Tree of Life

The tree grew at the edge of the coastal bluff. As the bank wore away, its roots were left bridging the gap above a small hollow. One estimate puts the spruce at roughly 100 to 150 years old; its unusual shape comes from erosion, not from an ancient or deliberately shaped tree.

In the 1960s, a campground culvert redirected water toward the shore, and the flow helped cut a channel beneath the tree. The coastline keeps changing here, so older photos may not match the tree you find now.

From the Kalaloch campground beach stairs, walk about 50 yards along the sand to the tree. Visitors report steep, worn stairs and driftwood on the approach, so expect an awkward descent and uneven footing; this is not a level-access stop. The tree works best as a brief stop during a Kalaloch beach visit rather than a destination on its own.

The exposed roots and bluff hollow are the close-up. Walk farther along the beach and look back for the tree’s bent shape against the shore; that wider view shows the scale of the erosion better than a shot from directly beneath the roots.