National Forest: Fishlake National Forest

Nearest major town or city: Salt Lake City, Utah

Close your eyes and imagine the world’s largest, most dense organism ever to exist. No, it’s not some extinct dinosaur or mysterious creature on the ocean floor. It’s actually the Pando Aspen Clone on the Fishlake National Forest.

Weighing in at 13 million pounds, the collective root system of these 40,000 aspen trees is believed to have been born from a single seed at the end of the last ice age (about 2.6 million years ago!)

During the summer visitors can bask in the vibrant green leaves of the aspens, catching a break from the Utah heat while wandering through the clone. But just wait until fall rolls around when the trees turn the 106 acres into a golden beacon of light on the Forest. Walk through the clone and witness the largest organism ever discovered!

Fun Fact: the name “Pando” is Latin for “I spread”, a symbol of the clone’s single-seed origins.

Learn more and plan your visit: https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail...