Location Profile: Alabama Hills
Location Profile: Alabama Hills
Text and photos by Heather Cline
Alabama Hills may be best known as a filming location where over 400 movies have been filmed since 1920, but this area also attracts visitors from around the United States and internationally for it's recreational activities and beautiful scenery. With over 150,000 visitors a year, a recreational management plan was enacted in 2019, designating over 18,000 of the 29,000 acres a national scenic area. This plan will introduce a number of changes including a limited permit system for semi-primitive dispersed camping, guidelines for new rock climbing route development, management strategies for roads, routes and trails, and the installation of strategically placed toilets, trash facilities and signage to minimize the adverse effects of day and overnight use. The goal is to improve the visitor experience while protecting the area’s resources and values.
 
Sunburst through rock formation |
What is Alabama Hills?
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. The rounded, oddly shaped contours of the Alabama Hills form a sharp contrast to the glacially carved ridges of the Sierra Nevada. While both land forms consist of the same granitic rock, the fantastic shapes of the hills are a result of natural chemical weathering
Alabama hills is comprised of three different-looking types of rock:
- Reddish-orange rock that looks almost flaky or scaly: this is volcanic rock that looks weathered and is typically found in the largest formations. This is metamorphic rock (rock that changes over time due to intense heat and/or pressure) that can be dated back 150 – 200 million years.
- Tan, smooth looking boulder: this monzogranite rock is often in the form of spheres, eggs, teardrop, or as an arch. Monzogranite comes from molten rock called magma and has a smooth appearance because it’s weathered evenly over the past 85 million years.
- Gray peaks of the Sierras and Mount Whitney: surprisingly, these mountains are made of the same granite as the tan boulders found in Alabama Hills. Their appearance is different only by how they weathered. In the higher elevations, the Sierras were glaciated over a long period of time which created the smoothed appearance they have today. Their height and slope are due to to the fact that the Sierras sit on a fault block which is pushing up out of the ground.
The Alabama Hills were named for the CSS Alabama, a Confederate warship deployed during the American Civil War. California prospectors sympathetic to the Confederates, named many mining claims after the ship, and the name came to be applied to the entire range.
The hills are managed by the Bureau of Land Management.
Mobius Arch |
Where is Alabama Hills?
Directions: From the heart of Lone Pine (60 minutes south of Bishop) go west on Whitney Portal road then, 2.7 miles along, turn right onto Movie Flat road. Many dirt roads intersect with Movie Flat road leading into the hills and among the boulders. Movie Flat road is a graded dirt road maintained for passenger vehicles. Other roads may be sandy and soft requiring 4-wheel drive capability.
Latitude/Longitude: 36.53754444, -118.1087469
Other nearby attractions include:
- Eastern Sierra Visitor Center
- Death Valley National Park
- Manzanar National Historic Site
- Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest
- Palisade Glacier
Boot Arch |
When is a good time to visit?
- Spring and Fall are most comfortable with mild temperatures and snow capped mountains in the spring
- Summer daytime temperatures can get very hot and winter is quite chilly
Indian Paintbrush in springtime |
Why should I visit?
Visitors enjoy touring film sites, photography, rock climbing, exploring natural arches, and viewing wildflowers that bloom every spring. Horseback riding and mountain biking are popular activities. This is also a popular location for camping:
- Tuttle Creek Campground has 80+ sites for tents, RVs, and trailers. Drinking water and restrooms are available. Tuttle Creek runs through the campground, providing fishing and birding opportunities.
- Portuguese Joe Campground and Lone Pine Campground. Located just east of the Alabama Hills
Cloud over rock formation |
Quick Facts
- There are no amenities within Alabama Hills but Lone Pine is only about 5 minutes away and offers food, lodging, and other services.
- Alabama Hills Brochure and Map
- Cell service is good in some areas and spotty in others.
- Alabama Hills is Bortle class 2 or "average dark sky" site. On a clear night with no moon, the Milky Way is highly visible under these conditions.
- Soon a permit will be required to dispersed camp in the Alabama Hills. The permit will be free and will be an acknowledgement that you understand the rules and guidance for dispersed camping. The permit will be found online or at the information kiosks.
- To control human waste, six porta potties have been placed in the Alabama Hills. Please either use these restrooms or pack out your solid human waste using a portable waste system (RV toilet, wag bag, portable toilet, etc.). The porta potties are located at the Mobius Arch trailhead and across from the Shark Fin parking area.
- Each October, the community of Lone Pine hosts the Lone Pine Film Festival. This festival features speakers, actors and bus tours that showcase movies filmed in the Alabama Hills.
Rock formation at dawn |
I hope you enjoyed this post. To see more of my Alabama Hills images, check out the gallery here.
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