Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest
Donβt make the mistake of passing the steep, curvy, road to the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest without actually driving up for a look. This sliver of mountain-top terrain is a sacred place, home to the oldest trees in the world, and by extension, the oldest known living things in the universe. It is a harsh but stunning alpine landscape where relatively few visitors venture, even though access is good. Come here to explore bumpy roads, enjoy dramatic views of the Sierra Nevada, and, as you hike amongst gnarled ancient trees, rediscover the profound beauty of simply being alive.
What’s the best camping spot near the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest? βΊ
What is the oldest tree living here? π²
What’s the elevation of the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest? ποΈ
When is the area open? π’
Magic in the Patriarch Grove
Just a tad above 11,000 feet, toward the northern end of the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, on the way to White Mountain Peak, you’ll find the Patriarch Grove, where some of the oldest trees in the world live.
I was sitting in my car in the parking area β which is cut into a bowl overlooking the Great Basin β smoking some Jack Herer, listening to music, and watching jagged slashes of lightning zig-zag across the sky.
Incredible thunderstorms tumbled over the high peaks, pelting the trees, which could care less, with waves of hail and rain. The sun, meanwhile, played coy, peaking through the shifting clouds every now and then, just to remind me it was still there.
The storms soon dissipated, drifting east into Nevada, but held together long enough that the downpours they continued to unleash captured the glint of the sun’s rays.
A large rainbow appeared over the grove. I rushed out of the car, dropped to my knees, looked through the viewfinder, and… realized I didn’t have the right lens.
I sprinted back to the Jeep in a flurry of F-bombs that rivaled the earlier booms of thunder, clicked in a new lens, screwed on a filter, and by the time I turned around, my luck had doubled. There were now two rainbows instead of one, and they hung around just long enough for me to make this image.
What’s the weather like?
Much like the trees, the weather in the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest is gnarly. Expect a dry, windy environment that can be overtaken by sudden and intense thunderstorms. Temperature-wise, it’ll hit 100 degrees down in the Owens Valley at the peak of summer, but up amongst the ancient pines, it’ll be in the mid-70s .
The bristlecone’s range could be reduced as climate change drives competing trees, like the limber pine, up mountain slopes in search of cooler temperatures.
Recommended Reading
The California Field Atlas
It's a struggle to come up with words that do this beautiful book justice. And few books are as fine for flipping through while sitting beside a fire or relaxing in a hammockβso bring this one camping. That being said, a true atlas it is not. Instead, it is the gospel of California's natural world and systems according to Obi Kaufmann, a brilliant naturalist, artist, and writer who is able to wrangle the spirituality and profundity of this amazing state onto the pages of his gorgeous work, which is packed with maps, illustrations, information, and musings. If you love California, this book is a treasure waiting for a spot on your shelf.
Enjoy Rad Views of the Sierra Nevada
As you drive up the Ancient Bristlecone Scenic Byway, you’ll be treated to some incredible views of the Sierra Nevada’s steep eastern slope, from Mount Whitney all the way to Yosemite National Park and beyond.
This is one of the few places β the other being an airplane β where you can see more than a hundred miles of land and terrain along the Sierra Crest in a single gaze.
The views get even better once you enter the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest. Look for pullouts on the western side of White Mountain Road.
The image above was captured in one of these spots. You can see some amazing mountains just to the left of the setting sun, even though they’re 60 miles away: Banner Peak, Mount Ritter, and the Minarets. The glint of light beneath the range is Lake Crowley.
Know Before You Go
To get here, take the Ancient Bristlecone Scenic Byway (Route 168) where it branches off into the mountains from Route 395 in Big Pine.
Be sure to stock up on gas, water, and supplies before you head up the hill. This is a remote area with spotty phone reception that’s 25 miles from any sort of services.
If you’re looking for a more detailed map of the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, consider using Gaia GPS to create personalized maps you can save for offline use with their amazing GPS app. You can also print your custom maps if you’d like a paper backup.
If want to buy a map, this one, this one, and this one are all great maps of the Eastern Sierra, but none will show the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest in any sort of incredible or useful detail. Gaia GPS is the best way to do that.