Bristlecone pines

Scenic Highway 395

The bristlecone pine forest just off 395 is the home of the Methuselah tree, which may be the world's oldest living thing at almost 5,000 years. Surviving in the harshest of conditions, the tree and its companions grow slowly, in gnarled forms. All of this happens at 10,000 to 11,000 feet elevation in the White Mountains on the east side of 395. To get there, take Highway 168 east from Big Pine.