Decay Hits Beloved Oregon Coast Tree, Now the Newport Icon Must Be Cut Down

Published 03/28/25 at 7:35 p.m.
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection Staff

(Newport, Oregon) – One of the Oregon coast's more beloved iconic trees has to come down after it was determined decay was making it a hazard. (Photo Oregon Coast Beach Connection)

The Sikta Spruce known as Newport's Yaquina Bay Tree stands in the middle of the road at Yaquina Bay State Recreation Site, overlooking the north jetty and beneath the gaze of the lighthouse. Now, say Oregon officials, it's too ill to stand, but Oregon State Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD) said they will be gathering memories from the community before they cut it down.

Sitting in a traffic island that divides the lanes, it's been a familiar coastal shape for decades. The road through was built around it.

Park Manager Burke Martin said it was a difficult decision to make. OPRD realizes its importance; its status of being iconic.

OPRD photo

“[It] has become a friend to us all over the years as the gatekeeper to the Yaquina Bay Lighthouse, but we have to balance between the beauty of nature and the safety of our visitors.”

Recognizing the tree’s emotional and historical significance to the community, the park is inviting residents to share memories and ideas on how to honor the tree's legacy. OPRD said submissions will be reviewed, and plans to commemorate the tree will be finalized this spring.

The beginnings of Cape Meares near Oceanside has a history surrounding the Octopus Tree.

An inspection was conducted after a large limb fell during a winter storm, utilizing a resistograph to assess decay pockets within the tree. Results confirmed significant deterioration, posing risks to vehicles and visitors. Park staff have scheduled the removal process for June to ensure public safety.

The park has assured the community that updates on the tree’s removal and commemorative efforts will be provided in the coming months. Whether cut back to create a wildlife-friendly snag or fully removed, the Sitka Spruce's impact on the park and its visitors will not be forgotten, said OPRD. Residents can contribute their thoughts via an online portal provided by the park.

The Sitka spruce is a common sight all over the Oregon coast. It's a towering evergreen conifer, reaches heights of over 100 meters and boasts a trunk diameter at breast height exceeding 5 meters. As the largest of all spruce species, it ranks as the fifth-largest conifer worldwide and holds the distinction of being the third-tallest conifer species.

The Yaquina tree will join another famed Oregon coast Sitka in whatever tree heaven there is. Until 2007, Kootchy Creek near Seaside had the tallest tree in Oregon and it was a famed and legendary attraction. At 750 years old, it had reached 216 feet high at one point, but was trimmed to 200. A series of storms in 2006 and '07 knocked it down.

Currently, the tallest tree in Oregon is at Rockaway Beach Old Growth Cedar Wetlands Preserve, a cedar 154 feet high and 500 to 900 years old.

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Andre' GW Hagestedt is editor, owner and primary photographer / videographer of Oregon Coast Beach Connection, an online publication that sees over 1 million pageviews per month. He is also author of several books about the coast.

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