If you think your vehicle can’t fit through this drive thru tree, it probably can’t.
One of the few remaining drive thru trees in California’s suffered a bit more damage at the hands of a non-thinking tourist.
TikTok user @OCLaguna999 was at the Shrine Drive Thru tree located off of the Avenue of the Giants scenic highway drive earlier this July 4th weekend when she observed tourists in a rental Nissan Armada damage their rental and the tree itself squeezing through when, clearly, they were too wide to begin with.
Check out her video below. In case the video below goes down, we’ve got a mirror linked here.
@oclaguna999 #redwoodforest #avenueofthegiants This was today! that sucks! #fyp ♬ original sound – MsOC
This drive thru tree is in Myers Flat, CA off of the Avenue of the Giants (exact location on Google Maps linked here.)
As mentioned, this is one of the few remaining drive thru trees in the Golden State.
According to Famous Redwoods, the Shrine Drive Thru Tree is 7 feet wide making it a tad wider than some other drive through trees like the Chandelier Tree at 6 feet wide.
Although it may be a bit wider, reading through the Google Maps Reviews of this tree, there are several reviews cautioning drivers that mid to full size SUVs, including some trucks and vans, will find it difficult to squeeze through.
Many reviews caution wide vehicle drivers to not drive through, at all.
And, if they do, to have a spotter (someone on the other side guiding them through.)
Out of the tree drive through tree’s bloggers from The Whole World is a Playground drove through, they say the Shrine Drive Thru Tree is the narrowest of them all.
“The Shrine Drive Thru Tree was the narrowed tree to drive through and larger vehicles may have trouble fitting due to how the tree is sitting and the downward sloping road that goes through it.”
And, as the FAQ on the Chandelier Drive Thru tree explains,
“The tree is still a thriving, living, growing entity that’s affected daily by weather conditions and swelling/contraction due to moisture. The hole’s width & height can differentiate by a few inches on any given day!“
It’s probably why no exact width is listed on the sign before you enter either tree.
Your SUV might fit through a few days after a soaking rain but, come in the middle of a drought and the tree, contracted and shrunk from the lack of water, might be too narrow then.
As OCLaguna999’s video shows, this tourist decided to just send it, no spotter necessary.
According to Edmunds, the Nissan Armada is 79.9 inches wide without mirrors which, at 6.65 feet, is technically narrow enough to squeeze through.
This tourist probably kept his mirrors open to see if he had room on the side but, ironically, opening the mirrors likely added between 1.5-2 whole feet to the vehicle’s total width, making his rental too wide for the tree.
But, what does he care?
This is the last time he’ll probably ever come there, and it’s not his car anyway.
For tourists and visitors to these drive through trees, if you think you can’t squeeze through, you probably can’t, but, if you do decide to chance it, get someone on the other side to spot you.
