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Free Camping Collection

Dispersed Camping

Alabama Hills Recreation Area

82 Reviews

About

Bureau of Land Management

The Alabama Hills are a formation of rounded rocks and eroded hills set between the jagged peaks of the Sierra Nevada and the geologically complex Inyo Mountains. Both geologic features were shaped by the same uplifting occurring 100 million years ago.

Alabama Hills camping offers touring film sites, photography, rock climbing, exploring natural arches, and viewing the swaths of wildflowers that bloom every spring. Horseback riding and mountain biking are popular activities.

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Location

Alabama Hills Recreation Area is located in California

Coordinates

36.59582058 N
118.10916097 W

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Access

Drive-In
Park next to your site
Walk-In
Park in a lot, walk to your site.

Stay Connected

WiFi
Good
Verizon
Available
AT&T
Good
T-Mobile
Available

Site Types

Dispersed

Features

For Campers

Toilets
Alcohol
Pets
Fires

For Vehicles

Pull-Through Sites
Big Rig Friendly

Enjoy dispersed camping on government land and leave no trace. Pack in and pack out. No (or limited) services at this camping area. Permit may be required.

PERMIT might be REQUIRED

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Contact

General Info

Mike G.

Guide

Reviewed May. 2, 2024

Nice spot with great views.

Depending on the time of year, it may be hard to find a spot. You can't park anywhere, but there are designated spots to camp in. I went at the end of April and it was packed.

You might be able to park overnight and leave early in the morning in some areas, not sure how much they patrol the area.

No cell coverage for T-Mobile, but I used my WeeBoost and got two bars, enough to make calls and texts.

Use caution when traversing though the area to find a site if you have a normal sedan or normal vehicle height. The road is bumpy and there can areas that are steep.

My Van got stuck through a slot canyon as I was trying to find a site. I didn't have my recovery tracks, since it was a last minute stop on the way back from Mammoth.

With the help of a nice nearby camper who had a wench, we were able to free my van in three hours. It was around midnight, so I ended up just driving out and parking in Lone Pine to sleep for a few hours.

Month of VisitMay

Fabiola T.

Traveler

Reviewed Apr. 7, 2024

BUCKET LIST SPOT

THIS PLACE IS ABSOLUTELY AMAZING. HEAVEN ON EARTH!!! Only thing I would advise against is getting there in the dark. We got there around 9pm and it started snowing. We couldn’t see a foot ahead of us and had no idea where we were. Finding an overnight spot was almost impossible. However the view we woke up to the next morning was out of this world. We were the in April. Nights are cold (we god snow) temperature during the day is very comfortable! Cell phone service is touch and go. Garbage disposal available at entrance as wells as porta potties. The overnight spots can be hard to find and are popular. Get there before noon if you want to secure a spot. Absolutely worth the detour. Don’t hesitate. Just go!

Month of VisitMay

Pavla L.

Guide

Reviewed Oct. 20, 2023

Movie road closed for overnight camping

The main Whitney portal - Movie road crossroad was closed, we went there from the other side. Then after about 20 minutes "driving" on Movie road (very very bumby terrain) and still meeting only signs "day use only" we just turned back and eventually stayed at a place near another road nearby (Horse-something road). Wouldn't go there again.

Month of VisitNovember

Jaden J.

Guide

Reviewed Aug. 4, 2023

Crazy cool spot

The main road to the dispersed campground was closed but there was other roads nearby. Found one close to the Tuttle Creek Campground that was super secluded and quiet. The views were amazing and there were plenty of trails around to go explore the unique terrain! No campfires in the area during summertime, but would definitely camp here again!

Month of VisitSeptember

Jaden J.

Guide

Reviewed Aug. 4, 2023

Crazy Cool Spot

The road was closed to the main campground road, but there were other spots up the road towards Tuttle Creek campground. The spot was super secluded and quite with amazing views! No fires allowed during the summer time but can’t beat the price! Would definitely camp here again!

Month of VisitSeptember

Val C.

Guide

Reviewed Jul. 16, 2023

Limited Camping Spots

Came because we needed a place to camp overnight. Unfortunately I was not aware that the BLM changed their policy on dispersed camping at Alabama Hills. They have limited marked camping spots and encourage visitors to camp at other nearby campgrounds.

Sitenone

Month of VisitJuly

Rob R.

Guide

Reviewed Jan. 3, 2023

Amazing

One of my favorite places in the world. Easy in, easy out. Amazing night sky.

Month of VisitJune

Christine C.

Guide

Reviewed Nov. 21, 2022

Gorgeous, windy, private

I found a 4x4 spot in the dark that a trailer couldn’t get into. The next morning I moved to a bigger spot 2 camp spots down because the first one didn’t get sun. In hindsight I should have stayed. It got super windy and the larger site was intense. Be prepared for to pack it all in and out coz you aren’t digging many cat holes. Tons of privacy at many sites. Drive around before settling based on weather because there are some amazing spots wedged between big rocks that provide amazing shelter.

Not sure if exact coordinates but I took the next major turnoff on the right after the scary face painted rock.

Site36.60619, -118.11823

Month of VisitDecember

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Jay T.

Traveler

Reviewed Jun. 20, 2022

Alabama Hills dispersed

Amazing camping. Very quiet and no light contamination. Beautiful night sky’s and dispersed camping

Month of VisitApril

Kristian W.

Guide

Reviewed May. 19, 2022

Incredible Campground

One of the coolest campgrounds I've been to. Not much to say that hasn't already been said, but if you have any kind of 4x4 vehicle be sure to drive it back into the rocks a ways, there are some great tucked in sites.

Month of VisitJune

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Laura M.

Legend

Reviewed Apr. 8, 2022

This Place is a Gem

This really is an amazing area to hike and explore, and it's such a treat to be able to stay the night here as well. I do hope that camping privileges don't get taken away. There are new signs all over closer to the main entrance designating areas as day use only. These signs weren't here when we camped here last year.

There are still plenty of spots to park and camp, and plenty of them are accessible to larger rigs, though the smaller vans and 4x4 trucks can get to more of the spots.

We found a spot (36.613844,-118.118058) along Movie Road that was sort of a pullout / pull through. So it was easy access for large rigs but there was some traffic going by our spot and as the weekend approached it definitely got busier so we decided to move on. Also, though there wasn't enough room for another camper to squeeze in, there were a couple of times where day use people parked their car behind us for a short while.

The ATT phone had good service here and the Verizon phone had nothing. The cell booster gave the Verizon phone texting abilities but nothing else.

Hopefully people respect the signs and the area and keep it clean so that we can continue to camp here.

Site36.613844,-118.118058

Month of VisitMay

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Tyler C.

Traveler

Reviewed Feb. 12, 2022

Rocks everywhere

Came in a Tesla Model 3 after supercharging at Lone Pine.

Very hard to navigate at night, recommend to show up during the day.

Roads are well maintained, look out for signs that show where you can/can’t settle down.

Woke up to lots of rocks

SiteN/A

Month of VisitMarch

Heather L.

Legend

Reviewed Jan. 18, 2022

Still a fave!!

I’ve camped here several times and I’ve never been disappointed. A creek runs right through the camp from the mountains, we just put the cooler right in the water and everything stays icy cold! Gorgeous views and the STARS!! Rock climbing areas all around. This campsite also has a bathroom which is very nice but bring your own TP. Check out Mobias Arch trail - it’s a must do! The best BBQ you’ll have in California about 40 min away.

Month of VisitJune

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Katie H.

Guide

Reviewed Jan. 17, 2022

Convenient + Beautiful loop

Pull off the road right up the hill from Lone Pine. Great place to camp at the end of a long drive. Wake up to breakfast in Lone Pine at the Alabama Hills Cafe (yum!) and then drive up to Eastern Sierras for an early morning start.

SiteAlabama Hills

Month of VisitSeptember

C. K.

Scout

Reviewed Dec. 28, 2021

Beautiful. Lots of Bears. Not Free - Cost is $26 per night

Beautiful. Lots of Bears so be careful and aware

Not Free - Cost is $26 per night, reservations needed

Except winter months are free at the moment

Always check for updates

https://www.blm.gov/visit/alabama-hills

Marissa

Traveler

Reviewed Nov. 24, 2021

Great Location, Friendly Locals

This campsite is open to anyone first come, first served at no charge. There’s tons of space in all the rock formations to find the best spot for any group/vehicle size. The rocks also preserve some space and distance from your nearest neighbor.Location is less than 15 min drive from the town, Lone Pine, and nestled at the bottom of Mt. Whitney with magical sunset views of her snow capped peaks in all their glory. Fires are discouraged by Inyo County due to lack of care by recent campers for fire safety and the trash/used toilet paper, “nasty things,” one local described, left behind. There’s designated fire pits in another paid campsite on the mountain thats higher in elevation, but that site’s closed for the season. The town seems to love their Alabama Hills rec area seeing how well taken care of the campground was and how easy it was to chat with them about the site and it’s present issues. There are portapottys located as soon as you turn on Movie Rd. from Whitney Portal Rd. A local informed me on bathrooms in the higher elevation campsite on the mountain and even if the sites closed, they’re not opposed to someone using the camp restrooms, as needed.

SiteMoon centered, Mtn peak rear ;)

Month of VisitDecember

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Julia M.

Guide

Reviewed Nov. 17, 2021

Incredible - A Must Stay!

Incredible stay for boondocking. Stunning area and easy to navigate on the dirt roads with RV if you can find a site closer to where the asphalt ends. We had no problem in November.

Amazing weather. The sites are a little limited to one side of the recreation area, but we got lucky with our spot. AT&T service was 2 of 4 bars and we were able to work remote and live stream on that service.

Small town of Lone Pine- there isn't much going on, but some good restaurants- TX bbq, Totem Cafe, etc., friendly locals,Jake's Saloon and accessible to Bishop, Independence. The Western Film Museum is a must. Only$5/person and it was definitely worth more than$5. Manzanar was also very interesting to learn more about.

Movie Road connects to Whitney Portal Rd that will take you up to the trailhead for Mt. Whitney. Permits required, along with a fee and can reserve online and then pick up at the Lone Pine Visitor center.

What a special place- we will be back again.

Month of VisitDecember

Emmanuel L.

Guide

Reviewed Nov. 13, 2021

Turtle Creek Campground is fantastic

A fantastic campground overlooking the Whitney range with easy access to roclimbing sites of Alabama Hills.

Ten minutes to Lone Pine which has very thick. You may have forgotten to bring.

Site are well spaced to allow some form of privacy in the high mountI desert.

Site23

Month of VisitDecember

Keith

Guide

Reviewed Oct. 18, 2021

Gorgeous mountain views

Large grounds with 60 plus sites. Most fairly level using 1 or2 leveling blocks. Small creek runs through grounds. Experienced gusting winds exceeding 50mph. Over the night of our stay. Close to Alabama hills and movie road. Hiking for all abilities. Cost for the stay was $4.00. That was using “America the beautiful pass”. Pit toilets that were clean and maintained.

Site8

Month of VisitNovember

Em X K.

Guide

Reviewed Sep. 25, 2021

Alabama Hills are a must see

I dispersed camped here in late September and it was absolutely beautiful. Views of Mt. Whitney, perfect camping weather and sleeping temperatures, otherworldly landscapes, what else do you need?

SiteDispersed Camped

Month of VisitOctober

Jordan R.

Ranger

Reviewed Sep. 1, 2021

Excellent camping and climbing!

Pretty dusty from offroaders sometimes but its pretty quiet at night with everything being spaced out a LOT. It's all dispersed camping so no bathrooms, trash, water, etc. Find a nice dirt patch and it's yours. Lots of great hidden spots.

Month of VisitDecember

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Taylor B.

Guide

Reviewed Jul. 15, 2021

INCREDIBLE

This spot was absolutely incredible with some of the best views I’ve ever seen.

There weren’t amenities or anything but with a view like that, it doesn’t even matter. We brought our 22 ft airstream through here and took some random side roads until we found the perfect spot. I was a bit nervous at first but it handled the roads like a champ. I’d be careful because some are bumpy but most seemed pretty good and definitely well maintained.

The area is so large that even though there were a lot of cars driving by in the distance, there’s kind of no way you’d be even close to anyone.

We saw jackrabbits and many birds which was our entertainment.

Didn’t have any cell service but it was comforting to know that the town of Lone pine was right down the street.

This place felt straight out of a movie (which is funny because there was a sign saying many were filmed there)

Hot in July with little to no breeze through the night but truly breathtaking

Month of VisitAugust

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S E.

Guide

Reviewed Jul. 13, 2021

Truly Magical

This place is a dream. Free dispersed camping anywhere you see, & pretty well maintained dirt roads throughout. The landscape is just beyond beautiful and the area is so big to explore. There may be other people, but it would be a challenge to run into them unless going on one of the more popular hikes.

There’s little to no cell service in many areas, so be prepared for that. It can also get very hot.

Month of VisitAugust

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Kylee M.

Guide

Reviewed Jul. 10, 2021

Amazing nights!

Easy to find and extremely scenic. Lots of open spots, just had to find one big enough for our trailer. Saw a lot of tent campers. Stayed two nights total. The nights are amazing here! Incredible star gazing and the wind dies down. During the day in July it’s hot and windy, so much that it’s hard to do anything. Sunset is beautiful and worth it.

Month of VisitAugust

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Amelia F.

Guide

Reviewed Jun. 3, 2021

Desert Snow Magic

This place is absolutely gorgeous. I have camped out here 3 times now. Each time it never disappoints and never gets old. I love that it doesn’t have amenities because it lets me feel like we are far out there even though there is easy access to town.

Month of VisitJune

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Brett L.

Guide

Reviewed Jun. 2, 2021

Incredible terrain, beautiful skies, super easy access

Please note: This review is regarding the dispersed camping. There are (at least) two formal camp grounds right near the dispersed camping area.

We went up there with another family, both of us towing camping trailers with 4x4 trucks. A 4x4 is not needed, nor is a high clearance vehicle. All of the camping spots in the dispersed area are either off the the side of the main road, or down small roads branching from the main. A lot of the sites are not visible from the main road, you need to travel down the little road to see if anyone is there. Easy to do if you are in a car or truck. A little more challenging if you are towing something big. If it looks like there are a lot of people there and you are driving something that can not turn around easy, I would suggest dropping of your trailer at the beginning of the dispersed camping area and scouting out your spot. Every spot has an incredible view. The terrain is awesome. There are several short hiking loops in the area.

The only thing I would change is that we would park further off of the main road. Some people rip down the dirt roads in their cars and dirt bikes.

Also, there is an evening breeze that can come out of nowhere and relocate your chairs and adjust your awning so you might want to put them away before calling it a night.

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ELSA D.

Traveler

Reviewed May. 31, 2021

Memorial Weekend 2021

Amazing views in every direction. Although it was a holiday weekend, we found a great spot early Saturday morning. Find a spot not too far from a porta potty if you don’t have your own. Also be prepared for the heat and wind. A mister to cool you down and extra stakes or even weights for your tent and canopies would be helpful. Weather was in the 80s-90s and we survived! Few of us ended up heading to town to buy more ice for our coolers on Sunday. At night it was in the 60s but extremely windy. Overall both kids and adults had a blast.

Month of VisitJune

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Charles G.

Guide

Reviewed May. 29, 2021

Best. Campsite. Ever.

Everyone knows about Alabama Hills now (thanks social media). That doesn't diminish the beauty out there. There is a plethora of available camping spots that all fill up quickly and for good reason. Falling asleep at night looking at Mount Whitney is something I could never get used to and the sunrises and sunsets out there are stunning. What the area "lacks" in camping amenities, it makes up for in sheer views. This is a gem.

Month of VisitOctober

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Alyssa L.

Guide

Reviewed May. 22, 2021

Awesome place!

This is such a beautiful area. Take some extra water and spend some time exploring this place. The rocks give me Joshua Tree vibes, and the views of Whitney are incredible. Have fun!

Month of VisitJune

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Emma A.

Legend

Reviewed Apr. 3, 2021

Fantastic dispersed camping at the base of Mount Whitney

We spent one night in the Alabama Hills at the base of Mount Whitney at the beginning of April. Such a gorgeous place for a stopover. So many other people but still many options for dispersed camping with stunning views. Port-a-potties at nearby trailhead. Spotty AT&T cell reception.

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