Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest
The Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest is a protected area high in the White Mountains in Inyo County in eastern California.
Geography
The forest is east of the Owens Valley, high on the eastern face of the White Mountains in the upper Fish Lake-Soda Spring Watershed, above the northernmost reach of the Mojave Desert into Great Basin ecotone. The forest's mountain habitat is in the Central Basin and Range ecoregion and Great Basin montane forests. The Patriarch Grove is the source of Cottonwood Creek, a designated Wild and Scenic River.Ecology
The Great Basin bristlecone pine grows between 9,800 and 11,000 feet above sea level, in xeric alpine conditions, protected within the Inyo National Forest. The limber pine also grows in the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest.Methuselah
The Methuselah Grove in the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest is the location of the "Methuselah", a Great Basin bristlecone pine that is years old. It is considered to be the world's oldest known and confirmed living non-clonal organism. It was temporarily superseded by a 5,062 year old bristlecone pine discovered in 2010. In May 2017 however, Dr. Peter Brown removed this tree from his database of old trees because the tree and core sample could not be found. "Methuselah" is not marked in the forest, to ensure added protection from vandals.Visiting
The Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest is generally open from mid-May through the end of November, weather permitting.- Schulman Grove and Schulman Grove Visitor Centerdaily interpretive talks and natural history lectures mid-June through Labor Day, and hiking trails.
- Patriarch Grovehome of the world's largest bristlecone pine, the Patriarch Tree, and a self-guided nature trail.