Best Dispersed Camping near Lone Pine, CA

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.

Travel west on Whitney Portal Rd from Lone Pine, then turn right onto Movie Rd. Dispersed campsites are plentiful and easily accessible along Movie Rd. Hardest challenge is choosing a spot! Two-wheel drive vehicles are okay to access most sites.

Otherworldly panoramic views on Mt Whitney and the surrounding Sierras. Camped here in December with comfortable overnight lows in the 30’s. Served as a tremendous stop on the way to Death Valley, less than 2-Hrs to the Park’s Panamint Entrance.

Tip: Take time to visit the local outfitters shops in Lone Pine for fire wood and other camping, hiking, mountaineering gear needs...or just drop in to show your support and talk story 😊🤙🏼🏔

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.

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!

Easily one of my favorite places! The views here are like nothing else, perfect place without reception, fresh mountain air away from everything and yet close to a cute little town for chili cheese nachos or tackle. Owned and operated by BLM land, so it’s free to the public (first come first serve) but be sure to go prepared with your permit to have a fire and have the proper tools to extinguish it completely. Preservation of this land is imperative with rangers patrolling consistently and fines are unforgiving, there are seasons fire is not allowed and will be posted at entry. There are no specified camping spots, no restrooms, no available water, and no sewer or trash dumping areas available. Just the wilderness at its finest.

This is the go to free camping area that my friends and I go to when we don’t want a campground. Its dispersed camping in the Alabama hills. No toilets or amenities so thats a little bummer. Its might be worth it to pay $8 a night at a campground if you want easy access to toilets. Tuttle creek is up the road and is a good option.

Alabama Hills is a popular area to see the beauty of natural rock formations. This is BLM land so there's no campground amenities.  However you can camp here for free in many dispersed locations.  Just look around and look for spots that you can park and camp at. There are plenty of sites back into the rocks. There's cell service where the main road starts but not much after that. This is a great place to view the Milky Way and watch the sunrise. This is a great place to go rock climbing.

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.

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!

Can't beat the views in this BLM area! Not only can you off-road and explore all it has to offer you can hike or go into town with a quick drive. Love the dispersed camping and exploring you can do here. Nobody to bother you. This is our most favorite camping spot to date. The weather is fun to watch and the views of mt Whitney are incredible.

BLM land, so you can camp anywhere. Have to pack-in and pack-out. No fees, but you do need a campfire permit.

Stunning views and wide open spaces. Great bouldering and day use as well.

We absolutely love Alabama Hills. BLM land so you can camp anywhere. So many beautiful views. You can see Mount Whitney in the distance. 4 wheel drive isn’t required but definitely recommend. No bathrooms or water around. A lot of old movies were filmed in the hills. We went off roading to a nearby mine, you can drive all the way in the mine which was rad.

Great place for a wide range of activities including rock climbing, hiking around mt Whitney or exploring the mind blowing rock formations. Drive up and pitch a tent and you’re set! It’s very quiet and peaceful, also an amazing view of the stars! Beautiful sunrise and sunset as well. Will definitely go back! (BLM land so carry out what you take in, including waste!)

Fabulous views of the rounded monolithic boulders fronting the Eastern Sierra. This is a large dispersed camping area with no facilities. Just the beauty and silence of the nature. The area was used, and still occasionally is, for the movie industry. You can even see the occasional jet fighter training here. Go see the Movie Museum in Lone Pine it’s worth it. The Reward Mine is near here and don’t forget to spend some time at Manzanar Japanese Internment Camp. We stayed here in May

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.

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.

High desert meets Sierra Nevadas in a magical rock playground with views of My Whitney. This spot literally has it all. Right off the 395, you have access to civilization and amenities. It's dispersed camping, but heavily used sites are well established. The deeper into the park you venture, the more primitive and less crowded it becomes. Take a quick drive and you're at Whitney Portal. We lucked out and had 360 degrees of the best views ever! Loads to do here. Popular for rock climbing, hiking, spectacular night sky, wildflowers, photography. Even though it's right off the highway you feel like you're on another planet. No facilities. Pack it in, pack it out. Hands down, one of the best camp spots I've ever had!

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

This place is amazing. Beautiful views, great dispersed camping. Very chilly at night in early March. Incredible star gazing too. Cell service (Verizon) in spots, mainly at high elevations.

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?