The Tree of Life Is Falling Down

“You won’t find the Tree of Life in a proper guidebook, or a scholarly history of the Olympic Peninsula,” writes Allison Williams. “You’ll see it on Facebook, on Instagram, or maybe a TikTok video filmed under tree roots that dangle in the air.” This feature, originally published in the winter 2023 issue of Seattle Met, celebrates a Sitka spruce tree that has become one of the Olympic Peninsula’s most popular attractions. It sits on a bluff—although “sits” is not really accurate—overlooking the Pacific on the Washington coast. What is its origin story? How much longer will it rest in the canyon that had formed? (Editor’s note: I searched for a recent mention of the tree on the internet; a Reddit thread from June 2025 seems to confirm it’s still there.)

One thing park staff won’t do is try to prop up the tree, shove more earth underneath it, or make the miracle last any longer than it otherwise would. Sitka spruce have remarkable elasticity, says Coles, but “we’ll let what passes for nature take its course.” Personally, she wouldn’t stand beneath it.

Whether it’s a slow, groaning curtsy to the ground or a sudden collapse can’t be predicted, especially given the tree’s singular and artificial situation. A big gale off the Pacific might do it, or a heavy wet snowstorm. “Hopefully not a football team climbing all over it,” says Zipp. Its incongruity is what makes the tree such a powerful symbol; it seems impervious to what passes for nature.