The Great Basin Bristlecone Pines are the oldest trees in the world. Some of the Bristlecone Pines are nearly 5,000 years old. They grow on the White Mountains of the Inyo National Forest. The oldest trees can be seen from either the Methuselah Trail or the Discovery Trail. Over the years the wind has turned the trees into twisted forms. The name bristlecone pine refers to the dark purple female cones that bear incurved prickles on their surface. In 1987, this tree was designated one of Nevada’s state trees.