00:31 Iconic Tree Falls in N. California Storm The iconic “Pioneer Cabin” giant sequoia tree in Northern California, famous for a 19th century tunnel hacked through its base, falls in a winter storm.

At a Glance One of California's most iconic sequoia trees is toppled by a storm.

The trees in northern California's Calaveras Big Trees State Park are estimated to be more than 1,000 years old.

One of northern California's most iconic and beloved big sequoia trees has sadly been toppled by a storm.

The "tunnel tree," so named for the tunnel that had been carved into its broad base 137 years ago , was located in the Calaveras Big Trees State Park, according to The Los Angeles Times.

"We lost an old friend today," wrote Calaveras County resident Jim Allday, who posted a picture of the tree known as the Pioneer Cabin Tree on his Facebook page Sunday.

According to NBC News, the sequoia's trunk was hollowed out in the 1880s to compete with similar trees in Yosemite National Park.

Back in the day, visitors could drive through the tree, but more recently, it was saved primarily for hikers traversing a 1.5-mile loop.

The trees in the state park are estimated to be more than 1,000 years old, reports the Los Angeles Times.

"This iconic and still living tree — the tunnel tree — enchanted many visitors. The storm was just too much for it," the Calaveras Big Trees Association said on its Facebook page .

The park was memorialized by the famed naturalist John Muir, who once described the park as "a flowering glade in the very heart of the woods, forming a fine center for the student, and a delicious resting place for the weary."

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