Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest

High in the Californian White Mountains is the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, home to the world’s oldest trees. Some of the bristlecone pines are over 4,000 years old. It is hard to imagine that anything can live that long. A testament to the trees’ hardy nature, they survive in a windswept area where they twist and bend into their iconic form. While I lived in California, visiting the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest was a must.

A stayed in Bishop, California, for a few days around Christmas. While it was not ideal timing to head into the White Mountains, I made up my mind to visit to the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest. Despite the wind, cold temperatures, and the snow, I was not going to be stopped. The road leading up to the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, White Mountain Road, is typically closed in the winter. I packed prepared to spend a night in the mountains. My gear list included a sleeping bag, bivy snack, two emergency blankets, ice axe, trekking poles, microspikes, warming lawyers, a knife, GPS, emergency beacon, pocket saw, fire starter kits, warming layers, pocket stove, and four liters of water.

I began driving to the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest. As my truck climbed higher, the road became icier and covered in snow. I expected the road to be closed at any point. Instead, the road remained opened and I kept driving. The views were beautiful. Snowcapped mountains of the Sierras were on one side and rolling foothills leading down to Nevada desert were on the other.

I parked my truck on top of a hill that is a mile and a half out from Schulman’s Grove. The road is covered in a thick sheet of ice and snow. I throw on my microspikes, grab my pack, and start hiking. It does not take long to get to the visitor center where the trailhead of Schulman’s Grove is located. I step into the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest.

It is more than a few steps before I see my first bristlecone pine and it is just as gnarly and twisted as I expected. These trees are truly fascinating, they survive in a drought ridden, wind torn environment. The twisted forms they take are unlike anything I have ever seen. Schulman’s Grove is populated with countless bristlecone pines and the further I walk into the grove the bigger the trees become. It is amazing that something can survive for over 4,000 years especially in an age coinciding with humans who exert more challenges on the trees than just the challenges imposed by nature.

I was the only person in the grove when I arrived. Such an experience was very peaceful and relaxing. I felt like I stepped back in time before sites like this were known to thousands of people.

I could have spent hours among these trees, just staring and studying their form. To walk amongst something that ancient is breathtaking. Instead, I had to head back to my truck and get down the mountain. The wind was picking up and there was a winter storm blowing in from the Sierras.

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Trail Report and Notes of the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest

While these trees are hardy and survived more than I could imagine, if you visit the bristlecone pines please respect and preserve them so that many more generations down the road can enjoy them.

One reason they can survive in such a drought ridden climate is that they have a shallow root system. This means their roots are very close to the top soil. There are trails throughout the Ancient Bristlecone Forest for a reason. Please stay on the trails. Walking off the trails and stepping onto the root systems of the bristlecone pines could damage their roots and hinder their chances of continual survival.

If you go into the White Mountains in the winter please do your research. I have a four-wheel drive truck which helped me get through the snow and iced covered switchbacks. It would have been tough if not impossible with a front or rear wheel drive vehicle. I also packed prepared to spend a night out there. While there is no camping permitted in the grove, if you go in the winter, it is better to be prepared for the worse. White Mountain Road is usually closed in the winter to the point where it is a 12 mile hike just to Schulman’s Grove. Without hiking in the grove, that puts one at a total of 24 miles in one day. That is rough day when the elevation is over 9,000 feet and climbs close to 11,000 feet especially when your entire hike is in ice and snow. If you choose to venture out in the winter make sure you do not just have the right gear but that you know how to use it (a five minute lesson at any of the adventure stores/gear stores is not knowing how to use your gear).

While the winter is a tough time to see the bristlecone pines, the summer is ideal. The roads are clear and you can drive right to the visitor center. From there, all the hikes are very short and manageable.

Your GPS may tell you to take a route via Silver Canyon Road. This is not advised. Silver Canyon Road is a road for off-road vehicles. I checked it out and there are rivers running through the road. My truck does not have any sort of off-road modifications (no lift or proper axels) and would have not been able to cross the rivers due to their depth. You will want to take US-168 East to White Mountain Road.

For more information please see the following website:

United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest

United States Department of Agriculture – Information about the bristlecone pine trees