Wawona Tree

The Wawona Tree, a giant sequoia in Yosemite’s Mariposa Grove, became one of California’s most famous tunnel trees after a fire scar was enlarged in 1881 to create a tourist attraction. Standing 227 feet tall and 26 feet across at the base, it drew generations of visitors who posed in or drove through the opening, especially as automobile tourism expanded in the national parks after 1916. About 2,300 years old, the tree fell under heavy snow in February 1969 and was left in place largely for ecological reasons. Its story reflects both Yosemite’s tourism history and the damage once done in promoting scenic spectacle.

California · United States