Alabama Hills, California provides dispersed and established camping opportunities throughout Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land at the eastern base of the Sierra Nevada mountains. The Alabama Hills Recreation Area offers free dispersed camping with sites scattered among unique rock formations, while developed options include Tuttle Creek Campground and Whitney Portal with more amenities. Tent camping, RV sites, and cabin rentals are available within the broader region, with options ranging from primitive dispersed sites to full-hookup campgrounds like Boulder Creek RV Resort in Lone Pine.
Road access varies significantly between campgrounds in the Alabama Hills area, with some requiring high-clearance vehicles. Movie Road provides the main access point for dispersed camping in Alabama Hills, with numerous unmarked pullouts suitable for overnight stays. Most dispersed sites lack amenities like water, toilets, or trash service, though established campgrounds offer varying levels of facilities. Fire restrictions frequently apply, especially during dry summer months. A visitor noted: "The BLM page for Alabama Hills gives perfect directions: take Hwy 395 to Lone Pine, turn west at the stoplight onto Whitney Portal Road, drive 2.5 miles to Movie Road, turn right."
Campers consistently praise the dramatic landscape of the Alabama Hills area, which features distinctive weathered granite boulders with Sierra Nevada mountain views. Many reviews highlight the privacy and spaciousness of dispersed camping areas despite their proximity to Lone Pine. According to one visitor, "This spot was an absolute gem nestled in some amazingly beautiful rock formations. The spot was right off the main road and didn't take much effort to get to." Developed campgrounds like Diaz Lake provide lake access, though reviews indicate they can become crowded and noisy during peak season. Sites near water sources tend to have more abundant insects than the drier dispersed locations in the rocky terrain. The Alabama Hills camping area has gained popularity due to its use as a filming location for numerous movies and commercials, which has increased visitation in recent years.
"We absolutely love Alabama Hills. BLM land so you can camp anywhere. So many beautiful views."
"Alabama Hills California presents a varied landscape. From the picture above you can plainly see the desert floor to MT. Whitney, snow capped in March of 2018."
$10 / night
"Near Lone Pine, just off Whitney Portal Road, adjacent to Alabama Hills, so lots of exploring opportunities! Great dark skies for stargazing and photography."
"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."
$34 - $95 / night
"There are hiking trails from the campground itself, a gorgeous river flowing through it and the camp sites are spacious."
"It is close to Whitney portal, alabama hills, onion valley, and many other hiking/backpacking destinations. We took out 7 and 9 year old boys and they had a blast."
$38 - $75 / night
"The Dyrt listing shows they have a dump station but when we stopped in after a trip to Alabama Hills we were informed their dump station was no longer 'operational'."
"It's on the outskirts of downtown Lone Pine, but the views are beautiful of the mountains and the RV park is spacious with plenty of room to get your steps in. "
$34 - $81 / night
"All around a killer spot. If it weren’t for the Alabama hills being even better, even cheaper, even more private, it would be a no brainer. But if you want any facilities...."
"While visiting Alabama Hills Recreation Area (AHRA) we made Lone Pine on our next stop for our second campsite and to relax for my 44th birthday 🎂 Since the terrain is a little different it was a nice"
$14 - $35 / night
"This is a small lake and they limit the number of motorboats to 25, which is about 20 too many in my estimation. "
"This is a great driving reprieve from traveling along the 395! A lovely little lake surrounded by giant oak trees that offer lots of nice shade to spend time resting."
$14 / night
"Big points for being close to a great little town - highly recommend Alabama Hills bakery. Cell service good enough for streaming."
"Not the dispersed camping I was looking for but at least I found something because Alabama Hills and Tuttle Creek were packed on a Friday afternoon."
"The BLM page for Alabama Hills gives perfect directions the coordinates below took us out of town east. Take Hwy 395 to Lone Pine."
"walk less than 100 yards and go climbing."
"Sierras backpacking trip. restrooms and bear lockers are provided. use them as there is a lot of bear activity. cover any odorous items in your vehicle. pretty campground with tons and tons of trees. steps"
"The trail head camp ground was very nice and well maintained. Vault toilets and fresh water with plenty of access to bear boxes to properly store your food."
"We camped at Outpost camp which is about 4-5 miles in from the entrance. No one was there when we camped. Most people camp at Trail Camp. There was a nice waterfall nearby as a great water source."
"this camp is located above the tree line with views of rugged peaks, glaciers and lakes. All waste must be packed out in special bags given to you when you pick up your permit."
GuideThis is my third or fourth time camping in the Alabama Hills area, this time I had no cell reception at my campsite, but could walk to get some of the road. Thankfully, not too much trash, I picked up a bit of waist tissue and broken bottles, but nothing excessive. Let’s help to keep such beautiful sacred places clean, it’s an absolute blessing to be able to come and camp here for free.
TravelerHad used dyrt to plan a roadtrip, when we arrived to the site we could access the gravel parking lot but all the sections beyond that had day use only signs every 5 meters.
The area is covered in state park camping spots however. The main issue is that there is no network coverage so you would need cash to use the paid spots next door.
GuideThis was a nice stay in May, not hot enough to need the AC. I just barely fit into site number 32 with a 23 foot trailer and parked my F150 askew. No hook ups, but there are bathrooms and dishwashing station. Across the Generals Hwy from the park is the dump station and freshwater fill, neither of which have a metal threaded end that you can connect to your RV. The fresh water is good quality and flows out fast. I filled containers and siphoned into my trailer. Stayed 4 nights, had to run generator once to charge batteries since I was under a shade tree and solar panel is on roof. A few sites are in full sun, but most have shade or partial shade. By 10 AM most campers had checked out or left to tour the park. Campground was silent, except for nature sounds. Wild turkeys walked the campground daily, sometimes gobbling, saw one deer two days. The campground is overrun with ground squirrels. A fat one kept begging at my screen door. Lots of acorn woodpeckers and wild mustard plants with small yellow flowers that the honeybees loved. Twice hummingbirds came to my red tail lights thinking they were feeders. Beautiful hikes along the Kaweah river in both directions. If you hike from site number 14, you will see a path to Marble Falls. Be aware it is a very narrow trail and you will get poison oak on your clothes, or skin if in shorts, that you will need to wash off. Lots of small flies and gnats fly around your head, but they don’t bite, just annoying. Didn’t see mosquitoes or get bites. Next time, I will stay in a campground on the north end. Driving from the CG to the Sequoia Trees, are countless tight hairpin turns and a gain in elevation of 6000 feet. After two days of going up and back down, with little cars riding my bumper and pulling over to let them by, it was tiring. Around one turn, a buck in velvet was standing in the road, no place to go except the side, which went straight up and the other side straight down. I was going 15 mph, the speed limit, and had to drive in the middle to avoid him. I did that drive every day to see the sequoias, which are magnificent! Pictures do not capture how awesome they are.
TravelerLone Pine Campground is just below Whitney Portal and Mt Whitney. It has a creek full of trout running along side it. Small sites, with vault toilets, but beautiful and full of wildlife.
GuideCame from Mono Lake. The road was very curvy lots of ups and downs and lots and lots of wind. It was so windy. I lost the awning from the side of my RV. Panamint Springs is a nice oasis. There is a gas station a nice restaurant with good food and there looks like they’re plenty of places to camp. At this time of year with the weather so hot we chose to get electrical hook up. We ran the air conditioner all night. Dry camping was free electrical hookups water and sewer were 60 per night. We enjoy enjoyed our short day.
RangerPlenty of great spots with amazing views of Mt Whitney and the sierras. Not much shade in camp spots but each of them are roomy and have a fire pit/grill. There’s also a lantern hook. Our site had a nice tree for welcome shade on the afternoon heat. Adult toilets and trash containers. Also a dump station. 10$ honor system. You can pay cash or with a CC through the recreation.gov app. Scam the QR code from the app when you get here. 5 minute drive fe Alabama hills (movie road). Great quiet spot. We loved it. We can hear the Tuttle creek from our site but cannot access it.
GuideMy husband and I spent two nights there while traveling to the national parks. It was a bit dirty and packed in. We travel with two dogs, so a dog park is important to us. Their dog park needs a lot of work, it wasn't very clean or well kept.
Travelerwent on day picnic back in the 90s, very peaceful, salmon creek near by,
TravelerWent past the 3 dispersed sites that were listed, and found a site on the right hand side right before the bridge. There are two sites, the one to the left is much more level
Alabama Hills camping area sits at approximately 4,000-5,000 feet elevation at the eastern base of California's Sierra Nevada range, creating a dramatic transition zone between alpine mountains and high desert. The region experiences extreme temperature variations with summer days often exceeding 90°F while winter nights can drop well below freezing. Seasonal wind patterns through nearby Owens Valley can create sudden gusts that impact tent camping, particularly during spring and fall transition periods.
Sunrise photography at Mobius Arch: Located a short hike from Movie Road, this natural stone arch perfectly frames Mount Whitney. "The moon rise was quite the experience. Then sunrise... it was all just so beautiful," notes a visitor to Alabama Hills Recreation Area.
Fishing at Diaz Lake: This accessible spot near Lone Pine offers trout fishing opportunities throughout the year. "There was a nice stream you could fish with some trout," reports a camper at Lone Pine Campground.
Explore filming locations: The area has been featured in numerous films including Iron Man and Star Wars. "Very nice view. Some clips of the film Ironman and Star Wars took place," mentions a visitor to Alabama Hills Side Trail.
Acclimatize before Whitney hikes: Use lower elevation campgrounds to adjust before attempting higher altitudes. "This campground is right at the trailhead for Mt. Whitney! Because of this the campgrounds do fill up insanely quick! Be sure to book at least 2-3 months out," advises a camper at Whitney Portal.
Spacing between sites: Many dispersed camping areas provide privacy despite popularity. "All with amazing views. SUV would probably be best for navigating the roads or at least 4x4. They're all pretty far apart so they're private," explains a camper at Alabama Hills Recreation Area.
Creek sounds: Several campgrounds feature flowing water that creates soothing background noise. "The campground was nice, quiet. There's a pretty little creek that splits the campground that gives off soothing sounds," notes a visitor at Portuguese Joe Campground.
Dark skies for astronomy: The area's limited light pollution makes it ideal for stargazing. "It's so quiet at night you could hear a pin drop. The stars and the Milky Way are insane! So many constellations and shooting stars and satellites," shares an Alabama Hills Recreation Area visitor.
Winter camping value: Off-season camping offers both solitude and savings. "Perfect... $5 winter camping. Water is at Portuguese Joe's county campground," reports a camper at Tuttle Creek Campground.
Campsite restrictions changing: Recent management changes have limited dispersed camping areas. "The only places you can camp are designated now. Tuttle creek. Everywhere else there are signs for no camping and only day use," cautions a 2025 visitor to Alabama Hills Recreation Area.
Arrival timing matters: Popular campgrounds fill quickly, especially during peak seasons. "Definitely a place you'd want to show up 4-5 hours early to find a spot. Otherwise, the roads were not too bad," advises an Alabama Hills camper.
Elevation temperature differences: Expect significant temperature changes between valley and mountain campsites. "Gets pretty toast in the summer though," warns a camper about Alabama Hills, while another notes "Below freezing temps were well worth the stunning views."
Frequently Asked Questions
What camping is available near Alabama Hills, CA?
According to TheDyrt.com, Alabama Hills, CA offers a wide range of camping options, with 179 campgrounds and RV parks near Alabama Hills, CA and 57 free dispersed camping spots.
Which is the most popular campground near Alabama Hills, CA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Alabama Hills, CA is Alabama Hills Recreation Area with a 4.7-star rating from 88 reviews.
Where can I find free dispersed camping near Alabama Hills, CA?
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 57 free dispersed camping spots near Alabama Hills, CA.
What parks are near Alabama Hills, CA?
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 16 parks near Alabama Hills, CA that allow camping, notably Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks and Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks.
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