CALIENTE, Nev. — When Varlin Higbee eyes the scrubby forest of pinyon pines and juniper trees that fill the high desert outside this old Union Pacific Railroad town, there’s just one thought ...

Hyperion, the world's tallest living tree, has suffered as hikers in California's Redwood National Park damaged its habitat. Now, prospective visitors face a $5,000 fine and six months in jail.

The world’s tallest living tree, a 380-foot-tall Redwood named Hyperion, is now off-limits to visitors. Eager tourists who attempt to seek it out anyway could face fines of $5,000 or up to six ...

He added: “When you can’t see the top 150 feet of tree, it doesn’t really matter how tall it is.” But the mystery of what stands above that bottom 150 feet is in part what draws some visitors.

The National Park Service is trying to preserve the world’s tallest tree by banning hikes to it. But this approach will never completely work since the location of the 380-foot redwood is an ...