Trees of the Schulman Grove grow mostly on north-facing slopes, above the upper end of the valley of South Fork Cottonwood Creek, which drains eastwards. The high elevations, clear air, low horizons and absense of artificial light for many miles in all directions make the ridge an excellent location for dark sky photography. In addition to the actual trees, with their characteristic twisted forms and richly colored wood, the place is also noted for its spectacular, long distance views, west over Owens Valley to the Eastern Sierra and east across the Great Basin in Nevada, while the surrounding landscape, especially around the upper grove, is also photogenic - stark, undulating hills mostly devoid of other vegetation, in muted shades of grey and brown, almost moonlike. The trees are found along the east side of the summit ridge of the White Mountains, elevations around 10,000 feet, and are concentrated in two main areas, the Schulman Grove at the end of the paved portion of the access road, and the Patriarch Grove, 11 miles further on a generally good gravel track. The trees in this latter region are the most widespread, well-known and easily-accessed in the state, reached by a paved road, and are contained within a 44 square-mile protected area, the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, part of the Inyo National Forest and so managed by the USFS.
Great Basin bristlecone pines (pinus longaeva) are found in scattered high elevation regions of the western US including the Wasatch Range and the Markagunt Plateau in Utah, the Spring Mountains and Great Basin National Park in Nevada, and, in California, the Inyo Mountains, the Panamint Range and the White Mountains.
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