Can you visit the tallest tree?

If Hyperion is considered the world's tallest living tree but no one is allowed to see it, is it still the tallest? Well, yes — but starting now, visitors who attempt to see the Guinness World Record tree in person will risk a $5,000 fine and six months in jail.



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As a result, the National Park Service has closed off access to Hyperion, which, at 379.1 feet tall, is the world's tallest living tree. Now, under a rule adopted this year, anyone who gets too close could face up to six months in jail and a $5,000 fine.

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Hyperion is a 380-foot redwood tree in Northern California. Once it was 'discovered,' it became a destination for eager hikers. Now, the area is off limits because of the potential damage caused by overvisitation.

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The park also houses the second, fourth and fifth tallest known trees, coast redwoods named Helios, Icarus, and Daedalus, currently 377, 371 and 363 feet, respectively. The exact location of Hyperion is nominally secret but is available via internet search.

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The tallest tree currently living is a specimen of Sequoia sempervirens in Redwood National Park in California, USA. Nicknamed Hyperion, the coast redwood was discovered by Chris Atkins and Michael Taylor (both USA) on 25 August 2006 and its precise location is kept a closely guarded secret to try and protect it.

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According to the National Park Service, tree enthusiasts who have bushwhacked off-trail into dense vegetation to reach Hyperion's base have caused enough habitat destruction to warrant the closure of the entire area, plus a $5,000 fine and potential jail time for those who decide to make the trip anyway.

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Visit our restoration webpages to learn more about this exciting work. How many acres of old-growth forest are left? Fewer than 120,000 acres, or 5 percent, of the original redwood forest remains today.

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What might be the world's oldest tree — a bristlecone pine named Methuselah that is thousands of years old — is hidden in plain sight somewhere along the 4.5-mile Methuselah Trail in the Inyo National Forest in California.

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