| Height: | 43.00+ ft | (13.10+ m) | Elevation: | 11,336 ft (3,455 m) | GPS Latitude: | 37.52797 |
| Volume: | Creek: | South Fork Cottonwood Creek | GPS Longitude: | -118.19807 | ||
| Width: | 12.00 ft | (3.66 m) | Grove: | Patriarch Grove | Discovery Date: | 1948 |
| Age: | 1,566 y | Park: | Inyo NF | Discovered By: | Alvin E. Noren |
Notes: Patriarch, discovered by Modoc National Forest ranger Alvin E. Noren in 1948, is the largest known multi-stem Great Basin bristlecone pine (Pinus longaeva).
Patriarch appears in University of Arizona Associate Professor of Dendrochronology
Edmund P. Schulman's article entitled Bristlecone Pine, Oldest Known Living Thing,
published in the March 1958 issue of National Geographic Magazine.
Patriarch should not be confused with another Patriarch (giant redwood) tree which grows in McIntyre Grove in in Giant Sequoia National Monument.
Patriarch is directly in the path of the May 3, 2106 total solar eclipse.
Drive: Patriarch is 232 mi (373 km) east of San Francisco near the community of Big Pine.
From U.S. Route 395 near Big Pine, transfer to California State Route 168 East. Drive east 13 mi (21 km) on California State Route 168 East and turn left onto White Mountain Road toward Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest. Drive north 22 mi (35 km) on White Mountain Road, past Schulman Grove Visitor Center, and turn right on Patriarch Grove Road. Drive north 1.0 mi (1.6 km) on Patriarch Grove Road to the parking lot at the end of the road.
Road Warning: White Mountain Road is unmaintained during winter. Depending on snow levels, White Mountain Road is usually open from May through November. Visit fs.usds.gov for more information.
Hike: From the trailhead at the northern end of the parking lot, hike north 175 ft (53 m) on Timberline Ancients Trail to Patriarch which stands beside the trail on your left.
| Rating: | Easy | One-Way Distance: | 175 ft | (53 m) | Ascent: | 5 ft | (2 m) |
| Time: | 1 min | Off-Trail: | 37 ft | (11 m) | Descent: | 5 ft | (2 m) |
View Patriarch Tree location in Google Maps
Panorama: Click panorama to take a virtual tour of Patriarch Tree
Photos: Pictures of Patriarch Tree taken from different sides
