Bristlecone Parking Area - Montane & Alpine (Stop 7)

The Alpine Life Zone is full of rugged terrain and sparser life

B. Mills

The starting point for the alpine lakes, bristlecone and glacier trails, and the accessible Island Forest Trail. The end of the Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive is also the home of Wheeler Peak Campground.  

The Montane life zone teems with life. Mule deer, turkeys, ground squirrels, Clark’s nutcrackers, and hermit thrushes are common sights in this area contrasted by the much rarer Mountain Lion. Engelman spruce and limber pine are the two conifers found in this area. Up the trails you’ll see groves of aspen trees, and even further up the Great Basin Bristlecone Pines. 

Bristlecone pines are the oldest single living organisms on earth, and they cut a striking image among the rocky landscape. The sleepy behemoths can live for thousands of years, with wind and fierce weather twisting them into gnarly shapes that stand out among the landscape. Begin at the Bristlecone trailhead and hike the 2.8 mile out-and-back trail to see these ancient trees and be reminded of humans’ short time on Earth. 

While the Bristlecone Trailhead is the start of many adventures, it is also the end of the Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive. This tour took you from dry, salty sagebrush at low elevations all the way up to rich mountain ecosystems bustling with life. Pick either the Bristlecone/Glacier trail or the Summit trail, both of which start here, and follow it above the tree line to experience the splendor of the alpine life zone.