Hyperion, The World Tallest Tree, Faces 5000 Dollars Fines

The World’s Tallest Living Tree

Hyperion, Guinness World Records, the world's tallest living tree, is official to visitors.

California's Redwood National Park produced a statement last week that anyone caught near the tree can face up to more than six months in jail and a 5,000 dollars fine.

The tree, which is deep in the park and has no trails, had faced severe environmental degradation from thrill-seekers who had visited it since 2006 when a pair of naturalists found it.

The Hyperion From Greek Mythology

The coast redwood tree is 115.92 meters (380 feet) tall, and its name is derived from Greek mythology: Hyperion, the Titans, and the father of god Helios and goddess Selene.

Hyperion is located off trail through dense vegetation and heavy 'bushwhacking' to reach the tree, reads a statement on the national park's website.

Despite the arduous journey, the statement says that travel writers, increased popularity due to bloggers, and websites of this off-trail tree have devastated the habitat surrounding Hyperion. As a visitor, you must consider if you will be part of the preservation of this unique landscape.

Leonel Arguello, the Chief of Natural Resources, told the recent site San Francisco Gate that the area has limited cellphone and GPS service usage, which means it can be challenging to rescue any lost in the area.

In addition to erosion and damage caused at the base of the tree, there is a secondary problem that comes from an influx of people.

There was trash, and people were creating even more side trails to use the bathroom. Arguello said they leave used toilet paper and human waste; it's not a good thing.

California National Parks

Human visitors are not the only problem with these giant trees. Wildfires are a growing concern throughout California's national parks.

In 2021, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks officials took extreme measures to protect some of the world's most significant trees from fire.

General Sherman, considered the world's most giant tree -- determined by density, not height, as it is shorter than Hyperion -- was wrapped in an "aluminum-based burn-resistant material" akin to tinfoil as a way to keep it safe during the devastating KNP Complex Fire.