ancient bristlecone pine forest

If you like a good vista, this place will blow your mind-hole! Sure the air is thin up there at 14,000 feet but take it slow and drink in that view. It's totally stunning and I can only imagine what it's like during dawn and dusk.It's not only the views that will keep you interested but learning about the amazing bristlecone pines will make the mind boggle. These amazing trees have been around for truly geological time frames and not only lived through World Wars and Revolution but they took seed before the birth of Christ. Amazing.

The Pines are VERY old and that gives you pause. They are just off a great little motorcycle road to Nevada. Whooping up and down and very curvy and steep. Great ride, great place

The end of the road to the visitors center was closed in Feb., so we didn't get a good look at the Bristlecones. I'm not sure why since there wasn't a whole lot of snow up there (sad to say). The drive alone was jaw-dropping, but I hope to get back to actually see the pines. The sign did say that hikers were welcome, but being a senior and feeling very breathless at that altitude, I couldn't make it. Couldn't really comment about fee or what was available since we couldn't get to the main attraction.

Woah! This trip will take you from 3000 feet to 10,000 feet in nothing flat. So obviously, this is winding road, but not bad at all. The Bristlecone Pines are awesome to see, but for me the view of the Sierra Nevada mountain range was the kicker. Simply stunning. This was a great side trip.

Really awesome bit of scenery, the drive up to 10000 feet from 3000 feet in Big Pine is just unforgettable! Learned a lot about the Great Basin on this trip.

We spent a week exploring the Eastern Sierras in late August and nearly didn't take the time to see this. After all, how exciting could some trees be in comparison to say, Manzanar or Mammoth? My kids certainly weren't looking forward to it, but I saw the turn off from Hwy 395 and decided it was now or never. The drive up from Bishop is long and slow, about 25 miles, and the temperature drop was nearly 30 degrees. It was over 90 in Bishop and 60 and brisk at the high elevation, so bring a light jacket in the fall or spring. There is a turn-off at Vista point, which is an astounding view of the Owens Valley and the Eastern Sierras, and it a perfect "photo op". The terrain became more and more desolate as we drove up to the Schulman Grove. There is a very worthwhile visitor's center there; it has been recently rebuilt and is staffed by excellent park rangers who are eager to share their knowledge. There is also a short movie there which is definitely worth sitting down for; one of the interesting points made in the movie is that the carbon-14 dating system was re-calibrated due to findings from the ancient bristlecone pines. There are clean bathrooms, a gift shop with water for sale, and several picnic tables outside. The center is wheelchair accessible, but the trails are not, however you can see many of the trees from the center. I recommend 1-2 hours to visit if you don't take a hike. Of course, the real star are the pines themselves. I cannot begin to explain to you how these remarkable living things touched me. I honestly felt it was a spiritual experience being in their presence of something that has been living for nearly 5,000 years in such a remote, desolate area. I am not the kind of person who generally feels that way, but I really didn't want to leave! We didn't do the hike; it was kind of late and I was having a hard time hiking at such high elevations, but I certainly would like to do it in the future. I live in Southern California and absolutely will make a point of going there again, it sort of feels like a pilgrimage to me that I need to make in the future. Even the kids (ages 11 and 13) liked it!

Does not matter if you take 1 mile hike or 4.5 mile hike every turn is WOW look at that and OH my gosh! If you've never been you are missing out on a piece of amazing history. New visitor center is also amazing. And don't forget the vista point over looking the valley. You come to Bishop, you gotta go. Family, friends, couples doesn't matter the trip is awe inspiring.

This is a worthwhile side trip. We were disappointed that the new visitors center was closed on a sunny warm day in mid-October. There were still quite a few people visiting. The best part was the vista point on the drive up with breathtaking views of the Sierras and surrounding mountain ranges. We did take the four mile loop hike. The trail is in excellent condition and it was interesting but it seemed like a "make-work" trail that took you all over the place over a longer distance than was necessary. We are hard core hikers who don't mind exerting ourselves to get someplace, but we felt that the trail was made intentionally long. We also felt that a climate change agenda was being pushed in a heavy-handed way on the trail map and the outdoor exhibits and it felt more like indoctrination rather than education. But all that said, the trees are fascinating and we saw it on an absolutely beautiful day.

This is very much worth the it to go back in time and imagine all that has happened since these trees have been here. Their twisted trunks create remarkable opportunity for photography. Children and adults of all ages can easily pick a route that is perfect for time and accessibility. The Visitor Center is very helpful and informative.

Incredible! There are the oldest tree on earth so if you miss this, you are making a huge mistake.. The drive alone is worth the trip. Anytime a day is worth it. Hikers will love this. A must see at least once in a lifetime.

Nothing really too impressive. winding mountain road so it took quite a while to finish the 24 miles getting there. Should have spent the time driving up bishop creek to see foliage.

Very much a highlight of our trip - the story behind the discovery of just how old these trees are is interesting in itself and to walk through the trees imagining what aspects of our history have taken place during their lifetime certainly made me stop and think. Special mention to Philly and Dave in the Visitor centre - they made us feel really welcome and were happy to answer all our questions - thanks.

This is an almost "spiritual" experience, as you stand before living things that were thousands of years old when, for instance, Caesar crossed the Rubicon. Just about everything involved with our visit was exceptional, the Visitor's Center had excellent displays and possibly the friendliest and best informed ranger team we've ever encountered. They answered questions, made great suggestions, and made you feel as if you were a special guest. Not a bad standard! While there is a 4.5 mile loop trail that leads from the Visitor's Center through the oldest stand of bristlecone's, we chose to take the 12-mile drive to Patriarch Grove over a very "wash-boardy" gravel road. The trees there are younger but because of their elevation and location near the top of White Mountain they look particularly battered and ancient. If you have altitude sickness problems you may not want to make the drive, when we parked at the Grove the GPS in my Jeep read 11,344 feet! Two loop trails lead from the parking lot, one short (about 0.5 miles) and relatively level, the other longer (about 1.2 miles) with some modest climbing involved. The views of the surrounding valleys are stunning, and the trees are spectacular. A word of caution, it will take about one hour to drive that 12 miles because the road is rough and there are lots of very sharp rocks fragments that can puncture tires. A ranger at the Visitor's Center cautioned me to drive slowly, even when it seemed safe to speed up, if I didn't want a flat tire. Sure enough, on the way back from Patriarch Grove we passed a truck that had a flat tire. If you like the out-of-doors and are attracted by fairly out of the way places, this is a must do. Oh, on the way up be sure to stop at some of the scenic view areas because they are exactly as advertised!

Weather was not great at that time, other then that - all good! We went on the short trail and there's a lot to see and explore.

This is a wonderful experience. First I was afraid I might get altitude sick, but it was just fresh air, wonderful vistas and finally, after having read so much and so long about these ancient tres, I went to see them, touch them, the oldest 4.700 years old. Up there were two elderly lady - rangers filled with enthusiasm. ATTENTION: take the route south of bishop, it is a wonderfully paved easy road up and down. Our GPS sent us first to a dirt road north of Bishop, shorter, but very hazardous, we could not pass there.