National Champion Bald Cypress, Cat Island National Wildlife Refuge, Louisiana. October, 2023.

National Champion Bald Cypress, a large bald cypress tree seen from a distance in the woods in Cat Island National Wildlife Refuge.

National Champion Bald Cypress, Cat Island National Wildlife Refuge, Louisiana. October, 2023.

This is the largest bald cypress in the United States, the sixth largest tree in the country, and largest tree east of the Sierra Nevada. It’s estimated to be about 1,000 years old and it’s quite an impressive sight, well worth the detour into Cat Island National Wildlife Refuge.