (3.2 km) Grizzly Giant Loop to see the California Tunnel Tree. The California Tunnel tree is just a few feet past the Grizzly Giant (one of the largest trees in the park). This loop also takes you past the Fallen Monarch, the Bachelor and Three Graces, and many other ancient sequoias.
California Tunnel Tree’s Story
The Yosemite Stage and Turnpike Company hired two men to cut the California Tunnel Tree opening in 1895 so that horse-drawn stages would be able to drive through. This was a time when early tourism in Yosemite emphasized spectacle and novelty. Although tunnel trees were enlarged to allow people and vehicles to pass through, the idea almost certainly comes from the trees themselves. If you walk a little further into the grove, you can see the Clothespin Tree with its own naturally created passageway through it.
At the time the California Tunnel tree was tunneled, it wasn’t even the only tunnel tree in the grove. Higher in the Mariposa Grove, the Wawona Tunnel Tree had been cut in 1881, but it was harder to reach in the winter. But now, the California Tunnel Tree is the only living tunnel tree.
Unfortunately, the Wawona Tunnel Tree toppled during a snowstorm in 1969 and is now often referred to as the Fallen Tunnel Tree. Another living tunnel tree, the Pioneer Cabin Tree, in the North Grove of Calaveras Big Trees State Park, fell more recently on January 8, 2017. The Dead Giant in Tuolumne Grove was carved after it was already dead in 1878, and the famous Tunnel Log in Giant Forest in Sequoia National Park was also tunneled after it fell in 1937. This makes the California Tunnel Tree the only living sequoia with a human-cut tunnel that you can walk through. Don’t miss that opportunity!
The California Tunnel Tree’s story doesn’t end here, though! This is still a living and growing tree. If you look carefully, you can even find evidence of continuing growth where the tree is trying to heal itself. Please be kind to this ancient tree during your visit so that we will be able to enjoy its majestic presence for many more years to come.
Photographing the Tunnel Tree
Because of its unique structure and proximity to the Grizzly Giant, the California Tunnel Tree is one of the most photographed trees in Yosemite. To capture it best:
- Step back far enough to frame the entire opening as well as some of the towering trunk above.
- Include people in the frame for a sense of scale—this helps emphasize just how massive the tree really is.
- Visit in morning or late afternoon light, when the sun filters softly through the grove, creating a warm glow around the tree’s reddish bark.
Staying Nearby at The Redwoods In Yosemite
The Redwoods In Yosemite has so many different comfortable cabins to choose from inside Yosemite National Park.
The Redwoods In Yosemite cabins, located in Wawona, are inside Yosemite National Park and just minutes from the Mariposa Grove. This quiet and peaceful community is the perfect place for a back-to-nature vacation, including nearby hikes, waterfalls, summer swimming spots, and convenient access to other Yosemite National Park destinations.
With fully equipped kitchens, forest views, and other delightful amenities, these cabin rentals provide the perfect base for Yosemite adventures.
Whether you’re planning a family trip, a romantic getaway, or a gathering with friends, staying at The Redwoods In Yosemite means you’ll have more time to experience Yosemite’s timeless wonders—like the California Tunnel Tree.
