The Lone Cypress is a famous landmark on California’s 17 Mile Drive in Monterey.
With what seems to be a tenuous hold on a granite headland overlooking Carmel Bay, California, the Lone Cypress is believed to be around 250 years old. The Cupressus macrocarpa has survived centuries of Pacific winds and salt spray, and is one of America’s most photographed trees.
A stone retaining wall was constructed around its base in 1941 to protect its root system from erosion, and cables were installed in 1948 for support. The tree was fenced off from the public in 1969, and in 1984 an arson attack left the Lone Pine scarred, but undaunted.
A storm in 2019 removed a branch, noticeably altering the tree’s appearance, but it remains a favourite postcard subject and a major tourist attraction.