Bike Tree of Vashon Island: What’s the Story of the Tree Bicycle in Washington?

A viral photo on social media sites shows a bike embedded in a tree in Vashon Island, located in Washington state’s Puget Sound, with some wondering if it’s real or fake.

The photos are real. The tree essentially “ate” the bike over time, and it’s become a popular tourist destination.

However, the description of the bike is not accurate.

“A boy left his bike chained to a tree when he went away to war in 1914. He never returned, leaving the tree no choice but to grow around the bike. Incredible that this bike has been there for 98 years now!” the viral description says. It’s not true.

KOMO News reported that the bike was simply left behind in the mid-1950s by a local who abandoned it.