• About Us
  • US Maps
  • US Camping
    • CAMPING MAP
    • MT
    • AL
    • NC
    • AZ
    • ND
    • CA
    • NE
    • CO
    • NJ
    • FL
    • NM
    • GA
    • NV
    • IA
    • NY
    • ID
    • OR
    • IL
    • PA
    • KY
    • SC
    • LA
    • SD
    • MA
    • TN
    • MD
    • TX
    • ME
    • UT
    • MI
    • VA
    • MN
    • WA
    • MO
    • WY
  • US Travel Tales
    • Travel Map
    • MO
    • AL
    • NC
    • AZ
    • ND
    • CA
    • NE
    • CO
    • NM
    • FL
    • NV
    • GA
    • NY
    • IA
    • OR
    • ID
    • PA
    • IL
    • SC
    • KY
    • SD
    • LA
    • TN
    • MA
    • TX
    • MD
    • UT
    • ME
    • VA
    • MI
    • WA
    • MN
    • WY
  • Boondocking
    • Boondocking How To
    • Boondocking Sites
  • US RVing Tips
    • Overview (All Topics)
    • RVing With Pets
    • RV Lifestyle Tips
    • Volunteering & Hosting
    • Solar Power
    • Health Care
    • RV Mods & Upgrades
    • US Blog Links & Resources

Wheeling It: Tales From a Nomadic Life

On the Road Since 2010, Traveling Across USA & Europe With Pets

  • Europe Tips
  • Europe Travel Maps
  • Europe Travel Tales
    • Denmark
    • Spain
    • France
    • Sweden
    • Germany
    • UK
    • Portugal
  • Europe Blog Links & Resources
  • Privacy Policy

Boondocking Site Review – Alabama Hills, Lone Pine, CA

October 30, 2012 by libertatemamo 33 Comments

Exploring around the lovely Alabama Hills

A lovely, large boondocking area with sweeping rock & mountain views just outside Lone Pine, CA on Hwy 395 in central-east California.

Note/ As of Mar 2024, blog readers have commented that this site is now “day use” only and that dispersed camping has been eliminated.

Location: Movie Road, just off Whitney Portal Road in Lone Pine, CA
Coordinates: Approx. 36.599853N,-118.119378W (= start of Movie Road). Link to map location HERE
Cost: FREE (14-day stay limit)
How We Found It: This is a fairly well-known boondocking spot in the area. We read about the area on other people’s blogs and scoped it out last year while staying at nearby Tuttle Creek.
Nearest Dump/Water: Nearest dump/water at Tuttle Creek BLM just ~1 mile away. $5 charge.

  1. Access – 4.5/5  Pretty easy access for any sized-rig here although as usual a little extra effort is needed to access the best spots:
    Directions -> From the traffic stop in Lone Pine take Whitney Portal Road West ~3 miles until you hit Movie Road, then take a right. The first 1/4 mile or so is paved after which it becomes very wide, firm dirt road. Once you hit the dirt and pass the BLM sign you’re on BLM land.
    Boondocking Spots-> Boondocking spots are scattered all around the dirt roads that lead off in spurs from Movie Road. You’ll see evidence of previously used spots that are cleared and have home-made fire pits. Some of the dirt spurs can be narrow and  very sandy/rough so check out the road before bringing in a big-rig.
  2. Nature – 5/5  Excellent nature spot. You are right in the middle of the Alabama Hills with their fabulous rock formations and have a panoramic back-drop of Mt.Whitney and the Sierra Nevada mountains. Lots of interesting dirt trails to explore, hike & bike all around the area.
  3. Isolation – 3.5/5  Pretty good isolation here depending on where you park. The main ding is this is a fairly well-known boondocking area plus it is also on the “tourist route” as the place where lots of old Westerns were filmed. As a result you’ll definitely encounter folks driving around and checking out movie locations or doing the hike to the Mobius Arch. The further you get from the main “movie” run, the more isolated you’ll be.
  4. Pet Friendliness – 5/5  Another fabulous pet spot. You have days-worth of hiking and exploring in the surrounding hills, plus lots of space to hang out in camp. Also this is mostly sandy “scrub” desert with no cactus so it’s easy for paws on the ground.

Overall Rating = 4.4
BONUS ALERT = Camp in the shadow of Mt Whitney within gorgeous rocks and western movie history!

Summary: This ranks up in our books as one of the most scenic boondocking spots around. Located gorgeously in the Alabama Hills you have a backdrop of fabulous rocks with Mt.Whitney and the soaring Sierra Nevada Mountains in the western background. It is fairly easy to access with plenty of space and gorgeous views all around.  Perhaps the only negative about this spot is that it’s fairly well-known on the “tourist loop” as the place to scope out where the old Wild West Movies were made (there is actually a self-guided driving tour of the Alabama Hills in the visitors center), so you will see occasional cars and folks driving by depending on where you park. Also for folks needing internet signal both Verizon & ATT are veeery iffy/spotty so you might need to scope out a few spots before you find a usable spot (or camp at nearby $5/night Tuttle Creek that has excellent signal). Overall however this is a lightly visited area so you’ll still manage plenty of alone time and the views make it all worthwhile. You are close to Lone Pine and Mt.Whitney which gives lots of opportunities for hiking & exploring movie history past, plus there are miles of interesting dirt trails to hike, bike & explore in the Alabama Hills themselves. Overall an outstanding spot and one we’ll likely come back to again and again.

Extra Info: No water or facilities (nearest dump/water is $5 at nearby Tuttle Creek BLM Campground). Veeeery, veeerrry “iffy” Verizon & ATT signals. ATT seems marginally better than Verizon, but most spots are fickle with signal bouncing back and forth between 4G and nothing at all. We were able to get a usable data signal with our Wilson Sleek booster and Paddle (directional) antenna, but some spots have no signal at all. For those who need it nearby scenic Tuttle Creek Campground is only $5/night, very scenic and has excellent signal.

First paved part of Movie Road in the Alabama Hills. BLM sign on the right.
East-side view of our site. You can see a fire ring in the foreground and the Sierra Nevada mountains in the background.
Front view of our site. The dirt road runs to the right.
View from west-side of our site
Distant view of our rig tucked into the rocks. Can you see it?
View of our “sitting area”
Typical “site” view. Cleared out space with fire ring that shows it’s been used before.
Another great site.
Distant view of another boondocker
And yet another boondocker in a nice, isolated spot
Very approximate map of Alabama Hills boondocking area around Movie Road. Lone Pine is on the right.

Share this:

  • Pinterest
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Tumblr
  • Email

Like this:

Like Loading...

Related

« Rocks, Trails, Movies & History – Wrapping Up Lone Pine, CA
Nesting, Nesting – A Month At The Spa »

We LOooVE Comments, So Please Do

  1. Steve says

    October 30, 2012 at 10:16 am

    A very special place and glad you made it there. Though there is one disadvantage to the place and that is when movies are being filmed. When we were there last February, there were two movies being shot at the same time. One, a “GI Joe” type film wasn’t a big issue as all we saw was several modified Black Hawk helicopters occasionally chasing each other around. However, the other movie, “Django Unchained” (why a movie about a slave in the south would have scenes filmed there is beyond me), the producers moved the crew right into where we were camped and started setting up the scenes. Initially, sort of fun (many people thought we were part of the shoot) but, not very private or quiet. They couldn’t kick us out (though it was apparent we weren’t wanted….even though I thought our travel trailer would look good in their movie……), but this lack of privacy eventually “encouraged” us to move on.

    Steve

    Reply
    • libertatemamo says

      October 30, 2012 at 10:24 am

      Wow…I hadn’t even thought of being in the middle of a movie there, but it’s still used as a site, so I guess that makes sense. I could totally see that “encouraging” us to move on too…unless they’re paying for the priviledge of having an RV in the shoot hahah
      Nina

      Reply
      • Charles Frederick says

        March 26, 2024 at 6:21 am

        Update as of March 27, 2024: Dispersed RV camping in Alabama Hills has been all but eliminated and sites along Movie Road and other accessible areas have been converted to “Day Use”. This change apparently occurred during the pandemic but we did not know about it until we arrived and then found no available spaces (on a Monday!). We hope to find other places to camp in the eastern Sierra with expansive views of the mountains, but it won’t be at Alabama Hills, Very disappointing.

        Reply
        • libertatemamo says

          April 5, 2024 at 7:26 am

          Thank you for the update…and sorry to hear it.

          Nina

          Reply
  2. Chuck says

    October 30, 2012 at 2:30 pm

    Beautiful area, haven’t been there in years but want to take Geri on the entire 395 route. Went to City of Rocks briefly yesterday…beautiful. Will stay there a week first part of Dec afterwe’re done working here in Mimbres. Thanks for your postings, GREAT info!!!

    Reply
    • libertatemamo says

      October 30, 2012 at 2:32 pm

      This place reminds me alot of City of Rocks in NM, just on a much larger scale. That’s another spot we simply loved when we were there. Glad you like the postings!
      Nina

      Reply
  3. notsofancynancy says

    October 30, 2012 at 5:20 pm

    again and again for me too! Love this place!

    Reply
  4. flyfishnevada says

    October 30, 2012 at 9:28 pm

    Love the shots of the rig! Can’t get enough shots of motorhomes. My wife and I both say, “Living the dream,” every time a MH with a Jeep Wrangler rolls by. Fuels my imagination to see you’re rig parked. Gonna have to explore the area some day. Just far enough from home to make a day trip a long haul but we pass the area a couple times a year on our way to Disneyland.

    On a side note, many time lapse filmmakers use the area for shorts of the night sky, usually through the arches. Tom Lowe’s film “TimeScapes” has scenes from all over the area. If you see someone in the middle of the night with a DSLR, they might be making a time lapse film.

    Reply
    • libertatemamo says

      November 1, 2012 at 2:18 pm

      I too love the shots of the rig in the big desert. Something about the majestic size of everything just gets me going 🙂
      And yes, we saw sime time-lapse images of the area. I toyed a bit w/ longer exposures while I was there, but didn’t get anything I liked. The shots that track the stars are my favorites, but you need special tracker-equipment for that.
      Nina

      Reply
  5. Bob says

    October 30, 2012 at 11:38 pm

    Simply awesome. And I guess that’s all I can say.
    Camping vicariously is the reason why I keep stopping by. Thanks for the effort.
    When I clicked on and went to the map link, I was tempted to go to “directions” and see how that would work from Vienna.
    I somehow doubt that that would work..

    Reply
    • libertatemamo says

      November 1, 2012 at 2:18 pm

      Glad you’re enjoying the blog, even all the way from Vienna! That’s a tad more than a hop and a skip away 🙂
      Nina

      Reply
  6. rommel says

    January 25, 2013 at 9:31 pm

    Sorry, I don’t have much experience the way RV’ers have, and I have mostly California as my travel destinations. My job doesn’t allow me to go over ____ miles. But the rock images here remind me so much about Joshua Tree. It’s a wonder why it’s less popular.

    Reply
    • libertatemamo says

      January 29, 2013 at 7:45 am

      Yeah, the rocks remind me often of Joshua Tree too. There is some climbing here, but for some reason doesn’t seem as popular.
      Nina

      Reply
  7. Amy says

    October 2, 2013 at 11:30 am

    Just found your blog and love it. We’ve been on the road about two years now and stayed for about 3 months in Lone Pine then came back and did another extended stay. FYI: You can purchase a 6 month pass for the Tuttle Creek Campground at the Visitors Center for about $150 depending on the season. We were able to find Verizon service there and had a gorgeous spot along the creek. Loved it there – minus the not so exciting grocery store. I’m pretty sure we camped in the same spot as you when we first discovered Lone Pine and boondocked for a week or so. (Here’s a link to a picture: http://145squarefeet.wordpress.com/2013/09/14/breaking-the-full-timer-stereotype-rv-living/ ) …. Thanks for sharing your experience. Lone Pine is certainly one of our favorite places!

    Reply
    • libertatemamo says

      October 4, 2013 at 1:00 pm

      You’re right!! That looks like exactly the same spot in the Alabama Hills in your blog! How fun!!

      We too loved Tuttle Creek. I’d heard about the LTVA (6-month long-term permit) there, but for some reason I thought it was more expensive (around $300?). Of course with the govt shut-down this week I can’t check, but I’ll have to see if I remember and go check it again later.

      Nina

      Reply
      • Amy says

        October 4, 2013 at 1:12 pm

        We were there at the end of the season and I can’t remember if we just paid for three months or purchased the entire six month pass. Regardless, it was well worth it. Lone Pine has the best landscape and the most gorgeous sunsets we’ve seen. We also spent some time fishing in the creek – amazing trout dinners! Can’t wait to go back again one of these days and do some more exploring. – Amy

        Reply
  8. Bill says

    February 21, 2014 at 9:12 am

    Hey guys, we’re planning a visit here in May and are very excited. Love your blog and are living through you until the time we can go on the road like you. Keep posting as I cant wait to see where you go next.

    Bill
    http://fulltime.spantz.com/

    Reply
    • libertatemamo says

      February 22, 2014 at 7:53 pm

      Well, enjoy the visit! Should be a fine time to go.
      Nina

      Reply
  9. Richard Oliveria says

    March 29, 2015 at 4:14 pm

    looks nice but I am ready for Boondocking in the TREES. Enough Rocks already.

    Reply
    • libertatemamo says

      March 30, 2015 at 2:54 pm

      TREES are just up the road at Mammoth Lakes if you want them. Lots of boondocking in the forest on the east side of 395 there.

      Nina

      Reply
      • Richard Oliveria says

        March 30, 2015 at 3:44 pm

        We have just arrived in Yuma to spend about 3 days, teeth etc. We were going to try your Ogilby Rd. B.D. area but it is just tooooooo hot so we are staying at a Passport America park right in Old Yuma area. Boondocking would have required running the Gen Set all day long. no thanks.

        Rich

        Reply
        • libertatemamo says

          March 30, 2015 at 3:55 pm

          Yup, WAY too hot to boondock down there right now. We are fair-weather boondockers only. Once it gets too hot (or too cold) we move on.

          Nina

          Reply
          • Richard Oliveria says

            March 30, 2015 at 4:50 pm

            Going to try Dr. Rubio this time but I think I will just call him direct w/o Dayo. what do ya think?
            Rich

Trackbacks

  1. BLM Campground Review – Tuttle Creek, Lone Pine, CA | Wheeling It says:
    October 30, 2012 at 9:42 am

    […] site or take one of the roads further in for a more adventurous site within the rocks. Check out my review of the area for more […]

    Reply
  2. 2012 Top RV Parks & Campgrounds Of The Year | Wheeling It says:
    January 4, 2013 at 5:49 pm

    […] Located in the shadow of majestic Mt.Whitney snuggled between cool & wacky rocks with some old Western Movie History thrown in, this is just a fabulous and totally unique boondocking spot. You’ve got 360-degree views, miles of nature to explore and it’s all gloriously FREE. There is no doubt we’ll be back here again. CHECK IT OUT! […]

    Reply
  3. Putzing, Putzing, Putzing…And RV Sue! | Wheeling It says:
    October 30, 2013 at 11:39 am

    […] into a private boondocking spot in the zany rocks of the Alabama Hills. I’ve blogged about this area many times before and it’s a go-to stop for us everytime we drive 395. I call it our […]

    Reply
  4. 2013 Best Campgrounds Of The Year | Wheeling It says:
    January 7, 2014 at 5:17 pm

    […] It combines wacky rocks against the backdrop site of majestic Mount Whitney. Simply stunning! Link to Review. Rating = […]

    Reply
  5. A Cool Airstream Gal & A “Tippy” ?@#! Drive – Lone Pine, CA | Wheeling It says:
    November 17, 2014 at 7:26 pm

    […] the back and far views of Owen Valley in the foreground. It’s also right next to the lovely Alabama Hills (another one of our fav spots) and the cute little town of Lone Pine which offers […]

    Reply
  6. Heloooooo Boonies -> Lone Pine, CA | Wheeling It says:
    March 29, 2015 at 1:36 pm

    […] follow my blog will already know where we are. It’s an old-time favorite spot of ours, the Alabama Hills just west of Lone Pine, CA. This outerworldy landscape is a mix of 150-200 million year […]

    Reply
  7. 5 Things To Do In The Alabama Hills – Lone Pine, CA | Wheeling It says:
    April 3, 2015 at 7:33 pm

    […] you who follow the blog already know that the Alabama Hills is one of our all-time favorite boondocking spots. This is BLM land and they allow you to camp on any pre-used (cleared-out) site for up to 14 days. […]

    Reply
  8. BLM Campground Review – Tuttle Creek, Lone Pine, CA | Wheeling It says:
    April 4, 2015 at 7:55 am

    […] site or take one of the roads further in for a more adventurous site within the rocks. Check out my review of the area for more […]

    Reply
  9. 2015 Best Campgrounds Of The Year – Wheeling It says:
    January 6, 2016 at 3:23 pm

    […] Alabama Hills BLM, Lone Pina, CA -> An old-time favorite we stop here almost every time we drive Hwy 395. Cool boulders, Mount Whitney and 360-degree views keep us coming back despite the iffy cellphone signal. Rating = 4.4/5. Link to review HERE. […]

    Reply
  10. Introducing Roadmaster Nighthawk, World's First Lighted RV Tow Bar! says:
    April 6, 2017 at 6:38 pm

    […] Here’s a great post about boondocking in the Alabama Hills from our friends Nina & Paul of Wheeling It. […]

    Reply

A Comment For Your Thoughts? Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Where Are We Today?

Home Base, SW France

About Us

Europe Travel Maps

Top Blog Posts

  • Moving To Europe V - Pet Transport Options (By Sea, By Air, Pet Carriers & More)
  • 8 Tips For Visiting & Photographing Niagara Falls
  • The Splendor Of Scenic Highway 395
  • Château Living Part II – Interior Details
  • SP Campground Review - Jonathan Dickinson State Park, Jupiter, FL

Archives

Subscribe Via Email

Disclosure Notice: WheelingIt is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Wheelingit US Camping Map

Reviews of every place we camped 2010-2018. Click to explore and enjoy!

Connect With Us

Want more Wheelingit? Connect with us by subscribing to one of our feeds!
 
Twitter Instagram
RSS YouTube

Tip The Beer Fund

Feeling the love? Share it with a contribution towards the Wheelingit beer fund (or rum fund, depending on weather & other random factors). We'll be sure to raise a glass to your health!
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
COPYRIGHT INFO © 2024 Wheeling It. Share and enjoy, but please don't swipe it. All material, text and pictures in this blog are copyrighted. Should you be interested in using them please feel free to contact me and I’ll be happy to talk about it!

© 2025 · Wheelingit · Built on the Genesis Framework

This website uses cookies to improve your browsing experience Got It!
To find out more, or learn how to change your cookie settings, click here Read more
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are as essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
SAVE & ACCEPT
 

Loading Comments...
 

    %d