Fish Camp in Mariposa County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)
The Surviving Tunnel Tree
Photographed By Allen C. Browne, June 2, 2015
1. The Surviving Tunnel Tree Marker
Walk through this living tree and look for evidence of it healing itself. Bark of this sequoia is growing inward in an attempt to close over its wound — the large tunnel carved in 1895. Thought to have served as a lower elevation winter replacement for the more famous Wawona Tunnel Tree, this tree became the second to be tunneled in this grove.
The Wawona Tunnel tree fell in 1969 after serving as a portal to the past for over 75 years. Although weakened, the California Tunnel Tree survives today and offers us a glimpse into early tourism promotion and transportation. Both trees were helpful in publicizing the Mariposa Grove and promoting its inclusion into Yosemite National Park in 1906.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Horticulture & Forestry • Parks & Recreational Areas • Roads & Vehicles. In addition, it is included in the Historic Trees series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1895.
Location. 37° 30.206′ N, 119° 36.514′ W. Marker is in Fish Camp, California, in Mariposa County. Marker is on Mariposa Grove Road. In the Mariposa Grove, Yosemite National Park. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Fish Camp CA 93623, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 9 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Celebrating the Mariposa Grove (about 400 feet away, measured
this page online
Also see . . . Frequently Asked Questions, Tunnel Tree. "Why not cut a new tunnel tree?" many visitors suggest, when they discover that the Wawona Tree can no longer be driven through. Times change, however, and actions proper for one generation may not fit the needs and goals of a succeeding generation. Our expectations of national parks have changed immensely during the past half century. When our national parks were young, cutting tunnels through sequoia trees was a way to popularize the parks and gain support for their protection. In those early days, national parks usually were managed to protect individual features rather than to protect the integrity of the complete environment. Today, we realize
Stereograph View by Underwood & Underwood, July 18, 1903
2. President Roosevelt amid "Nature's Wonders" - driving through Wawona, Big Trees of California
Roosevelt is the one standing in the rear of the car.
Before the cars came, driving through the Wawona Tunnel tree with horse-drawn wagons was popular. Note the wagon wheel ruts in front of the wagon. (Image courtesy of the Library of Congress.)
Before the cars came, driving through the Wawona Tunnel tree with horse-drawn wagons was popular. Note the wagon wheel ruts in front of the wagon. (Image courtesy of the Library of Congress.)
circa 1908
3. Big Trees of the West - Wawona (Diameter 27 ft.)
...And then came the cars. Note there is much more soil surrounding the tree in this picture than in Picture No. 5.
Photographed By Allen C. Browne, June 5, 2015
4. Wawona Tunnel Tree
circa 1952
5. The Wawona Tunnel Tree - Historical Postcard View
The tunnel through Yosemite's famous Wawona Tree was cut in 1881 as a tourist attraction. It was the second standing sequoia to be tunneled (the first, a dead tree, still stands in the Tuolumne Grove in Yosemite). The Wawona Tree stood for 88 summers before it fell during the severe winter of 1968-69. Factors leading to its failure include heavy snow, wet soil, and, of course, the weakening effect of the tunnel. When it fell, the Wawona Tree was approximately 2,100 years old, 234 feet high (71.3 meters), and 26 feet in diameter at the base (7.9 meters). The famous tunnel was 7 feet wide, 9 feet high and 26 feet long at the base (2.1 meters by 2.7 meters by 7.9 meters). - National Park Service, "Frequently Asked Questions, Tunnel Tree"
Photographed By Allen C. Browne, June 2, 2015
6. California Tunnel Tree
Park ranger and passenger driving a government vehicle through the California Tunnel Tree c. 1920s. Notice the tree's name nailed to the tree above the tunnel.Close-up of photo on marker
Photographed By Allen C. Browne, June 2, 2015
7. California Tunnel Tree
Photographed By Allen C. Browne, June 2, 2015
8. California Tunnel Tree
Photographed By Allen C. Browne, June 2, 2015
9. California Tunnel Tree
Credits. This page was last revised on August 17, 2020. It was originally submitted on June 9, 2015, by Allen C. Browne of Silver Spring, Maryland. This page has been viewed 1,249 times since then and 59 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on June 9, 2015, by Allen C. Browne of Silver Spring, Maryland. 2, 3. submitted on June 18, 2015. 4. submitted on June 9, 2015, by Allen C. Browne of Silver Spring, Maryland. 5. submitted on June 18, 2015. 6, 7, 8, 9. submitted on June 9, 2015, by Allen C. Browne of Silver Spring, Maryland. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.
