Lone Cypress | Pebble Beach, California - Atlas Obscura
Places near me Random place

Lone Cypress

Pebble Beach, California

This lonesome Monterey cypress has survived centuries of wind, salt, and at least one attempt at arson. 

View all photos
253
118
Top Places in California
Necromance
Los Angeles, California
Lookout Mountain Airforce Station
Los Angeles, California
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
La Cañada Flintridge, California
 See All
This entry is a stub
Help improve Atlas Obscura by expanding Lone Cypress with additional information or photos.

Standing on a granite hillside off California’s scenic 17-mile drive in Pebble Beach, the Lone Cypress is a western icon. It has been called one of the most photographed trees in North America.

The Monterey cypress (Cupressus macrocarpa) looks out over Carmel Bay. Though its age is unknown, it is believed to have stood at this spot for at least 250 years. Centuries of wind and salt spray have taken a toll on the tree, but with the help of a retaining wall and cable supports, it remains standing. It even survived an arson attempt in the 1980s.

flora trees plants
Community Contributors
r
Added by
reverend archbishop
r
coljay72
Edited by
rabmsn, coljay72
Published
July 12, 2023
Edit this listing
Make an Edit Add Photos
Nearby
Ghost Trees of Pescadero Point
0.96 miles
Tor House and Hawk Tower
2.63 miles
Lester Rowntree Native Plant Garden
3.04 miles
Want to see fewer ads? Become a Member.
Near This Place
Pescadero Point
Del Monte Forest, California

Ghost Trees of Pescadero Point

Haunting and beautiful trees, doomed to die.
Carmel-by-the-Sea, California

Tor House and Hawk Tower

One poet's handmade, anachronistic home.
Carmel-by-the-Sea, California

Lester Rowntree Native Plant Garden

Named for a self-taught botanist who cataloged hundreds of native plants, this garden continues her work of preserving California plant life.
Whalers Cabin in Point Lobos State Reserve.
Carmel-by-the-Sea, California

Whalers Cabin Museum

This cabin from the 1850s is one of the first structures built by Chinese immigrants in California.
Related Places
Tulare County, California

Mark Twain Stump

The last remnant of a tree that helped prove to the world that sequoias are real—and they're spectacular.
Much Marcle, England

Much Marcle Ancient Yew

One of the oldest and most majestic living trees in Britain, thought to be over 1,500 years old.
Cedar Crest, New Mexico

Sandia Medallion Trees

Mysterious markers have been giving the public a lesson in dendrochronology for over a century.
Orihuela, Spain

Palmeral of Orihuela

The second largest palm grove in Europe was planted during Moorish times and has been largely unchanged since then.
In partnership with KAYAK

Plan Your Trip

From Around the Web