Standing like a sentinel, battered and pounded by Pacific storms as they move eastward across California the Lone Cypress was once part of a large forest of Monterey cypress trees which lined the coast of central California but are now limited to two small groves near Monterey and Carmel. This famous 250 year old icon of California stands rooted in to a surf pounded rock and has even survived an arson attempt which prompted the Pacific Beach Golf Club to build a small wall around the exposed roots and install support cables to keep the tree from falling during high winds. Under normal conditions the Monterey cypress can grow to 80 feet however The Lone Cypress stands only 25 feet tall due to the harsh conditions. The tree is a popular photographic location and has been filmed by Ansel Adams and Edward Weston.