Qualla: The Hollow Tree of Stanley Park

The Hollow Tree of Stanley Park: Introduction

Mon, 12 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Another Believer, CC BY-SA 3.0. 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.

Image: Another Believer | CC BY-SA 3.0

The Hollow Tree of Stanley Park: The Tree

Mon, 12 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Ymblanter, CC BY-SA 4.0. 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 tre...

Image: Ymblanter | CC BY-SA 4.0

The Hollow Tree of Stanley Park: The Tourism

Mon, 12 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Another Believer, CC BY-SA 3.0. 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 pos...

Image: Another Believer | CC BY-SA 3.0

The Hollow Tree of Stanley Park: The Fall

Mon, 12 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Another Believer, CC BY-SA 3.0. 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 r...

Image: Another Believer | CC BY-SA 3.0

The Hollow Tree of Stanley Park: The Restoration

Mon, 12 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Bobanny, Public domain. 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 ...

Image: Bobanny | Public domain

The Hollow Tree of Stanley Park: Visiting the Hollow Tree

Mon, 12 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit bobanny, Public domain. 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...

Image: bobanny | Public domain