How to Measure the Height of a Standing Tree

First off: why would you ever need to know the height of a standing tree? Three reasons come to mind:

• The height of a tree is vital to know if you’re cutting it down. You need to make sure nothing and no one will be harmed when it falls.
• It’s helpful to know whether your house is in the falling zone of a tree during a storm.
• You’re just plain curious. Hey, I now know the magnolia in my front yard is twenty-four feet. Ka-pow!

Below you’ll find some practical (and not so practical) ways of measuring a tree.

Impractical Tip #1: Ask a Squirrel

This may sound like the easiest and most enticing option, but there’s a surprising amount of legwork that goes into asking a squirrel the height of a tree. First, you’ll need to befriend a squirrel. This can take a few years. You can gain its trust by offering a steady supply of assorted nuts, letting it into your house, and allowing it to sleep in your bed.

Then you’ll need to teach the squirrel English, or at least a numerical system. Finally, you must trust that the squirrel isn’t lying to you.

Impractical Tip #2: Climb

With a measuring tape in tow, climb to the very top of the tree. Once you reach the highest point, hold on to one end of the tape and drop the other to the ground. Read the tape. That’s the height of your tree.

(While we wish you well in your squirrel-befriending endeavors, please don’t do this option.=)

Practical Tip #1: Measure the Tree’s (and Your) Shadow

This method gives you a solid height estimate using simple proportions.

You’ll need:

1.  Your height

2.  Your shadow length (an extra hand helps)

3.  The tree’s shadow length

Once you have all three, compare the ratios.

For example, if your 6-foot height casts a 4-foot shadow, and the tree’s shadow is 20 feet long, then:

6 ft ÷ 4 ft = 1.5
20 ft × 1.5 = 30 ft (tree height)

Note: measure both shadows around the same time so the sun angle is consistent.

Practical Tip #2: Look Between Your Legs

It sounds odd, but this method—said to have been used by Native Americans—produces surprisingly accurate results.

1.  Stand with your back to the tree.

2.  Look between your legs at the tree.

3.  If you can’t see the whole tree, walk farther away until the top becomes visible.

4.  Mark this spot on the ground.

5.  Measure the distance from that mark to the tree’s trunk.

You now have an oddly accurate estimate of your tree’s height.

Practical Tip #3: Use a Smartphone Clinometer App

Many free apps can measure angles using your phone’s camera.

1.  Stand a known distance from the tree.

2.  Hold your phone at eye level and aim at the treetop.

3.  The app will calculate the height for you, or give you the angle so you can plug it into a simple online calculator.

Fast, simple, and surprisingly accurate.

Practical Tip #4: The Stick-and-Walk Method

This classic forester’s trick is quick and surprisingly effective.

1.  Hold a stick at arm’s length so that the part of the stick above your hand equals the distance from your hand to your eye.

2.  Keeping your arm straight, walk backward until the stick appears to be the same height as the tree.

3.  Measure the distance from where you’re standing to the base of the tree. That distance is approximately the tree’s height.

Practical Tip #5: The Yardstick Method (Video)

Sometimes it’s easier to show than tell. Here’s a quick video from a forestry professor at Stephen F. Austin State University demonstrating how to measure a tree with a yardstick:

https://youtu.be/cDy5OjfMfZ8

Please note: these methods provide estimates. For exact measurements—or if you plan to cut down a tree—contact your local arborist. Happy tree measuring!