The 25 Biggest Trees in America

In the United States of America, there are a lot of very large trees. Although most of them seem to be located on the west coast, a number of them are on the east coast and even in the south. These are the 25 biggest trees in America, from shortest to tallest.

Big trees can be tall or unusually wide trees, but regardless of how the size is determined, they are phenomenal trees that make people take notice. There are numerous associations that rank all species of trees and even give out awards to the trees that are the biggest or the stateliest.

The list below encompasses the biggest trees in the country, and they are not listed in any particular order. Once you read through this information, it may whet your appetite to go out and see some of them in person. Not to worry, though, because we list their exact location whenever possible. Keep in mind that not every photo is of the exact tree as sometimes we couldn’t find a usable photo of the tree. Enjoy!

25. Elephant’s Foot in Berylwood Tree Farm, Somis, Ventura County, Elephant’s Foot (Beaucarnea Recurvata), 20 Feet

This tree isn’t as tall as many other trees, but it is huge at the base because it gets wider the closer it gets to the ground. It looks like a large elephant’s foot at the bottom of the tree, and this seems to be what truly catches people’s attention. If you love large trees and you find yourself anywhere near Ventura County, the Elephant’s Foot tree is worth the trip to see it.

24. Great Basin Bristlecone Pine in Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, Nevada, Great Basin Bristlecone Pine (Pinus Longaeva), 50 Feet

With a girth of roughly 37 feet, this is an unusual-looking tree because the trunk and some of the branches have a twisted appearance. Still, it has lots of greenery to keep it attractive and is well worth visiting.

23. California Bay Laurel in Gold Beach, Oregon, California Bay Laurel (Umbellularia Californica), 82 Feet

This tree has split and part of it has fallen on the ground in recent years, allowing the experts to more accurately measure it. At the last measurement, its girth was around 39 feet, and it is fairly hollow in the center. This is an evergreen tree that usually grows to no more than 70 feet and 25 feet in width, so this particular tree is quite unique. 

22. Bald Cypress in St. Francisville, Louisiana, Bald Cypress (Taxodium Distichum), 90 Feet

Located in a small town two hours north of New Orleans, this bald cypress tree stands about 90 feet in the air and has a circumference of about 59 feet. It is located off the Island of Cat and is sometimes difficult to get to, in part because storms, floods, and the other difficulties associated with swamp land often get in the way. 

21. Flowering Dogwood in Clarke County, GA, Flowering Dogwood (Cornus Florida), 67 Feet

Flowering dogwoods bloom in the spring and are native to the eastern United States, including the entire state of Georgia. Normally, these trees – which have white, pink, or even red blooms – only grow to about 35 feet tall, which is what makes the one in Clarke County so magnificent. These are beautiful, very colorful trees that look fantastic dotting any landscape.

20. Bennett Juniper, Western Juniper (Juniperus Occidentalis), 78 Feet

This tree is known as the largest juniper tree in the United States and is found in the Stanislaus National Forest in Tuolumne County. The Save the Redwoods League owns the tree, and it is thought by some to be around 6,000 years old. That being said, most of today’s experts put it closer to around 3,000 years old. Nevertheless, it is an extraordinary-looking tree that is worth the visit.

19. San Bernardino Oak, Canyon Live Oak (Quercus Chrysolepis), 95 Feet

This enormous tree is an evergreen that has beautiful horizontal branches. Most of these trees get to no more than 100 feet, which makes this 95-foot tree a very unique one indeed. In many ways, it isn’t a surprise to find this tree in California because most really large evergreens are found in the mountains of Southern California. It is still an amazing tree to look at, though.

18. American Tulip Tree in Chesapeake City, Virginia, American Tulip Tree (Liriodendron Tulipifera), 98 Feet

This tree is located behind Blackwater Road in Chesapeake City and has a DBH of roughly 32 feet. It is currently the national champion for its size and is a beautiful tree with color blooms and a very attractive look.

17. Fremont Cottonwood in Skull Valley, Arizona, Fremont Cottonwood (Populus Fremontii), 98 Feet

Located on Old Road North just north of Skull Valley village in Arizona, the tree is 98 feet tall and has a circumference of 46 feet. It was planted in 1917 and is therefore more than 100 years old. It is a tall, stately looking tree that sits close to the road and is therefore easy to see.

16. Monterey Cypress in Pescadero, San Mateo County, Monterey Cypress (Cupressus Macrocarpa), 101 Feet

San Mateo County is south of San Francisco, and this tree is located right off of Highway 1. It is on the National Register of Champion Trees, as well as the California Big Tree Registry, and it measures 111 feet at the width and is 50 feet in circumference. If you visit there, you may notice some cables hanging in some of its branches because this indicates that they are using those cables to preserve the tree. 

15. Water Tupelo, Water Tupelo (Nyssa Aquatica), 108 Feet

Located in Greensville, Virginia, the tree is native to the state and has a circumference of 463 inches and a crown that measures 53 feet. It was last measured in 2017 and is both a National Champion and Virginia Champion tree. It can be found about 2.8 miles up-river of the State Route 625 bridge (Creek Road). Other than a huge burl on the lower trunk, the tree still appears to be healthy.

14. Bigleaf Maple in Lane County, Oregon, Bigleaf Maple (Acer Macrophyllum), 119 Feet

The typical growth of a bigleaf maple is around 65 feet, so finding one that is 119 feet is very unusual. This particular one has a crown spread of 91 feet and an average DBH of about 12 feet. It is the species’ current national champion for size.

13. American Sycamore in Chester Springs, Pennsylvania, American Sycamore (Platanus Occidentalis), 120 Feet

This American Sycamore tree is 120 feet high and has a girth/DBH of roughly 30 feet. It is thought to be about 320 years old, give or take 40 years, according to the estimates taken in 2021.

12. La Ceiba de Peñuelas, Kapok (Ceiba Pentandra), 131 Feet

This is a 300- to 400-year-old tree in Puerto Rico with a base that spreads out like huge long snakes forming on the ground. It sits in a 51-acre park and was badly damaged by hurricanes in 2017, but since then it is coming back nicely. Its branches reach out far from the tree and some even look like they’re going to touch the ground. 

11. Tasmanian Blue Gum in Mattole Road, Petrolia, Humboldt County, Tasmanian Blue Gum (Eucalyptus Globulus), 141 Feet

This Tasmanian blue gum is located in Petrolia Table Cemetery, which is in fact very small. In fact, the tree takes up most of the cemetery, so it isn’t difficult to view it once you get there. It has a spread of 126 feet and is 49 feet in circumference. There is also the story that it put the actor Clint Eastwood to shame because he thought a eucalyptus globulus tree in his yard was the largest tree in the United States.

10. Valley Oak in Covelo, California, Valley Oak (Quercus Lobata), 154 Feet

The Quercus Lobata tree can get up to 600 years old. It has bark that looks a lot like the hide of alligators, and the leaves of the tree have wide lobes and are very green in color. Sometimes, the trees have mistletoe in their branches, and the branches themselves are elegant-looking because they spread out so far. 

9. The Studhorse Tree, California Incense-Cedar (Calocedrus Decurrens), 156 Feet

The diameter at breast height, or DBH, is around 13 feet, and the tree’s sheer size and design make some people believe it was once two separate trees that eventually fused at the base. It is thought to be extremely old, and the two trunks separate once they get to around 13 feet off the ground. If you climb up to where the two bases separate, you can actually look out on the land for a spectacular view. 

8. Kalaloch Redcedar, Western Redcedar (Thuja Plicata), 178 Feet

The Kalaloch Redcedar is located in Olympic National Park in Washington State in the county of Jefferson. In 2014, roughly half of the tree was knocked down by a storm, but the other half is still standing. It is estimated to be between 1,370 and 1,770 years old, and its girth measurement when measured at roughly 4.5 feet off the ground, was around 61 feet. 

7. Quinault Lake Spruce, Sitka Spruce (Picea Sitchensis), 191 Feet

Located in Olympic State Forest in the state of Washington, this is the largest spruce tree in the world. Tall and graceful, the tree reaches 191 feet in the air and has a circumference of nearly 59 feet. Most people believe it to be around 1,000 years old, and it is such a stately tree that seeing it should be on everyone’s to-do list if nature is what they love most.

6. Big Tree, Lawson’s Cypress (Chamaecyparis Lawsoniana), 231 Feet

This tree usually grows up to around 200 feet or so and can have trunks that are four to nine feet in diameter. They can live to be roughly 600 years old and are typically found in southern Oregon and northern California, most often in elevations around 5,000 feet. They have beautiful blue-green foliage and the seeds can actually float on water. 

5. Tioga Tower, Sugar Pine (Pinus Lambertiana), 274 Feet

The Tioga Tower was only discovered in 2015 but is the tallest sugar pine in the world. It is located in the Sierra Nevada Mountains in Mariposa County, but no one knows its exact location. Its girth at around 4.5 feet high is roughly 24 feet.

4. Super Colossus, Coast Redwood (Sequoia Sempervirens), 277 Feet

The Super Colossus is a coast redwood that is located in Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, which is approximately 250 miles north of San Francisco. It has a hollow burl that engulfs two other redwood trunks, giving it a unique and rather unusual look. It is also massive in size, which makes it stand out more. This is because, in addition to being more than 275 feet high, it is nearly 30 feet wide.

3. Lake Quinault Douglas Fir, Coast Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga Menziesii), 293 Feet

This tree doesn’t have an official name, but it is located in Olympic National Forest on Lake Quinault in Washington State. It is roughly 581 inches (48+ feet) in circumference and has a crown spread of a little over 66 feet. In 2018, the tree was designated the champion of its species and, in fact, is one of the largest known Douglas firs in the United States according to American Forests.

2. Doerner Fir, Coast Douglas Fir (Pseudotsuga Menziesii ) 327 Feet

Named after a longtime Bureau of Land Management (BLM) employee, the Doerner Fir is located in a BLM forest in Coos County, Oregon. It is known to be one of the tallest non-redwood trees in the world. It used to be called the Brummitt Fir after its drainage, and it is roughly the same height as the Centurion, which is found in southern Tasmania.

1. The General Sherman, Giant Sequoia (Sequoiadendron Giganteum), 380 Feet

The General Sherman lives in Sequoia National Park in the Giant Forest, which is located in Tulare County. It is thought to be between 2,200 and 2,700 years old, and the largest branch on this tree is a full seven feet in diameter. The estimated mass (wet) is thought to be more than 2,100 short tons, and the tree is often called the largest living single-stem tree on the planet.