They Call it the Octopus Tree - Cape Meares State Scenic Viewpoint Tillamook Oregon

Octopus Tree of Oregon
Tillamook, Oregon

LOCATED AT THE CAPE MEARES State Scenic Viewpoint, the oddly-shaped, and even more oddly-named Octopus Tree of Oregon is a massive oddity, in the area, but such trees are more common to the coastal and mountain forests of the Pacific Northwest than most people realize.

The Octopus Tree (also known as the Council Tree, the Monstrosity Tree, and the Candelabra Tree) is believed to be around 250 to 300 years old. The tree itself extends from a central base that is nearly 50 feet around, and instead of shooting straight up with a central trunk, the body of the tree splits into a number of smaller trunks. The bizarre arbor has long been an attraction.


Some believe that the huge Sitka spruce was simply shaped by natural conditions such as extreme weather. However, it was Native Americans in the area who trained the tree into its cage-like assortment of thick vertical trunks. Such trees are common in the Pacific Northwest, and are known as culturally modified trees. Native Americans created the tree to hold canoes with corpses, in a practice known as “tree burial.” Culturally modified trees were also made to mark important places.

The tree is protected as a popular attraction by a short fence and its importance is explained by an informational sign. There are no octopi at the site, but hopefully this weird tree is interesting enough that that won’t be much of a disappointment ( Source Atlas Obscura)

Oregon Diary
8/27
On our first full day there we walked 19,037 steps. Walked to the farmers market where locals had tie-dye and many other locally made items. The temperature was 55° but very nice. We walked through most of Cape Perpetua smelt sand state park until it was lunchtime, we went to a dispensary and I had a local fish sandwich. The sea caves are about half an hour south of Yachats to Florence. It is $18 and has a very cool cave where you can see the Heceta head lighthouse as well as hundreds of seals hanging out on rocks inside the cave after that we went to Thors well where it was low tide, so we didn’t get to see the big explosion of water, but it was still very cool to witness. The temperature had risen to 62° so we took a Hike down the Hobbit trail to Hobbit Beach, a massively breathtaking place. When we got back after a full cloudy day the only day I got to see a sunset peeked through the clouds right as it hit the horizon.
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8/29
Cloudy windy walk on Yachats ‘beach’ looking for more aquatic life. Then relocated north to Pacific City stopping along the way; at a dragon egg shop, Depoe Bay, and Cape Kiwana. Pacific City has giant sand dunes and more sea creatures. The weather was nice and warm, so we spent the whole day on the beach. Anthony climbed the dune mountain. We ate at Pelican Brewing right on the beach
8/30
Drove to Cannon Beach where the final scene in Goonies was shot, it was underwhelming. Just another giant beach and rocks. By day 5 the rocks were just rocks again. Drove all the way to Astoria, the Lewis and Clark Memorial, and the docks across from Washington where we at lunch near the Goondocks. Making our way back we stopped at Cape Meares where we saw the gigantic octopus tree. This was a beautiful forest right on a cliff overlooking the sea. There is a famous short lighthouse and beautiful views that stretch out for miles.
8/31
Rain and relocation, it was appropriate to the day we traveled to Portland it rains.
Rode to Tillamook Creamery in Tillamook, Oregon. Took the tour, and enjoyed some ice cream, this place was bumping for a creamery. Maybe it was the free cheese samples. Then it was off to Portland, the land of the hipsters. Stayed on a 2 street block that had everything including an opera singer in the rafters of a classical bar.

Tags Oregon Road Trip Seal Lion Caves Seal Rock Cannon Beach Cook's Chasm Thor's Well The Hobbit Trail Hobbit Beach Yachat's, Oregon Hwy 101 Pacific Coast highway Pacific City, Oregon Lewis and Clark National Historical Park Bridal Veil Falls Rooster Rock Tillamook, Oregon Tillamook Creamery Harbor Seals Newport Oregon Haceda Head Lighthouse Cape Kiwana Cape Mears Sand Dunes Portland, Oregon Columbia River Gorge Nature PNW Pacific Northwest Cobble Beach Yaquina Head Lighthouse