Movie Flat Rd view of Lone Pine Peak

@peteracarey

California

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Lone Pine

The Alabama Hills are truly a gem of the Eastern Sierra. This magical place has been a haven for movie studios and outdoor enthusiasts alike for over a century! With the other-worldly rock features and the majestic Sierra Nevada mountain background (including Mount Whitney, the tallest mountain in the contiguous United States at 14,506 feet), it’s not hard to see why this was the chosen location for hundreds of western films in the 20th century, or why it is still used as a filming location today, including for movies such as Django Unchained and Ironman!

Plan

Overview

Skill level

Easy

Accessbility

Public Location

Hours

Anytime

Fee

Free

Pack

Wide-angle lens (27mm)
Telephoto lens (just in case a scene catches your eye!)
Sturdy tripod
Remote shutter
Warm clothes and gloves (depending on season)
Water
Sunscreen

How to get there

N36° 37' 14.0484"W118° 07' 02.3916"

First, make your way to Lone Pine on Highway 395. In Lone Pine, you’ll want to turn on Whitney Portal Road toward the mountains (west). Continue on Whitney Portal Road for 2.7 miles until Movie Flat Road, turn right. You will continue on Movie Flat Road for another 2.7 miles. The road will be paved for about 0.6 miles and will then turn into a well graded road for the remaining 2.1 miles. A sedan is totally fine on the road, just a little washboard at the worst. The road curves right (east) at 1.5 miles from the Movie Flat Road turn off and continues east for a bit, passing through a drainage area before heading back up and making a curve back to the north. Shortly after the road will curve to the east again and you will see a blind hill in the road ahead. Continue up that hill (stay slow to make sure no one is coming over) and head to the parking area about 100 yards further. Park, and walk that 100 yards back to the crest of the hill for the photo spot!