The Location Of the World's Tallest Tree Is A Big Secret

Hyperion, the world's tallest tree, is a beautiful coastal redwood that stands proudly in the old redwood forests of Northern California , spanning 379-feet inches above the ground.

Discovered about two years ago, it lies 'somewhere' in the Redwood National Park. However the exact location of this beauty is a secret, known only to a very small group of people.

Why the big secret? To protect these beloved fragile giants from being destroyed. Biologists experienced this first hand in 2000 when the location of 'The Mendocino Giant' - believed to be the tallest tree at that time, was leaked to the general public.

So many people went to see the tree at the Montgomery Woods State Reserve, that it resulted in compressing the soil in the area, causing damage to the tree. Since then, they made a pact not to reveal the exact location of the 'tallest' tree.

Their concern is quite valid, given the rapid pace at which coastal redwoods are disappearing. The majestic trees that grow in a narrow Northern California region, between Big Sur and Oregon, once covered over 2 million acres.

Now, they barely cover 100,000 acres, and that too, is largely due to the efforts of a group called 'Save the Redwoods', founded in 1914.

The trees have been victims of logging and deforestation as well as natural disasters like fires.

So for the time being, we will all just have to take their word that Hyperion does exist and that it is taller than a 34-story skyscraper.

However, with all the other magnificent redwoods still left to be admired, one can hardly complain.

For more fun info and the locations of the redwood parks in Northern California, check out: http://www.nps.gov/redw

Source:SFGate.com