ARNOLD, Calif. — Fans are mourning a giant sequoia in California that’s famous for a “drive-thru” hole carved into its trunk after a massive storm toppled the mighty tree.
The tree shattered when it went down Sunday, Calaveras Big Trees State Park volunteer Jim Allday said.
“It was majestic,” he said. “Now it’s basically a pile of rubble.”
A tunnel was carved into the tree’s trunk in the 1880s to allow tourists to pass through, though it weakened the giant. The tunnel had allowed cars to pass, but only pedestrians could crossed in recent decades.
The largest tree species in the world, sequoias can reach diameters up to 27 feet and have shallow root systems that make them vulnerable to toppling.
