Best Dispersed Camping near Alabama Hills, CA

Location- ALABAMA HILLS, Lone Pine- Movie Rd. CA. Tent Dry Camping. BLM Land, for disperse camping. No reservations required, unless you choose to stay at a “campground”.

Absolutely breathtaking place, it feels like you’ve landed on another planet or as if you’ve been taken back into time, to the early dawn of mankind days. This was our first disperse/dry camping and I wouldn’t camp any other way, it was marvelous.

Directions- Once at Alabama Hills, Take Hwy 395 to Lone Pine. (it’s a proper town with restaurants/ grocery stores/ car workshops). Turn west at the stoplight onto Whitney Portal Road, drive 2.5 miles to Movie Road, turn right & the road turns into a “well groomed dirt path” from that point onwards “The world is your oyster! You can basically set up camp anywhere. As you drive down the groomed dirt path, there are multiple exits to various dirt paths leading inwards, where you can pick your spot to set up camp.

One very important thing is you MUST come here in a GOOD condition 4WD! There’s NO other way. You don’t want to get WHEELS stuck on the dirt path. We had rented a 4WD for the weekend.

We camped about 3miles in Movie Rd. Another good thing is if you run out of any supplies or have car trouble “Lone Pine” town is nearby you can drive over in minutes or call for any help. Phone service & wifi is available only on the groomed dirt path, also a bit unstable, however manageable for a call or text. So you’ll have to walk out of your campsite back to main rd.

It’s wonderful to go on hikes and explore during the day, that’s what we did. Evenings we’d sit around fire and cook dinner. Then at night time S’mores time! (we have a camp fire permit) you get it online.

Another important item to have around is a sturdy SHOVEL, as it’s very sandy here and the shovel is very multi-purpose, well at any camp for that matter. Bring Plenty of WATER, it’s very dry out here. As there are no water taps around, unless you head back to Lone Pine. Also you MUST clean up after, bring along a few trash bags or a bin, to clear up before you leave. LEAVE no Trace. Keep nature clean.

This is purely disperse camping. You’ll have to bring everything of your own. Our camp was a 3days/ 2nights. Arrived on Friday and left on Sunday morning. Waking up every morning to this spectacular view, is pure bliss! We’d definitely be coming back here a few more times! If you haven’t already then hop on a 4WD and head over to Alabama Hills!

Everything about Alabama Hills is incredible. From the moment you drive down Whitney Portal Rd to Movie Rd, it has uniquely amazing views. Movie Rd has the best dispersed camp spots. 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. 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. Sunset was amazing over Mt. Whitney. The moon rise was quite the experience. Then sunrise... it was all just so beautiful!! Highly highly recommended! Pack lots of water! Lone Pine is nearby for firewood. But I think fires are currently restricted! As always pack it in and pack it out. Leave no trace!

Independence is on Hwy 395 about an hour south of Bishop and about half an hour north of Alabama Hills.  Which is to say it's a great location with a lot of places to explore and hike.  

This land is a good spot to stay for a few nights while exploring the area, or if you just need a free place to sleep.  The spot we marked here is about 2 miles west of Independence, but there are a few other cleared out areas that you can camp on, just check Google satellite maps.  We didn't see anyone else camping on the BLM land while we stayed here, but we saw a lot of people driving up and down Onion Valley Rd.

The area is clean and very quiet, zero shade and zero amenities.  Please help keep it clean by packing out your trash.

Some of the dirt roads might need a high clearance vehicle but on the spot I've marked we made it fine in our 26ft motorhome.

Dispersed camping at a Yellow Post campsite was great. About 4 mi. of washboard dirt road past Heart Bar Campground to Yellow post site #6. No amenities other than a picnic table and a fire ring. That means, bring plenty of water and a port-a-potty. There is no fee, however, you need to go on line to get a fire permit, which is necessary even for a propane stove. Actually, the fire permit is for anything that has a flame. This trip was over Labor Day weekend of 2022 and the use of the fire pit was forbidden at that time due to high fire hazard conditions. The campsites are quite far apart so you feel a sense of privacy. However, you will see vehicles and or horses go by on the road next to the campsite. Some of the vehicles drive fast on the dirt road which can kick up dust clouds. This is only a problem if you are downwind. The temperature was about 83 for a high and 55 for a low and the wind was light and comfortable. We were glad we had our canopy. The canopy has bug screens on 4 sides but the bugs were not too bad. We used lemon grass bug spray repellent and were comfortable. This campground is away from light sources making it great for stargazing. We enjoyed the campsite so much that we just hung out and relaxed there all weekend ...no hikes or trips away from the campsite. We hung a couple of hammocks with tarps for shade but backed our teardrop under a naturally shaded area of the campsite. We will probably camp there again. If you are not into dispersed camping, there are several campgrounds nearby. Heart Bar campground is huge with amenities and South Fork Family Campground is nice with more shade and a small stream running through. The parking for rv's at South Fork is a bit short at some of the campsites. Best to check the length for a match with your gear. This area is great for camping but make sure you have everything you need as there is no grocery store at the corner. Happy camping..!

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.

“Its like this place was made for exploring and with no end in sight”

With a last minute decision to make the 2.5 hour trek from our home in Valencia, California. Makayla packed up after her early release and headed North via the I-14 and CA-395.

The prior week had heavy rainstorms, high winds and the potential for below freezing temps. The unclear conditions mixed with the reality of fast moving flash floods in the area nearly cancelled the entire trip.

The area and what we recommend Access to the area is relatively easy. The trails are mostly groomed and with a most CUV's, Soft-roaders and even some 2wd vehicles can make the most of the area. If you want to get to the more interesting bits, like up Mt. Whitney, you will need a high clearance 4wd with Low Range and purposed tires. The scenery is nearly second to none and will not disappoint.

Camping is first come - first serve. There are no fees as this is an open area so plan accordingly as I am sure holidays can get packed. No shower or restroom facilities are available, so bring the necessary kit.

Alabama Hills may look familiar to many of you due to the simple fact that it has been seen in a large amount of movies. Westerns to Iron Man, the Hills were so widely used, one of the roads is appropriately titled "Movie Road".

Photographers alike can also take advantage of very little light pollution. Meaning that the low light Milky Way shots are considerably easier.

Alabama Hills Cafe is hands down the best place to grab breakfast for an early out when heading back to civilization. After a few days in the wilderness, there is nothing wrong with letting someone else do the cook and do the dishes for you

Camped here in Nov 2020 when it was pretty chilly and got a dusting of snow overnight. This is boondocking at its best, with tons of secluded sites off the main road (Movie Rd).

Roads are decent, there are lots of level, large and pull-through sites. Amazing scenery of the Sierra Nevadas and the unique landscape of the Alabama Hills. Lots of hiking trails, arches and movie locations.

Download the Alabama Hills Rec Area digital map from Avenza for locations of the arches, trails and movie scene locations.

No amenities, no cell service but the town of Lone Pine is 10 min away.