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This paper investigates the application of a ground‐based laser scanning system for providing quantitative tree measurements in densely stocked plantation forests. A methodology is tested in Kielder Forest, northern England using stands of mature Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis) and a structured mixture of Sitka spruce and lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta), standing at tree densities of 600 and 2800 stems ha⁻¹ respectively. Three laser scans, two in the Sitka spruce and one in structured mixture, were collected using a Reigl Inc. LPM‐300VHS high‐speed laser scanner. Field measurements were recorded at the same time and included tree diameter at breast height (dbh) and tree height. These measurements were then compared with those derived from the scanner. The results demonstrate that accurate measurements of tree diameter can be derived directly from the laser scan point cloud return in instances …