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At first glance, the world's oldest tree may seem to resemble more of a dead tree than a living tree. After living for around 5,000 years, Methuselah is still clinging to life. Methuselah is a Great Basin Bristlecone Pine in the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest of eastern California. Other ancient Bristlecone pines are found in the Great Basin National Park in eastern Nevada (one of America's most underrated national parks).
The United States is home to some of the world's most remarkable trees. The world's tallest tree is believed to be Hyperion - a coastal redwood in the Redwood National Park of Northern California. The largest singular tree is measured to be General Sherman in the Sequoia National Park.
Visiting Methuselah & The Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest
Methuselah is believed to be around 4,854 years old and is found high in the White Mountains of Inyo County in eastern California. It is named after the Methuselah of the Bible, who was claimed to have lived for 969 years (the longest of anyone in the Bible).
- Age: Approx. 4,854 Years Old
- Location: Methuselah Grove of the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, California
Methuselah is around 3,000 meters or 9,800 feet above sea level in the Methuselah Grove of the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest.
If one is thinking of visiting, well, the U.S. Forest Service does not disclose the Methuselah's exact location to protect it. But visitors are permitted to visit the forest. The Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest is normally open seasonally from mid-May to the end of November. Take the time to visit the Patriarch Grove (where the largest Bristlecone lives, called the Patriarch Tree) and the more accessible Schulman grove. It's possible to visit both groves in a single day if one gets an early start.
Hike the Methuselah Grove trail from the visitor center and complete the 4.5-mile-long loop through some of the oldest trees in the world. There are three self-guided trails in this area to explore the ancient forest.
During the summer, visitors can come to the Schulman Grove Visitor Center and enjoy ranger-led interpretive programs at 11.00 am and 2.00 pm. There are programs on the weekends during the spring and fall. The admission fee is $3.00 per person and with a max of $6.00 per car.
There is no camping in the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest itself, but there is camping on the way up at the Grandview Campground.
The Secrets To Bristlecone Pines' Longevity
Bristlecone pines are claimed to be the oldest known living trees (although this is being challenged by research in Chile). They have a number of tricks that help them to survive and reach great ages. One of their techniques is growing in twisted shapes at high altitudes. They also have an adaption known as "sectored architecture," which means that the roots only feed the part of the tree directly above them.
So if one of its roots dies, that part of the tree above the root also dies, but the rest of it lives on. Hikers will find bristlecone pines with stripes of bark growing on an otherwise skeletal tree. It is believed these trees can reach ages of over 5,000 years old or older than the pyramids of Egypt. They are resistant to fungi, rot, erosion, and insects, and as they live in harsh conditions, the lack of vegetation means they are rarely affected by wildfires.
Other Contenders For The Oldest Tree In The World
Previously the oldest tree may have been Prometheus, also a Great Basin bristlecone pine. Prometheus is estimated to have been at least 4,862 years old and perhaps more than 5,000 years old. But it was cut down in 1964 for research purposes. It should be noted that the people who cut it down were not aware of its great age beforehand. Bristlecones pines are now protected on federal lands.
Visitors can learn about Prometheus at the Great Basin Visitor Center and even count its rings of Prometheus.
The tree contending for the status of the largest and oldest tree in the world is Pando (aka the Trembling Giant) in Utah. It is a clonal colony of an individual male quaking aspen made up of around 40,000 individual trees. It covers some 108 acres in Fishlake National Forest, and its estimated age ranges from 11,000 years to as much as 80,000 years. It had been thought that Pando was the world's largest plant until recently when a massive mat of clonal seagrass three times the size of Manhattan was found in Australia.
As the United States is developed and has a large number of scientists, there may be something of a research basis for the States. A new contender for the status of the longest-living non-clonal tree was recently discovered in Chile.