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This Tree Is Out of Reach
Shutterstock.com
Want to get close to the world’s tallest living tree? You could now face up to six months in jail and a $5,000 fine for doing so. The tree, a redwood known as Hyperion, is nearly 380 feet tall, 1.25 times the height of the Statue of Liberty. It’s located in an off-trail area of Redwood National Park in northern California, and the only way to reach it is by bushwhacking through heavy vegetation and crossing a river. Over the years, intense pedestrian traffic has damaged the environment around Hyperion, as many visitors trample plants and leave litter behind. And journeying there can be dangerous, as there’s no cellphone reception and GPS coverage is spotty. That’s why the park is asking hikers to stay away and is warning of severe consequences for those who break the new rule. Even a single visitor can make a drastic change to an environment, park officials say. “Forests grow by the inch and die by the foot,” they said in a statement. “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?”