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Great Basin National Park has three groves
of bristlecone pine trees, the oldest living things on earth. This
bristlecone stands tall in the grove underneath Wheeler Peak, accessible
via a 1.5 mile hike from the Bristlecone/Glacier trailhead. |
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These trees thrive at timberline, where conditions
are too harsh for most trees to survive. The grove of trees underneath
Wheeler Peak stands near the only glacier within the Great Basin. |
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The wood of bristlecone pine trees can be beautifully
gnarled and colored. |
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This tree may have died hundreds or thousands of years
ago, but still remains. Its wood provides valuable clues to scientists
who use the rings for comparison to the rings of living trees, creating
a 10,000 year-long record. |
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Come see the bristlecones in person! Walk the self-guided
interpretive trail through the Wheeler Peak grove, or join a Park
Ranger during the summer months for a guided walk up to these magnificent
trees. |
