Tuttle Creek Campground — Alabama Hills

Camped here before hiking Mount Whitney the following day. Think we got one of the only sites with a “tree,” but the grounds were well maintained and area was quite. Enjoyed camping here.

Nice, out of the way campsite. 81 sites on Tuttle Creek. Clean restrooms. No showers or drinking water. Near Lone Pine, just off Whitney Portal Road, adjacent to Alabama Hills, so lots of exploring opportunities! Great dark skies for stargazing and photography.

We ended up at this site by chance, but were so glad we did. Beautiful panoramic views!

Quite possibly the most beautiful campground ever. We spent 10 days in Tuttle Creek and the vault toilet bathrooms had yet to be cleaned when we left. The host was there checking every site to make sure the sites were paid for tho.

General: 81 BLM sites within the shadow of the eastern Sierras. All are first come, first available with a 14-day limit, but we had no problem finding a choice of sites on a Monday in early April around 12:30 pm. You can’t beat the price of $10 ($5 with a Golden Age Pass)! Surprisingly good cell coverage (Verizon)! The views of the mountains are awesome!

Site Quality: Gravel and most looked level. No hookups of any kind. A fire ring (with grill), lantern hook, and large concrete picnic table complete the site. 

Toilets: More than an adequate number of vault toilets sprinkled throughout the campground and at least the one by our site was clean and had hand sanitizer. 

Activities: We spent our day exploring nearby beautiful Alabama Hills (about a 10-minute drive from the campground), driving out Movie Road, and taking a few short hikes. 

Just several things to note (but they did not detract from our stay): 

1. since our site was near Tuttle Creek, the mosquitoes came out in droves at dusk, 

2. you will hear (but not see!) a steady sound of fighter stealth jets from Edwards Air Force Base flying overhead from about 8 am to 8 pm) and 

3. There are gnarly speed bumps on the road into the campground. Other than that, the unpaved road is well-maintained.

I wish we had planned to spend another night here!

Very nice rustic campground with pit toilets, fire ring and picnic table at the sites. Try to get one of the sites next to the creek, you won't be disappointed. Amazing views of Whitney as well as up and down the valley. It's a great alternative to Alabama Hills for just $10

We chose a site in which the creek ran across 2 sides and had a couple of small trees. Really lovely. The view was amazing since you sit up a bit on the landscape. The porto-potty was clean and maintained. This campground was in a great location to explore Alabama Hills, Mt Whitney, and Manzanar. It was however SO WINDY we couldn’t hang outside much.

We came in late and found a clipboard, picked our spot, lots were available, came in wrote our name and spot and paid the $8. Bathrooms were very clean. Views in the morning were gorgeous. Seemed like everyone we met there has been coming for years treasuring this gem. Great spot. Very close to Alabama hills dispersed which would have been difficult to navigate in the dark without disturbing others there. This campground was great!! When you drive in, spots on the left have a little creek.

I thought this was a great campground at the right time of year. The spaces are huge and a nice distance from your neighbor. Vault toilets were kept clean, full of toilet paper and hand sanitizer. We were there in mid-March and the water was not turned on yet. Next to each picnic table was a post to hang a lantern on or anything else you may need to hang. Cell reception was pretty good.

There was very little shade at this campground which was great in March, but would be a big concern as the weather warms up. Our first night there was very windy and we realized the campsites on the southern side of the creek would have been a better choice as there was some shelter from the wind there.

A little windy but quiet. The only sounds are the birds and the creek.

This is my favorite campsite so far! Just epically beautiful, quiet, remote and amazing. The best of what our country has to offer and it’s BLM so $8 first come first serve. It’s boondocking so have water. The Alabama hills are such a find. Naturally beautiful and a lot of history.

This spot is great if you want easy access to Alabama Hills but don’t want to deal with having no toilets and no reservations. Still beautiful views throughout the campgrounds. It’s a bit easier for families here.

My only complaint is other people are very rude. Untrained pets, music from other sites... the sites are far apart, but there is no vegitation to buffer the sounds of other people.

Great campground first come first serve and cheep. Awesome views of Mt. Whitney. Close to Alabama Hills and Mt. Whitney, Lone Pine is a cute little town as well. Pit toilets available and water available seasonally, RV dump station for extra $, and there are dumpster. Easy access with any kind of vehicle.

Nice campground. Filled up fast on a Saturday. Got here around 1pm and I think I got the last spot. Lots of hopeful ppl circling until midnight. Get here early! It was very windy but for the views of both mt Whitney and the desert floor/mountains to the East you can’t complain. Not to mention I don’t think you can have two different pressure regions so close without the wind. Tore a hole in my shade structure, and broke two of my neighbor’s shade structures. I probably should have noticed no one else had shade structures when I arrived and kept mine in the trunk, oh well. Not too warm during the day in mid April but a little chilly at night. I was in just a tent and didn’t need anything more than an extra blanket on top of my sleeping bag. If I had put the rain/wind cover on I could have done without the extra blanket but wanted to see the stars. All in all very picturesque and full of nice ppl who looked out for each other, highly recommended.

Perfect... $5 winter camping. Water is at Portuguese Joe's county campground.

Cheap $5 nights, fire rings, tables, a hook for lamps. Pretty windy but obviously not something you can control. The views were incredible although you can’t really see Mount Whitney if that’s what you’re looking for. Bathrooms are clean and stocked. Campground wasn’t trashy either

Awesome view of Whitney and a great place to camp prior to hiking Whitney. First come first serve. Pit toilet. Quiet campground. Great view of the sunset as well.

We drove through reward mine and stayed here to camp! The whole experience was mind blowing!! Alabama hills has thousands of dispersed camping spots and amazing views of mount Whitney. It can get very cold here during fall and winter and very hot during spring and summer.

Breathtaking views! Spacious first come first serve sites. Arrived shortly after noon and was able to snatch the last two sites available. Will definitely be back(earlier in the day) restrooms are vault toilets, very clean with disinfectant foam available. Beautiful Mount Whitney in the background. Right in the middle of many trails and sites to see, not to mention a quick skip away from Lone Pine.

Cheap camping with five star views! Potable water spigots run most of the year (bring a filter for the creek too), and the bathrooms are basic but do the trick. There isn't much shade, but it's accessible - just a few miles off 395. Sites come with a fire ring and picnic table.

We arrived on a Saturday afternoon and there were at least a dozen spaces still open. Good bathrooms. Was here 10/10-11 and it was still very smoky. Would come back here.

I stopped here for a night on a road trip, and it was a highlight of the trip. Stunning views of the Sierras, campsites are not too close to one another, the bathrooms were clean and not to smelly, the creek was a delight. It was easy to get to (paved roads and not too far from the highway) but still felt a bit removed. I hi gilt recommend. I took the first loop, easily found a few empty campsites at about 5pm on a weekday, and never realized how big the campground was.

Very nice campground like it says $8.00 a night, you can’t go wrong in my opinion. You drive up to the entrance and take a spin around the camp sites to see which ones are available then you return to the entrance fill out an envelope to make a payment and put the site number you are in and that’s it . We chose this campground for our first one due to the fact that they provide potable water and have restrooms available. Restrooms were very well kept and dispersed throughout the campsites. highly recommended.

We didn’t stay the night, but we could have. There’s a dump station, water fill up. The campground is up on a geological ledge and every site has the opportunity for a great view.

Lots of spots. First come first served. A nice creek running through the campground offers great chance to refresh even in the hot part of the year. Even if it’s so cold getting in is almost impossible. Campsites are too close and even on the 4th of July weekend wasn’t closed (albeit this is during Covid-19). Views of the peaks surrounding Whitney makes for wonderful scenery. Only $8/night. Although yes, Alabama hills are right next door, totally free, and even better.

Tuttle Creek is a BLM campground. Open all year, no reservations taken. Has pit toilets, water, fire rings, tables in each site. $8 a night. $4 if you have a pass. The first night visited was very windy, but you take your chances. Great views of the Eastern Sierra, they got there first dusting of snow for the season. Close to Alabama Hills Recreation Area. Lone Pine is a neat little town with plenty of things to see.

For just $8 a night you can enjoy the Eastern Sierras with plenty of room to spare between you and your camping neighbors. This place is a favorite for us, with fishing, snow capped mountains, and the cutest little kangaroo mice I have ever seen! It’s a fun get away and recommended for friends and family. No service here, no store or place to buy firewood at the campground but you’re a stones throw away from Lone Pine a Western town nearby for fishing, food and any other camping needs. Restrooms are available here and are kept clean, just bring a flashlight at night as it is pitch black. In the Summer this place can get pretty toasty and the sun is incredibly strong, I’d recommend taking a canopy with your camping supplies, with little to no trees for shade in this area.

This site was awesome! My boyfriend and I stopped up here several times passing through. It’s a fantastic stop! The park is well maintained and is always problem free. I’ve never had problems with other spots, bathrooms, or even finding a spot. The view waking up is AMAZING and the sunset cresting the Eastern Sierra is always the best! 10/10 recommend!

I was motorcycle camping and this campground is awesome in the spring. Its not too high in elevation so you wont freeze overnight. Its only $8 a night but you need cash or check like any normal forestry campground. Beautiful view of the sierras and Mt Whitney. About 15-20 drive to the Mt Whitney trail head from here. If you’re planning on summiting Whitney, I wouldn’t recommend this campground because the elevation is low, I would camp at cottonwood lakes just south in the sierras to acclimate to elevation. There are normal forestry pit toilets, fire rings. No reservations, first come first serve.