The lone tree
On a granite headland.
Mike McBey — CC BY 2.0 · Kevin M. Gill — CC BY 2.0 · Kevin M. Gill — CC BY 2.0 · Kingofthedead — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Kevin M. Gill — CC BY 2.0
The Lone Cypress is a Monterey cypress standing alone on a granite headland above Carmel Bay in Pebble Beach, California, about 7 km in a straight line south-west of Monterey. It has become a symbol of the American West and is often called one of the most photographed trees in North America. The tree is believed to have taken root around 1750, though its exact age is unknown. Wind and salt spray have shaped it over the centuries: a stone wall was built around its base in 1941, cables were added to support it in 1948, and it has been fenced off since 1969 to protect its roots. A storm in February 2019 tore off one of its limbs and changed its outline. The tree is one of the stops on 17-Mile Drive, a 27 km scenic road through Pebble Beach and Pacific Grove that hugs the Pacific past rocky coves, golf courses and the 2,100-hectare Del Monte Forest of Monterey cypress. Other stops include Bird Rock, where seabirds and sea lions often gather, and viewpoints over crashing surf and wind-bent trees. Most of the road is privately owned and runs through a gated community, so cars pay a toll at the gate, while cyclists usually enter free. The tree is seen from a fenced platform; morning fog is common, so midday is often clearer for photos.
On a granite headland.
Seabirds and sea lions.
Monterey cypress.
17-Mile Drive, Pebble Beach, California, United States
No, it has been fenced off since 1969.
Cars pay a toll at the gate.