Movie Flat Designated Dispersed Camping
Alabama Hills Recreation Area
Write a Review Whitney Portal Rd. Lone Pine, CA 93545 760-872-5000 Official WebsiteGPS: 36.6054, -118.1189
Overview of Movie Flat Designated Dispersed Camping
Changes are being made to the Alabama Hills to improve the recreation experience for all users. As of late 2021 the west side of Movie Road in the Movie Flat area and any area marked with a no camping sign will be day-use only. Additional changes to dispersed camping will occur throughout the end of 2021. These changes will include a required free permit and converting all camping to designated dispersed sites. Click here for a reference map. Six porta-potties have been added as well. Please pack out all human waste - leave no trace!
Please check the official website link above to get the most up-to-date information.
Accessibility is not guaranteed, always scout ahead before driving down dirt roads. Learn more: Boondocking 101.
Last Price Paid: $0
Reported by WorkinfortheWild on 4/28/2024
Longest RV Reported: 42 feet (Fifth Wheel)
Reported by The Wanderpreneurs on 6/17/2019
Number of Sites 50
Pad Type dirt
Elevation 4,593 ft / 1,399 m
Max Stay 14
Tent Camping Yes
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Q&A - Ask the Community about Movie Flat Designated Dispersed Camping
To ask questions of the owner or manager please contact the campground directly. 760-872-5000
closecalls asked on 1/20/2021
I have the sense that boondocking outside of the Turtle Creek campground at Alabama Hills Recreation Area is strongly...
RAMJETR asked on 7/5/2021
Whats the nearest dump station to Alabama Hills Recreation Area?
Kerry asked on 10/1/2021
Do I need a permit to camp at Alabama Hills Recreational Park?
KC Dale asked on 4/20/2021
Does anyone have an idea how busy Alabama Hills will be for camping mid-week in August?
Bri asked on 3/19/2021
Will I be able to enter into the Alabama Hills camping area in a Sedan? Just worried about needing 4WD ;/
Ridgeback12 asked on 1/22/2021
Will April be a good time to RV camp at the Alabama Hills Recreation Area? Not too hot or too many people? Any bloomi...
Reviews of Movie Flat Designated Dispersed Camping 103 people have reviewed this location.
Cell Phone Coverage
Confirmed by 14 Users
Last reported 5/22/2021
Confirmed by 29 Users
Last reported 4/29/2023
Confirmed by 5 Users
Last reported 11/27/2021
“Great Mountain Views ”
Reviewed 3/29/2022
| Nightly rate: | FREE! |
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| Days stayed: | 10 |
| Site Number: | N/A |
| RV Length: | 25' (Class B) |
Overall Rating
If you plan on staying more than 5 days, I advise coming in during the week to secure your spot as the weekends are very busy. Especially if you have a larger rig/camper. I parked in 2 different spots and had 2 bars of AT&T LTE service so I was able to get some work done during the day. Some camping spots won’t have any reception du... more
If you plan on staying more than 5 days, I advise coming in during the week to secure your spot as the weekends are very busy. Especially if you have a larger rig/camper.
I parked in 2 different spots and had 2 bars of AT&T LTE service so I was able to get some work done during the day. Some camping spots won’t have any reception due to placement behind rock formations.
I’ll attach the latest map of where you can camp.
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AT&T 4G
Van Go America would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Not worth coming to after the campsite bans”
Reviewed 2/9/2022
Overall Rating
Avoid coming here. They are now very restrictive on camping. It was great back in the day and one of our favorite spots, but sadly too many idiots leaving trash and not respecting nature ruined it for everyone else. Thank you jackasses who have no business camping in nature. Learn to Leave no Trace camp before you head out into nature.... more
Avoid coming here. They are now very restrictive on camping. It was great back in the day and one of our favorite spots, but sadly too many idiots leaving trash and not respecting nature ruined it for everyone else. Thank you jackasses who have no business camping in nature. Learn to Leave no Trace camp before you head out into nature. It is sad what was once an amazing place to camp has become. RIP Alabama Hills
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T-Mobile
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Beautiful scenery - No Internet ”
Reviewed 12/27/2021
| Days stayed: | 2 |
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Overall Rating
This is a beautiful place to boonedock. I have been here a few times over the years, with the most recent December 26-27. Great hikes and landscape. Amazing view of Mt Whitney. West side is now closed for day use only, but still lots of boonedock spots. I have always gone with a 40’ 5th wheel. Most roads are easily accessible. Some... more
This is a beautiful place to boonedock. I have been here a few times over the years, with the most recent December 26-27. Great hikes and landscape. Amazing view of Mt Whitney. West side is now closed for day use only, but still lots of boonedock spots. I have always gone with a 40’ 5th wheel. Most roads are easily accessible. Some you need to travel slower than others.
There is ZERO internet any any part of Alabama Hills. I have T-Mobile, AT&T and Verizon and none of them were usable. AT&T showed the most promise but still unusable. I use a reboot external antenna and still no usable signal in various places from the start of movie road to deep past the arches.
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AT&T
Verizon
T-Mobile
lancemueller would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Amazing boondocking site. Check out the BLM site for new restrictions”
Reviewed 11/27/2021
| Nightly rate: | FREE! |
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| Days stayed: | 3 |
| RV Length: | 25' (Travel Trailer) |
Overall Rating
Do not venture into the Alabama Hills after dark to find a campsite. The side roads off Movie Flats Road can be dangerous. We were surprised at how many people came past our site in the dark after dark. There are new restrictions on where you can camp. Many of the prime sites with easy access that you see on YouTube are now restric... more
Do not venture into the Alabama Hills after dark to find a campsite. The side roads off Movie Flats Road can be dangerous. We were surprised at how many people came past our site in the dark after dark. There are new restrictions on where you can camp. Many of the prime sites with easy access that you see on YouTube are now restricted to Day Use Only. The east side of Movie Flats Road is open to camping. The next time we come up here I think we will drop our trailer at the turn off of Whitney Portal and Movie Flats and find a spot and then come back for the trailer. We found ourselves in a few tight spots where we had to back out of where we had driven into with the trailer.
The views are incredible. Great sunrises and sunsets. Hiking is great and there are a lot of people out rock climbing. We would definitely stay here again.
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T-Mobile 4G
Flying Wilma would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“It’s still doable!”
Reviewed 11/26/2021
| Nightly rate: | FREE! |
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| Days stayed: | 5 |
| RV Length: | 26' (Travel Trailer) |
Overall Rating
When we found out about the new dispersed camping rules, we almost cancelled our Thanksgiving plans to visit Alabama Hills. We decided to wing it & hope for the best, and if we couldn’t find a spot then we’d stay at Tuttle Creek Campground. We arrived on Monday afternoon and easily found an awesome site for our 26’ TT. It was EXACTLY w... more
When we found out about the new dispersed camping rules, we almost cancelled our Thanksgiving plans to visit Alabama Hills. We decided to wing it & hope for the best, and if we couldn’t find a spot then we’d stay at Tuttle Creek Campground. We arrived on Monday afternoon and easily found an awesome site for our 26’ TT. It was EXACTLY what I imagined! We saw plenty of spaces for tents and all size rigs (yes, even 5th wheels) in the designated camping area - you just either need to know where you are going or maybe do some scouting on foot or bike. While here we saw Mobius Arch and the Eye of Alabama, drove up to Mount Witney portal, hiked from the portal down to Lone Pine Campground (4 miles, all downhill!), drove down to Owens Lake, and bouldered. We also had an amazing breakfast and treats at Alabama Hills Cafe & Bakery! But we also saw broken glass, bits of trash, and toilet paper everywhere. Please, respect the new rules so that we can all keep coming here: Camp in designated areas only, pack it in/pack it out, don’t use the rocks as your toilet (BYO!!), and leave it better than when you came! We will be back for sure!
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Verizon
campncaboodle would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Beautiful, but Abused”
Reviewed 11/21/2021
| Nightly rate: | FREE! |
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| Days stayed: | 5 |
| RV Length: | 28' (Travel Trailer) |
Overall Rating
Sunrise on Mount Whitney is probably the most striking view I've woken up to while camping. Camping has been restricted in the area. We still found an area, basically a pull-off along the gravel road. From what I could see in our area, it probably needs to be further restricted because slob campers don't deserve nice things. Every ... more
Sunrise on Mount Whitney is probably the most striking view I've woken up to while camping. Camping has been restricted in the area. We still found an area, basically a pull-off along the gravel road. From what I could see in our area, it probably needs to be further restricted because slob campers don't deserve nice things. Every third rock at our site was holding down a wad of toilet paper. I had to clean up a plastic bag full of human waste that was tucked behind the boulders at our site. Walking anywhere required dodging what I hope was dog poop. It's a desert, it won't decompose. Nothing will. It's a shame and something needs to be done about it. Closure seems to be what the BLM has decided is the easiest solution.
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AT&T 4G
Verizon
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Incredible - Must stay! ”
Reviewed 11/16/2021
| Nightly rate: | FREE! |
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| Days stayed: | 4 |
| RV Length: | 26' (Travel Trailer) |
Overall Rating
Incredible stay for boondocking. Stunning area and easy to navigate on the dirt roads with RV if you can find a site closer to wear 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... more
Incredible stay for boondocking. Stunning area and easy to navigate on the dirt roads with RV if you can find a site closer to wear 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.
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AT&T 4G
JulMur would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Alabama Hills Camping Closures”
Reviewed 11/11/2021
| RV Length: | 36' (Fifth Wheel) |
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Overall Rating
The camping closures I encountered at the Alabama Hills BLM today were so onerous I recorded this special onsite report. During my onsite visit to the Alabama Hills Recreation and National Scenic Area today we encountered a near total ban on the free dispersed camping that previously existed. In this video, I show you the areas I e... more
The camping closures I encountered at the Alabama Hills BLM today were so onerous I recorded this special onsite report. During my onsite visit to the Alabama Hills Recreation and National Scenic Area today we encountered a near total ban on the free dispersed camping that previously existed. In this video, I show you the areas I encountered where camping is no longer allowed. As of October 1, 2021 the west side of Movie Road in the Movie Flat area and any area marked with a no camping sign will be day use only areas. Our search for a free dispersed campsite within the Alabama Hills BLM that would accommodate our fifth wheel RV met with negative results, so we camped at the Tuttle Creek BLM campground instead. Beware of the new restrictions on dispersed camping within the Alabama Hills BLM. The next day, I did find a big rig friendly campsite within the Alabama Hills dispersed camping area. Here are the grid coordinates for the campsite: 36.612888, -118.117863
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Bummer”
Reviewed 10/19/2021
| Nightly rate: | FREE! |
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| Days stayed: | 2 |
| Site Number: | 0 |
| RV Length: | 21' (Travel Trailer) |
Overall Rating
Well that's a huge bummer. Alabama hills is now very highly controlled area with very limited camping and permits required. What a way to ruin a good spot.
Many thanx to all the Aholes for leaving trash and dog/human waist behind !!! FU !!!
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Verizon
Peter would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“BLM limits Alabama Hills to 50 designated sites all first come first serve”
Reviewed 10/18/2021
| Nightly rate: | FREE! |
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| Days stayed: | 0 |
Overall Rating
We didn’t check Campendium before heading to the Alabama Hills 10/15/21 because we’ve camped there so many times so we didn’t know about the changes. We talked to the BLM manager for the area at their pop up. He informed us there had been wide solicitation of public comment prior to the new rules put it in 2020 with implementation in 2... more
We didn’t check Campendium before heading to the Alabama Hills 10/15/21 because we’ve camped there so many times so we didn’t know about the changes. We talked to the BLM manager for the area at their pop up. He informed us there had been wide solicitation of public comment prior to the new rules put it in 2020 with implementation in 2021. We told him neither we nor anyone we know was aware of the request for public comment. While we understand the need for change as there are too many campers, especially on holiday weekends, we told them we would have appreciated the opportunity for comment. On our many stays at the Alabama Hills we have never seen BLM personnel policing the area and wonder why there wasn’t there an effort made to reduce problems before jumping to drastic measures. Unable to find a campsite at the Alabama Hills, we were forced to find another campground, and it was already 4 PM. We discovered Pleasant Valley Campground north of Bishop on Campendium, a wonderful find.
Verizon
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
Page 2 of 11
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- Dispersed Camping
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