On the coast of Olympic National Park, a tree hovers over an empty expanse of air.
Dubbed the “Tree of Life,” this sitka spruce has persevered for decades despite the ground underneath being eroded away.
The sitka spruce is a famously stubborn tree, and their lifespan can extend to 800 years. The Tree of Life is estimated at 100 to 150 years old, but its days may be numbered.
After recent storm surges on the coast the area under the tree has worn away even more. According to the News Tribune, the tree has sunk five feet into the cavity in the previous weeks.
Erosion has been battering both sides of the famous tree for decades. The Pacific Ocean carves at the face of the bluff and a stream runs from directly behind the tree, carrying sediment into the ocean. The stream began as a culvert created in the 1960s to redirect water in a nearby campground. For the past 60 years, water slowly carved the cavern directly under the Tree of Life.
Growing popularity
The Tree of Life has been a landmark in Olympic National Park for years, with its popularity skyrocketing in pace with the growth of the Internet and Instagram. Tourists and photographers have flocked to the unique tree. Despite the majority of its root system reaching into thin air, the tree has remained green and relatively healthy.
Just as the National Park Service doesn’t reinforce precarious arches in Arches National Park, the NPS has no plans to prop up or support the tree, ever determined to let nature take its course.
The recent slump might be the undoing for the tree, but some driftwood logs that were pushed up into the cavity are currently providing a makeshift support for the dangling roots, according to photographer Mathew Nichols.
“It’s been able to overcome all the obstacles thrown its way, natural and human,” Nichols told the News Tribune. “And now, another form of symbolism by resting on these logs. Even if it’s not with your roots, you can still have a support system.”
A symbol of perseverance
“Some people call it a freak of nature… literally,” writes the Kalaloch Lodge on its website. “It’s a glitch; something that isn’t supposed to happen. It isn’t natural for a tree to be alive and well with its roots exposed and holding onto nothing but air. This tree goes against all the rules of science and biology. It shouldn’t be standing. It shouldn’t be alive. And yet, it is!”
People have compared the site of the tree clinging to the cliffside to the motivational “Hang in There!” cat poster. Something about seeing the tree still standing, and still green, despite the odds brings visitors continually coming back for more.
The tree even has a 4.9 star rating on Yelp! One reviewer wrote, “I was not sure what to expect when I went to this beach, and I was just lost for words at the site of this beautiful tree. I guess it’s a testament to all of us to continue trying and giving our all the sake of living life to the fullest.”
Visiting the tree
The Tree of Life is within the Quinault Indian Nation, who named the area Kalaloch, meaning “a good place to land” (in the Quinault language).
Whether you want to admire a rare phenomenon or bask in the metaphor of the persevering tree, the area is very accessible and connected to nearby Kalaloch campground.
To visit the Tree of Life, go to the Kalaloch Campground parking lot and head toward the beach area. There are some primitive steps that will take you to the beach and then the tree is about 25 yards up the beach on the right-hand side.
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