The Hollow Tree of Stanley Park
In Stanley Park, Vancouver's beloved urban forest, stands a dead tree held up by steel cables. The Hollow Tree is approximately 1,000 years old, a Western red cedar that died and began hollowing centuries before Europeans arrived. By the early 1900s, it was famous - tourists posed inside the hollow trunk, horse-drawn carriages drove through it, photographs circulated worldwide. When a 2006 windstorm knocked the tree over, city officials planned removal. Vancouverites revolted. A private fundraising campaign raised $150,000 to right the tree and secure it with steel supports. The Hollow Tree stands today, a dead stump in a metal harness, because a city couldn't let go of its most photographed landmark. It's a monument to Vancouver's relationship with its ancient forests - and to the human inability to accept natural decay.
The Tree
The Hollow Tree is a Western red cedar (Thuja plicata), estimated to be over 1,000 years old. It died centuries ago - the exact date is unknown - and slowly hollowed as the heartwood decayed while the outer shell remained. By the time Stanley Park was established in 1888, the tree was already a landmark. The hollow interior is large enough to accommodate people, horses, and later automobiles. The tree stands roughly 40 feet tall, though it was taller before storms took their toll. Western red cedars are culturally significant to Coast Salish peoples, used for canoes, longhouses, and totem poles. The Hollow Tree predates Vancouver by approximately 900 years.
The Tourism
The Hollow Tree became Vancouver's most photographed site almost immediately after the city's founding. Victorian tourists posed inside the hollow. Horse-drawn carriages drove through it for photographs. As automobiles arrived, cars replaced horses in the famous drive-through pose. Postcards featuring the Hollow Tree circulated worldwide. It appeared in tourist brochures, visitor guides, and countless family photo albums. For much of the 20th century, no visit to Vancouver was complete without a Hollow Tree photograph. The tree was so synonymous with Stanley Park that removing it seemed unthinkable - until nature intervened.
The Fall
On December 15, 2006, a severe windstorm struck Vancouver. The Hollow Tree, weakened by age and rot, fell. The Park Board announced plans to remove it - the tree was dead, a safety hazard, and no longer standing naturally. Public reaction was swift and negative. The Hollow Tree represented Vancouver's identity, its connection to ancient forests, and over a century of shared memory. A group called 'Stanley Park Hollow Tree Conservation Society' formed. Private donors pledged money. The debate became heated: was the tree a safety hazard or a heritage landmark? Could you preserve something that was essentially already dead?
The Restoration
In 2009, after $154,000 in private donations, the Hollow Tree was righted and secured with steel cables and supports. The restoration was controversial - purists argued that propping up a dead tree violated principles of natural park management. Supporters countered that Stanley Park was never fully 'natural' and that the Hollow Tree's cultural significance justified intervention. The tree now stands anchored to concrete foundations, held in place by metal cables. It will never grow, never change except to decay. But it stands - a zombie tree, beloved and artificial, monument to a city's refusal to let nature take its course.
Visiting the Hollow Tree
The Hollow Tree is located on Stanley Park Drive, approximately 2 kilometers west of the park entrance. It's accessible by foot, bicycle, or car via the park's one-way road. There's limited parking nearby. The tree is fenced to prevent climbing but remains photographable. Stanley Park's seawall, aquarium, and totems are nearby. Downtown Vancouver is a 15-minute walk from the park entrance. Vancouver International Airport is 14 kilometers south. The park is accessible by bus and bicycle. The Hollow Tree is best viewed in combination with a full Stanley Park visit - the seawall loop is 10 kilometers. The tree is visible year-round; photographs show the skeletal structure best in winter.
From the Air
Located at 49.30°N, 123.15°W in Stanley Park, Vancouver, British Columbia. From altitude, Stanley Park is unmistakable - a forested peninsula jutting into Burrard Inlet and English Bay. The Hollow Tree is not individually visible but is located along Stanley Park Drive on the park's south side. Downtown Vancouver's glass towers rise immediately east of the park. Lions Gate Bridge crosses to the North Shore. The Coast Mountains are visible to the north. Vancouver International Airport is on Sea Island to the south. Stanley Park's dark green forest contrasts sharply with the surrounding urban development - 1,000 acres of ancient trees surrounded by one of North America's densest cities.