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Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
17 reviews for Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest
17 reviews in English
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Review from Kara V.
3/29/2012
This place is a must see if you are in the area. The drive to the top of the White Mountains is pretty steep and long, but the views are so worth it. There are a few marked trails that have signs along the way you can read all about what you're looking at. The trail is about 5 miles to do the whole thing. Here in an unmarked location, is the oldest living thing on the planet, like over 2000 years old. Its not marked, cause that all we need is some Yahoo carving their names into it. My BF was on a field trip back in college and the instructor was one of the researchers up there and showed the tree...so he showed me and now I know. Its not the biggest of all the trees. The landscape looks like another planet. There is a visitor center at the parking lot. Just make sure you have good brakes for the trip down.
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Review from Jim T.
Sacramento, CA
5/10/2012 3 photos
I was in the Bishop area for business and didn't have time to hike much in the grove(s), but plan to return some day. It's well worth it, especially if you like a sense of mountain isolation, high above the surrounding valleys. The desert scenery is wide-open and unstoppable. It was very quiet on the windless day I was there.
Others have described the nature aspect very well, so I'll add some pragmatic details.
Regarding route 168 from Big Pine, the "one lane road" through Westgard Pass is not much of an issue (though I'd be wary at night). The sign on the west side of the pass should more specific about the shortness of that stretch through the narrow pass walls. The uninformed could get the impression that 168 is one lane from there on out, but that section is about 600 feet long, and wide enough to handle two normal vehicles with caution. I'm sure it's caused some crashes, though. There was a fatal crash somewhere on 168 in May 1990 when a poorly maintained bus lost its brakes.
Also, watch out for an unexpected dip (almost a hidden cliff) as you round a sharp right corner heading east before the pass. Another dip on that stretch of 168 has a warning sign, but oddly they didn't think this turn/drop section was a hazard. It seems prime for a crash if someone drives over it too fast and keeps heading straight.
I went on a weekday morning in early May 2012 and only saw one other vehicle on White Mountain Road. Make sure your brakes and transmission are sound for the downhill return. It's one of those roads where tailgaters could be a real hassle. As of my visit they had largely rebuilt the arson-torched Schulman visitor center, but you could still reach the trails with no apparent restrictions.
I wouldn't want to be up in that thin air on a hot summer day, assuming summer is when most tourists come. That road isn't plowed in winter, so you're at the mercy of snow. I'd go there shortly after the snow melts or before it comes again - and it's not too cold. It has a "roof of the world" feeling and the weather must get extreme. -
Review from Jenn C.
1/21/2012
Visit the ranger center and visit the trees in the park a short drive beyond Bishop - it's beautiful and very peaceful. The views are awesome and it's a "must" see type of place for nature lovers.
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Review from Kim S.
San Pedro, CA
10/23/2007
The Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest is a part of the larger Inyo National Forest, administered from Bishop. The Bristlecone Pine part is about 25 miles east of Big Pine, and is a separate (and protected) entity.
Why go here, a bit off the road if you are traversing US-395?
Bristlecone Pines are found only in the western US, and the ones in this forest are THE OLDEST LIVING THINGS ON EARTH. That's right -- some over 3,000 (not a typo) years old.
The other reason is that the trip up to forest, at over 10,000 feet altitude in the White Mountain range, is simply spectacular.
The visitors' center is nice, but to gain the real impact of being here, bring your hiking shoes. And everything else. There is literally nothing on this mountain except trees -- no food, no gas, not even phones. But it is an adventure not to be missed. -
Review from Teresa F.
9/24/2010
Just to be clear, the address in Bishop is a forest service visitor center. The actual Bristlecone pines are about 45 minutes to an hour away from Bishop.
Stopping by the FS visitor center is a good start. Check the weather and make sure you bring water, food, and sun screen. Schulman Grove is at about 9,000 ft. above sea level. That means the sun is more intense, weather changes quickly, and it's dry! Just be prepared and you'll have a great time! -
Review from Winston C.
Redwood City, CA
7/9/2009 3 photos
Some of the oldest trees, or single living things for that matter, are found in the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest. Some of the Bristlecone Pines growing here are over 4000 years old. They were alive when the Egyptians were constructing the pyramids. And they've continued to live through the rise and fall of so many empires. Just chilling in the White Mountains while history rolls on.
Schulman Grove, around 10,000' elevation, contains some of the oldest trees identified my Dr. Schulman. However, to prevent vandalism, the oldest tree, Methuseleh, is not identified.
If you continue on past Schulman Grove, you can drive up an unpaved road, which is in pretty good condition for the most part, up to Patriarch Grove. I think the Bristlecone Pines up in Partriarch Grove are more photogenic, partly because the trees here are less crowded. One reason for this is that Patriarch Grove is at around 11,200' elevation, which is near the limit of the Bristlecone Pine's range. You can also see the largest Bristlecone Pine here, called the Patriarch.
I ended up hiking all the trails in both groves, and spent additional time trying to find likely Methuselah candidates, so about 8 miles in all. The trails are not difficult and are suitable for families. Longest trail is a little over 4 miles. -
Review from Mariah C.
Long Beach, CA
12/22/2008
That's awful news about the visiting center, it was very nice.
This is an amazing site. Everyone must go. It's a great hike. It's just beautiful. -
Review from Patrick Y.
Orange, CA
9/3/2009
California is home to a number of superlatives. The tallest mountain in the continuous 48 states is Mt. Whitney (on the other side of the valley from the bristlecones), the world's largest living thing is the General Sherman sequoia (on the other side of the Sierra Nevada Range on the other side of the valley from the bristlecones), the lowest spot in the western hemisphere (on the other side of the White Mountains from the bristlecones) all call California their home. Well, if they could talk they would, anyway. So why not see the world's oldest living creatures-- the bristlecone pines?
To get there head up CA 168 east out of Big Pine all the way up to White Mountain Road, hang a left, and follow up to the Schulman Grove. It's about 22 miles from I-395 in Big Pine, and it takes about 45 minutes to an hour in decent weather. CA 168 gets really narrow in parts, so take your time and drive safely.
The Schulman Grove visitor center has been replaced temporarily with a trailer. There you can pay the day use fee, buy souvenirs, and watch an informative video. Near the trailer is a loop trail that will take you through the forest. It's usually dry in the summer, even if it's not very hot at 10,500 feet, so bring water. If you're anemic, you may want to bring oxygen or walk very slowly.
Unless you're used to the high altitude, take your time on the walk. Enjoy watching the stately trees and observing the squirrels trying to steal a piece of fruit one of your fellow visitors carelessly left sitting on a bench. Just think about all the things that have happened over the past few thousand years as the trees slowly grew in this harsh environment. Wooowww-- I just blew my mind!
If you want to take the "short cut" into Bishop via Silver Canyon Road, make sure you're driving a 4WD vehicle with decent clearance. There are a number of "FOUR WHEEL DRIVE VEHICLE ONLY" signs on the road, and you'll find they're not there for decoration. We only had an AWD Subaru Outback, and some parts of the road/trail were pretty hairy. At least we got to see some big horn sheep on the side of the road on the way down. If I'd have known better I probably would have taken CA 168 back to Big Pine and the 395 up to Bishop. Live and learn, eh? -
Review from Terri B.
Orange County, CA
9/2/2010
The Bristlecone Pines are another California treasure. Having been several times as a kid, I wanted my family to experience these amazing trees, so off we go.
Taking Hwy 168 out of Big Pine within 45 minutes to an hour we are parking at the Schulman Grove visitor's center. The road has many twists and turns and narrows to one lane at one point, so drive safely.
As soon as we arrive we are greeted by two happy and friendly ranger's, you can see why they love their job, I would too with views like this. We start our visit with a ranger talk about the trees, their growing and life history and then we set off for a hike. As other's have mentioned, if you are not use to the altitude of the White Mountains or Sierra's take it slow and steady with a bottle of water.
We take the Discovery trail and it was great, offering amazing views and lots of Bristlecone's. Back at the visitor's center I get to talking with one of the ranger's, he looked so familiar and low and behold he was a teacher at my middle school in Bishop. He is now retired, and working part-time in the Bristlecone Pines. He does an excellent job of answering questions and teaching various demonstrations. We were able to participate in one of the demo's they were offering, Dendrochronology. Unfortunately, a year or so ago an arsonist decided to burn down the beautiful visitor's center, scorching a few of the trees around where this center once stood. They are now using those trees to show visitor's how to use a tool that drills a very small hole into a bristlecone and when extracted it pulls a sample of the interior of the tree about 4 inches long and the diameter of a pencil. From this sample they let it dry, sand it, varnish it and you can distinctly see the growth ring pattern. This allows scientists to determine the history and age of the tree. A great opportunity for children, as they let each person attending the lecture take a turn on the Dendrochronology tool.
The day in the Bristlecone's was amazing! -
Review from Ann L.
Updated - 9/15/2008
So sad! Schulman Visitor Center burned to the ground on Thurs 9/4/08, just a few days after we visited it. Awful news.
Listed in: places to hike
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9/2/2008
We hiked the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest in Bishop to get acclimated for our White Mountain… Read more »
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Review from Steve s.
2/24/2009
a true treasure, y'all need to see this area. bummed about the VC, hope volunteer donations can get this repaired. MORE than worth the side trip if you're in the vicinity of Bishop & can spend a day out & about.
Listed in: Bishop
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Review from Moonridge Y.
Ontario, CA
9/1/2009
The whole area of the White Mountains is just so cool and it's a darn shame that the visitors center burned down - I love going in there to just browse around. These Bristlecone pine trees are old - downright ancient! Everybody needs to see these magnificent trees.
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Review from Greg R.
Apple Valley, CA
7/14/2011
I don't know what I was expecting, but it wasn't this. Take your camera, but be aware that you will not be able to capture the beauty of these trees ... you must see them for yourself. Because they are still rebuilding the visitor center, we did the Discovery Walk (about a mile), and between the trees, the views, and the signage, we got a complete appreciation of this area. Even the drive up and back was spectacular, especially the "scenic point" where you can hike a few yards and see an amazing panorama of the eastern Sierras and Owens Valley.
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Review from Jennifer J.
Simi Valley, CA
10/26/2008
This is definitely a must stop for outdoor/nature lover's or anyone that wants to be awed by something that's been around since ancient times. As stated in other reviews, many trees are over 3,000 years old. And they're still alive. Very impressive. The old ones almost appear to be dead trunks but the little green tufts tell you there's still life yet in those limbs. The dicovery trail is the way to go if you have not acclaimated to the +10,000 feet altitude. It's a 1 mile loop across some fine examples of the forest with a nice view of the Owen's Valley at the top of the trail.
It is really a shame the visitor center burned down. Very suspicious. The good news is none of the trees were lost.
Be sure to bring lots of water. The dry air and altitude can make you dehydrated and there's no potable water at the trailhead. -
Review from Travel F.
West Palm Beach, FL
6/27/2011
The awe-inspiring views and photogenic trees are totally worth the long, winding drive. My hour-long hike on a largely deserted trail was one of those sublime experiences that you hope your vacation is packed with. Would return in a heartbeat, hopefully when the road to Patriarch Grove is open.
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Review from David M.
Culver City, CA
6/25/2010
Beyond the Schulman and Patriarch interpretive centers, these White Mountains have under-appreciated hiking possibilities. Western slopes out of Owens Vally are basically a wall rising as much as 10,000 feet. Over on the Nevada side, slopes aren't so severe and a number of canyons -- actually glacial cirques -- lead into the range. Most of these have rough roads that can be driven fairly far in a 4x4 or even a 4x2 with some clearance.
Most of the terrain is less rugged than in the Sierras, so you can hike up to the crest even if there isn't a formal trail. There are streams in those canyons. Up on the crest, there are improbable streams in the saddle about midway between White Mountain Peak and Dubois, and most years there are snow patches lasting through the summer above 12,500' or so. Nevertheless the crest is pretty rugged between White Mountain Peak and its neighbor just to the north, then again between Montgomery Peak and the 12,000' pass north of it. The range traverse is doable, but there are a few spots where you really should be roped and belayed. -
Review from Paul L.
1/4/2009 8 photos
A vibrant and hefty wood-log visitor center burned to the ground here in September 2008. It appeared rather new and one would've expected the structure to stand for many years. Juxtapose that mental image with the trees of the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest which surround the former center and are over 3,000 years old. Indeed, one tree, the aptly-name Methusaleh Tree, is over 4,750 years old. Of course, no one will tell you which tree it is and you probably wouldn't recognize it if you stood in front of it. None of that really matters, though. The Methusaleh Trail, a long winding trail that takes you over a mountain and exposes you to sterling vistas, will guide you through groves of seemingly dead and twisted trees that are actually alive and, indeed, the oldest living things on the planet. The maxim that it's better to look good than to feel good does not apply to these trees, some of which appear as no more than standing pieces of firewood.
