Movie Road Alabama Hills, Lone Pine, California – Photography Guide

Our Alabama Hills Photography Guide to photographing the famous Alabama Hills Movie Road near Lone Pine, California, and more useful things to know for your visit to the Eastern Sierra Nevada.

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Alabama Hills Photography Guide

Movie Road Alabama Hills, Lone Pine, California

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The Alabama Hills

The Alabama Hills are a range of hills and unique roundish rock formations on the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada.

What makes the Alabama Hills in California so unique is the extraordinary landscape. You will overlook a scenery of vast round rock formations against a sharp and edgy backdrop of the Sierra Nevada mountain range.

This beautiful and unique landscape of the Alabama Hills near Lone Pine is the reason for the many films and western movies that have been shot here in the past. Hence, the name Movie Road!

Where Is Alabama Hills California?

Alabama Hills is located near Highway 395 in the Eastern Sierras in Inyo County, California. More precisely Alabama Hills is located right across the town of Lone Pine, California.

Lone Pine Alabama Hills Directions

In order to get to the Lone Pine Alabama Hills, you will drive the Eastern Sierra Nevada Highway 395. Either coming from Mammoth & Bishop in the North, from Death Valley in the East, or from around Ridgecrest/ Trona Pinnacles in the South.

Find directions to the Alabama Hills here!

Movie Road Alabama Hills

There were many filming locations at the Alabama Hills, but one, in particular, is the most famous, and that for good reason. The famous Alabama Hills Movie Road!

Alabama Hills Movie Road

The Alabama Hills Movie Road is this incredible shot of a long dirt road leading up to the Sierra Nevada mountain range, surrounded by a rocky and kind of otherworldly landscape.

Alabama Hills Movies

This Movie Road was the perfect backdrop for western movies and, to this day, still is a popular photography and videography location in the Alabama Hills. Maybe not for western movies anymore but for car commercials, blockbusters, and those outdoorsy Instagram shots. 🙂

Some popular films and shows that have been (partially) filmed in the Alabama Hills are:

Alabama Hills Photography

There are lots of cool places and photography locations in the Alabama Hills. However, our favorite Alabama Hills photo spot is the famous Movie Road. Just can’t beat the view!

Photographing Movie Road

Best Time To Photograph The Alabama Hills Movie Road

The Movie Road is a great photo spot during all hours of the day, but it is especially pretty during sunrise.

Sunrise Photography

At sunrise, the Sierra Nevada mountain range will get lit up by the rising sun and turns into shades of red, orange, and yellow.

The color spectacle will only last for a few minutes. To not miss this short but epic timeframe, make sure the be there a little bit before the actual sunrise.

Photographing In Winter

Another great time to photograph the Alabama Hills Movie Road is during the winter months when Mt. Whitney and the surrounding landscape are covered in snow.

If you decide to visit the Alabama Hills in winter, make sure to check road conditions and have a car that is up for the challenge. The road is a dirt road and there is of course no winter service.

Photographing In Spring

When you visit the Lone Pine Alabama Hills in Spring or early Summer, the mountain range will still be snow-covered while the surrounding landscape is already free of snow.

The contrast between the white Sierra Nevada mountains and the brownish rocky landscape will make a great photo!

We photographed the Alabama Hills Movie Road in Fall, so there was no snow left and winter hasn’t arrived yet. We got to witness an incredible sunrise.

It’s on our bucket list to come back again to shoot the white snow-covered mountains one day.

Travel Photography Gear Guide

Movie Road Photography Spot Location

The famous Movie Road photography spot in Alabama Hills is located here.

Other Alabama Hills Photography Spots

Where To Stay Near Alabama Hills

Hotels Near Alabama Hills

The nearest place to stay in the Alabama Hills is the town of Lone Pine. Lone Pine, California is a small town with only a few budget hotels and motels.

We stayed at the Portal Motel right in downtown Lone Pine. The motel is one of the best-rated accommodations in Lone Pine and is a good place to stay for a night or two.

Here’s a list with a handful more good-rated motels and hotels in Lone Pine for your visit.

If for some reason you can’t find any rooms in Lone Pine anymore or if they got too expensive, there is the Olancha RV Park and Motel 25 miles south of Lone Pine. They feature tipi tents and motel rooms. Some are newly renovated.

15 miles north in Independence, California there are two more options to stay near the Alabama Hills. Mt Williamson Motel and Basecamp and Winnedumah Hotel.

Camping In Alabama Hills

Another option to spend the night is camping in the Alabama Hills. For more information about Alabama Hills camping visit the BLM’s website.

Turtle Creek Campground

The Tuttle Creek Campground is an official campground in the Alabama Hills that holds over 80 RV and tent sites. You pay a small fee, no reservation is required.

Each campsite includes a fire pit, picnic table, and a lantern holder. There is no electricity. Potable water is available, but only seasonally.

See the BLM’s website for more information on the Alabama Hills Turtle Creek Campground.

Check out our Affordable Camping Gear Guide and our Car Camping Packing List Guide if you are looking to go camping in the Alabama Hills.

Affordable Camping Gear For Car Camping

Alabama Hills Dispersed Camping

You can also camp in Alabama Hills for free. The Alabama Hills is a dispersed camping area. Keep in mind when doing dispersed camping, there are absolutely no amenities at all. You have to bring everything in and out, including your trash. Check with the BLM for rules and regulations.

If the Alabama Hills Dispersed Camping has caught your attention, check out camping at Trona Pinnacles.

Trona Pinnacles – An Otherworldy Landscape In California’s Desert

Where To Eat In Lone Pine

The town of Lone Pine isn’t exactly known for its culinary highlights, but a popular restaurant in Lone Pine is the Alabama Hills Cafe & Bakery.

Alabama Hills Cafe, Lone Pine

The Alabama Hills Cafe in Lone Pine serves breakfast and lunch and is open every day from 6 am until 2 pm. On the weekends the cafe is open until 3 pm.

If you are in town, it’s kind of a must to stop by and check it out. They serve a variety of fresh-backed goods along with breakfast and lunch meals.

Alabama Hills Photography Guide

We hope our Alabama Hills Photography Guide awoke your interest to visit the beautiful landscape near Lone Pine, California, and photograph the famous Movie Road with the Sierra Nevada mountain range in the back.

If you are into photographing unique desert landscapes like this, check out our post about the otherworldly Trona Pinnacles, just a bit south of the Alabama Hills.

Julia & Felipe

Follow our adventures on Instagram! @piscoandbier

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