Tucked In California's White Mountains Is The World's Oldest Known Tree In A Wildly Unique, Surreal Environment

Within California's White Mountains, one of North America's largest and tallest desert mountain ranges, lies the Inyo National Forest near the California-Nevada border. Moving farther within the Inyo National Forest is the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, a vast terrain uninhabitable to most life. But going even farther, deep in the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, lies a natural phenomenon and one of the world's oldest living things: a pine tree named Methuselah.

This Great Basin bristlecone pine tree (Pinus longaeva), is named after Methuselah from the Hebrew Bible, who is said to have lived for 969 years. However, California's tree is older. Surviving over 4,850 years, this California pine is the world's oldest known tree to be discovered so far, with active research being conducted nearby to find more seasoned trees. Similar to California's ancient coastal sequoioideae at Big Basin Redwood State Park, Methuselah's age was recorded using tree-ring data, and shows evidence of enduring a myriad of weather conditions and climate changes. These harsh environments are exactly what's kept the tree alive for so long, as Pinus longaeva grow slowly, and thrive in short seasons, extreme cold, dry soils, and high winds. Methuselah's iconic swirling branches are the result of thousands of years of alpine gales, giving the tree a windswept look.

Methuselah began germinating during the Middle Holocene period, when the local indigenous people were hunter-gatherers, Stonehenge was only about 200 years old, and the Pyramids of Giza were a while away from being built. Dendrochronologist Edmund Schulman discovered the tree in the 1950s, but Great Basin bristlecone pines have been celebrated in Native American culture long before the scientist tested Methuselah's multitudinous rings.

Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest is located in the Inyo National Forest which consists of four sections governed by different ranger offices: Mono Lake, Mammoth, Mount Whitney, and White Mountain. To access the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest Visitor Center at Schulman Grove, take the route to Inyo National Forest via White Mountain Road, just a few miles west of the California-Nevada border. The forest is open seven day a week, May to September, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., but closes during federal holidays.

Within Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest is Methuselah Walk — a self-guided 4.5-mile trail among the ancient trees. However, the world's oldest tree, Methuselah, is actually a secret among rangers in order to protect the tree from vandalism and unintentional harm by tourists. While hikers are welcome to view all trees, the exact location of Methuselah is a mystery to the public. Regardless, being surrounded by these sculpture-like pines that reach up to 52 feet high, and knowing they've survived rough climates over thousands of years, is enough to be in awe during the hike. The trail is considered moderate with an elevation of 800 feet, and dogs on leashes are allowed. The visitor center at Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest is wheelchair accessible, which boasts views of the ancient trees from the center's deck.

Furthermore, understanding the forest's rules is important before visiting. While many recreational activities are permitted, including camping, hiking, fishing, picnics, and horseback riding, some national parks and forests enforce strict land protection policies, like Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks' "No Shortcuts" rule to protect fragile terrain — a rule that Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest also enforces.