Hyperion, the world’s tallest living tree, is officially off-limits to visitors. California’s Redwood National Park issued a statement last week that anyone who is caught near the tree can face up to six months in jail and a $5,000 fine.
What’s the new rule?
Starting now, visitors who attempt to see the tree in person will risk a $5,000 fine and six months in jail.
Redwood National Park is urging visitors to stay away from Hyperion and the area around it. Notably, it has been damaged as a result of the tree’s popularity.
Hyperion is located in a closed area. There’s no formal trail to reach the site. Still, over the years, many tree enthusiasts damaged the habitat leading up to Hyperion, according to Redwood National Park.
The park is home to several of the world’s tallest known trees
“As a visitor, you must decide if you will be part of the preservation of this unique landscape — or will you be part of its destruction?” the park wrote in a statement last week.
Discovered in 2006, Hyperion, towers at 380 feet. The tree was named after one of the Titans in Greek Mythology.
Moreover, the park is home to several of the world’s tallest known trees, including Helios and Icarus, which are 377 feet and 371 feet respectively.
Redwoods in northern California get their height from a combination of their leaves and the region’s climate. Their leaves tend to absorb and store more moisture from the morning fog and the species produces burl sprouts. It promotes growth after injury. For the same reason, redwoods are also able to live an incredibly long time.
A single visitor can make a drastic negative change to an environment
“Forests grow by the inch and die by the foot,” the statement said. “A single visitor can make a drastic negative change to an environment.”
Hyperion may be a record holder, but the statement argues that it doesn’t match the hype. Moreover, trying to see it isn’t worth the penalty. The tree is tall, but its height is difficult to observe from the ground and the trunk isn’t impressive either.
“Hyperion’s trunk is small in comparison to many other old-growth redwood trees,” the statement said. “There are hundreds of trees on designated trails that are more impressive to view from the tree’s base.”
While the Hyperion is believed to be the world’s tallest living tree, it isn’t the largest. The title of being the largest goes to the General Sherman tree in California’s Giant Forest of Sequoia National Park.
