Notes: Orion, also known as TT9, is the world's 8th tallest tree, the 5th tallest and 11th largest tree in Redwood National Park, the tallest and largest tree in Orion Grove, and the tallest tree discovered by light detection and ranging (LiDAR). Cal Poly Humboldt forestry professor Stephen C. Sillett and naturalists Chris K. Atkins and Michael W. Taylor named the tree after Orion, the hunter in Greek mythology, whom the Greek Olympian Zeus placed among the stars as a constellation. Elam Creek is also known as Dry Heaves Creek.

In spring 2007, the National Park Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the California State Parks Foundation, the Nature Conservancy, and Save the Redwoods League paid Sanborn Mapping Services $183,000 to conduct an aerial LiDAR survey of Redwood National and State Parks, the Headwaters Forest Reserve, and Humboldt Redwoods State Park. Over a period of three months, Sanborn's 1968 Aero Commander 500S aircraft, carrying Leica Geosystems topographic LiDAR sensors, flew back and forth above the parks, at an altitude of 2,625 ft (800 m), while a laser, firing through a hole in the bottom of the fuselage, scanned the terrain below. The aircraft traveled more than 13,500 mi (21,726 km) during the survey while LiDAR sensors recorded the precise location, between the ground and the treetops, of 85,000 points every second to generate a three-dimensional map of the forest. After researchers processed the LiDAR data to create a list of trees taller than 348 ft (106 m) in each park, they hiked to each tree to verify its height. Although many tall redwoods detected by LiDAR, including Hyperion and Helios, were already known from earlier ground surveys, some trees, including Gulch Tower, Orion, Outlier, and Solstice, were previously undiscovered.

When Sillett climbed Orion in 2009, he determined that it was the world's 6th tallest tree. However, after Paradox and Laurelin overtook Orion in 2011 and 2012, respectively, Orion became the world's 8th tallest tree.

Orion and Gulch Tower are just fourteen trees apart.

The film In Search of the Tallest: A Redwoods Adventure includes a segment about Orion.

Drive: Orion is 255 mi (410 km) north of San Francisco near the community of Orick.

From U.S. Highway 101 just north of Orick, turn onto Bald Hills Road and drive 0.3 mi (0.5 km) to the Redwood Creek Trail sign. Turn right at the sign and drive 0.5 mi (0.8 km) to the Redwood Creek trailhead parking lot.

Hike: GPS-assisted navigation is recommended for this hike. At the southern end of the parking lot, cross the bridge at the trailhead and hike south 1.7 mi (2.7 km) on Redwood Creek Trail to the creek crossing. Cross the seasonal footbridge, if available, return to the trail on the western creek bank, and hike south another 1.0 mi (1.6 km) on Redwood Creek Trail, past McArthur Creek, to the junction with Elam Camp Trail, near 41.26398 -124.02606, just before the lower Elam Creek bridge (turn around if you reach this bridge). Turn right/west at the trail junction and hike west 0.1 mi (0.2 km) on Elam Camp Trail, past Elam Camp and stable, to the junction with Elam Creek Loop Trail (also known as Overnight Loop Trail). Veer left at the trail junction and hike west 0.2 mi (0.3 km) on Elam Creek Loop Trail to the upper Elam Creek bridge and your first view of Daedalus and Icarus. Hike east 150 ft (46 m) past the bridge to the trail exit point, near 41.26170 -124.03076, just before a small gully (turn around if you reach this gully). Exit the trail here and hike west/uphill on an old logging road to the road exit point, near 41.26114 -124.03161, where the road veers left/south away from Elam Creek. Leave the road here and, using a GPS device, hike southwest 0.4 mi (0.6 km) off-trail, past Daedalus, Helios, and Icarus and across Elam Creek, to Orion. After visiting Orion, hike northeast 0.4 mi (0.6 km) off-trail to Daedalus and Icarus, hike north 900 ft (274 m) off-trail to Gulch Tower, or hike northeast 0.3 mi (0.5 km) off-trail to Helios.

Creek Warning: Orion is not accessible via Redwood Creek Trail when Redwood Creek has high water levels and the seasonal footbridge is not installed. It is best to visit Orion from July through October when Redwood Creek is low enough to wade across. To visit Orion whenever Redwood Creek is impassable, use the 3.1 mi (5.0 km) longer alternate route via Orick Horse Trail.

View Orion Tree location in Google Maps

Panoramas: Click panoramas to take a virtual tour of Orion Tree

Photos: Pictures of Orion Tree taken from different sides