Bristlecone Pines
BRISTLECONE PINES
Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, CA
Home to some of the oldest living trees in the world (some more than 4,500 years old), the ancient Bristlecone Pines offers both fantastic photographic opportunities and many great adventures.
These magnificent trees exist in one of the most inhospitable environments in the American Southwest. Found between 10,000 and 11,400 ft in the White Mountains, near the little town of Big Pine, CA these warrior-like survivors have endured brutal temperatures and gale force winds back to the time of the Pyramids. As a result, their shapes and statue provide great possibilities to photograph everywhere you look.
If you are planning to photograph the Bristlecone Pines, try to arrive a few hours early to explore these special trees found in only a few places in the world. The drive to the visitor center at Schulman Grove is an easy 10-mile drive, on a paved road, from CA 168. Once at the Schulman Grove visitors center you can take hikes along the Methuselah or Discovery Trails. The Methuselah Trail is a 4-mile loop (650 ft elevation gain) and the Discovery Trail is about a mile with a 300 ft elevation gain. The image above is found at the end of the Discovery Trail.
If you feel adventurous and have a high clearance 4x4 vehicle, you can visit the Patriarch Grove (11,300 ft) located another 12 miles past the Schulman Grove. The road to the Patriarch Grove is bumpy and can produce flat tires if not careful. The ancient Bristlecone Pines are managed by the US Forest Service, which is only open from late spring to the snow season. If uncertain, contact the USFS to make sure the road to the Ancient Bristlecones is open.
Images and location summary by Tim Wier
Trail Difficulty - MODERATE
I would rate the difficulty of this trail as a 2.5 on a scale of 1-5 (with 5 being most difficult). The hike from the parking lot to the location of the shot is only about 500 yds. However, the hike is uphill (with a 200 ft elevation gain) and you are already above 10,000 ft elevation.
Slow and steady is the name of the game.
GPS Coordinates & Elevation
10,250 Ft. Elevation
View In Google earth
Download KMZ Trail File
Click Here to download the KMZ file for this location.
Directions
CLICK HERE to get driving directions to Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest Visitor Center
From Big Pine, CA - drive EAST on CA 168 into the mountains for 12.9 miles and look for a turnoff for Ancient Bristlecone Pine on the left (the road is called White Mountain Rd). Continue on this winding road for 10 miles until you get to the Schulman Grove visitors center on the right. White Mountain Rd is a 2-lane paved road that takes you right to the visitors center.
SPECIAL NOTE: CA 168 E is a narrow 2-lane paved road that can be heavily traveled by 18-wheelers and large semi-trucks carrying hay from nearby Oasis, CA. At around 9 miles the road becomes extremely narrow with one specific spot where there is a blind 1-lane turn. When you get into the narrow part of the road, I would use extreme caution when coming around turns. Again, this road can be heavily traveled by 18-wheelers and large semi-trucks and they are coming downhill at a pretty good clip.
To find the Tree
Once you reach the Schulman Grove parking area there are 2 separate trails you can take - the Methuselah or Discovery Trails. This specific tree is found toward the end of the Discovery Trail! If you only want to get to this tree, start at the end of the Discovery Trail (from the parking lot) and hike uphill approximately 500 yds and you can’t miss it. The trail is found about 30 yds from the entrance sign (on your left - north side) to the Schulman Grove parking area. You will see an unmarked but well-traveled trail that goes uphill (this trail is before you get to the parking circle or visitors center).
Photography Tips
This is an interesting place to photograph…
As you can see from the images above, you are pointing upward at not one, but two magnificent trees with a series of slippery rocks (which you are not supposed to stand on) in front. The trick to photographing the front tree - is lining your shot to hide as much of the back tree as possible.
Also, the placement of your shot will impact the shape of the front tree. I found the tree appears larger (and more interesting) from directly in front. As you move to the left or the right, the shape of the tree becomes more narrow and less interesting.
To further complicate this shot, the tree is on a sloping hill that continues to rise for several hundred feet behind the tree. For my composition, I wanted to isolate the front tree as much as possible and let the power of the tree stand out. To accomplish this, you must keep your camera as low as possible - shooting upward toward the sky.
Options to shooting the tree
As mentioned in “Best time of day to shoot” below, I wanted to compose the tree with the red glow of the late afternoon sun. However, the sun crests the mountain range behind you about an hour before sunset. So to accomplish this and include a sunset sky/clouds, you will need to composite two images about an hour apart.
Another approach is to silhouette the tree with a magnificent sky as done by the incomparable Marc Adamus (see below).
EXIF Data
Focal Length – 24 mm
Exposure – 1/60 th sec @ f 8.0
ISO – 35
Date – July 21st
Time – 7:11 am
Best Time of Day to Shoot
The best times to shoot the tree is late afternoon / sunset or night-time for astrophotography.
As mentioned, I wanted to capture the red glow on the tree with the late sky for the background - which would require compositing images together. The accomplish this, you will need to be set up and ready to photograph about 75 minutes before sunset as the shot is east facing and the sun goes behind the western horizon about an hour before sunset. For the image above, the shot of the tree was taken at 7:11 pm on a day when the sunset was at 8:08. After the sun drops below the western horizon, the sun works its way up the hill for the next hour or so and will finally light up the clouds/sky. The sky part of the composite was taken around sunset - an hour later.
Obviously, there are other ways to photographing this specific tree, but most be around sunset or after hours.
Astrophotography
After the sun goes down, the Milky Way will appear to the south providing nice astrophotography opportunities. The milky way image below was taken by Rob Strain @ www.robstrain.com.
The shot below was taken on June 15 around midnight to get the milky way as high as possible for that specific date. The view of the milky way would be different in the spring. Rob used the back tree for depth and used a LED to help illuminate the tree.
SPECIAL NOTE: it was brought to my attention by one of our subscribers that the USDA website indicates the Schulman Grove and Patriarch Grove are day use only, closed from 10pm to 6am. Violators may be fined up to $5,000 and /or 6 months imprisonment.
I have been to the Ancient Bristlecone Pine many times and have seen many photographers shooting Astrophotography. However, this information is listed on the USDA website and process after hours at your own risk.
Best Time of Year
Access to the Ancient Bristlecone Pines is limited to when the Forest Scenic Byway (White Mountain Rd) is open - which is normally spring through the first winter snowfall. Here is a link to check if access to the Ancient Bristlecones is open.
Remember, the Ancient Bristlecone Pines at above 10,000 ft and weather conditions are much different on the mountain than down in Big Pine, CA.
The above image was taken on July 21st
Lens(es) Needed
There are lots of ways to shoot the Ancient Bristlecone Pines. Mostly, you will be shooting with wide to ultra-wide-angle lenses.
The above shot was taken with a 24mm equivalent lens.
Birds-Eye View
Permits
The Ancient Bristlecone Pines are located in the Inyo National Forest which is part of the USDA Forest Service. At present, no permits are required.
Direction of the Shot
The direction of the shot is east by southeast at 128°.
Equipment Needed
You will need a sturdy tripod and a head lamp / flashlight to find your way back to the parking area.
If you are going to shoot astrophotography, it would be helpful to have a SOFT light source if you want to paint the trees.
Number of Other Photographers to Expect
Depending on the time of year and weather, this location can garner several photographers. The area in front of the tree is pretty small and there are only a few spots where you can photograph the front tree (and hide the back tree). So I would plan on arriving at least 90-120 minutes before sunset to make sure you have time to compose your image and stake your position.
Weather
As mentioned, the Ancient Bristlecone Pines are located above 10,000 ft and weather conditions are much different on the mountain than down in Big Pine or Bishop, CA.
Cell Service
I have Verizon and the cell service is spotty at this location. However, driving down the paved road toward Big Pine there is a pullout a couple of miles south of the visitors center where you can get a strong signal.
Lodging & Camping
The closest town to Ancient Bristlecone Pines is Big Pine, CA. There are a handful of lodging there and plenty of lodging in Bishop, CA (16 miles north of Big Pine). There is a nice little campground 5 miles south of the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest Visitor Center called Grandview Campground. This seasonal campground has 20+ sites with limited resources.
Nearby camping and lodging
Camping - click on the campground below for directions
Grandview Campground (5 miles)
Glacier View Campground (at US 395 and CA68 in Big Pine )
Lodging - click on the lodging below for a TripAdvisor review
Bristlecone Motel
(760) 938-2067
101 N Main St, Big Pine, CA
Best Western Bishop Lodge
(760) 873-3543
1025 N Main St, Bishop, CA
Vagabond Inn Bishop
(760) 873-6351
1030 N Main St, Bishop, CA
Nearby Restaurants
The little town of Big Pine has a few restaurants. I have enjoyed some good BBQ at Copper Top and had a good breakfast after shooting at the Country Kitchen.
Nearby Restaurants - click on the restaurant below for yelp review
Copper Top BBQ
(760) 970-5577
310 N Main St Big Pine, CA 93514
Country Kitchen
(760) 938-2402
181 S Main St Big Pine, CA 93514
Rossi’s Place
(760) 938-2308
142 S Main St Big Pine, CA 93513
Area Guides and Workshops
None