Visiting the tallest tree is a crime

Hyperion is a coast redwood, and the tallest known tree on Earth. There is no trail to it. In 2022 the Park Service made going there illegal, with a fine attached—so many people had hiked in to stand at the base that they were trampling the roots to death.

The tree survived two thousand years of everything the coast could throw at it. What finally threatened it was being admired.

What would you protect by keeping it secret?

Sources

• Should I Hike to Hyperion? — National Park Service

Sources checked 2026-08-12.