Alabama Hills

The Alabama Hills are a formation of rounded rocks and eroded hills set at the base of the jagged peaks of the Sierra Nevada. Both geologic features were shaped by the same uplifting occurring 100 million years ago. Visitors enjoy touring film sites, photography, rock climbing, exploring natural arches, and viewing the swaths of wildflowers that bloom every spring. Horseback riding and mountain biking are popular activities. Camping permits are required for designated camping in the Alabama Hills. Permits are free and do not guarantee a campsite; all camping is first come, first serve. The permit is an acknowledgment that you understand the rules and guidance for designated camping. You may complete it online before your trip, collect a physical permit from the Eastern Sierra Visitor Center in Lone Pine or either of the information kiosks on Movie Road, or have one issued in person by a BLM park ranger within the Alabama Hills. Separately, per the Alabama Hills Approved Resource Management Plan, all drone operators are required to obtain a drone use permit before flying within the recreation area. The best place to camp when you visit is at the nearby campgrounds, all within a few miles of Movie Road: the BLM Tuttle Creek Campground, the Inyo National Forest Lone Pine Campground and the Inyo County Portuguese Joe Campground. There are bathrooms, picnic tables and big sites for RVs and trailers. Camping outside of a campground, in designated campsites, requires extra time and preparation to make sure impacts are minimal to this special place. To control human waste, six porta potties have been placed in the Alabama Hills, at the Mobius Arch trailhead and across from the Shark Fin parking area; please either use these restrooms or pack out your solid human waste using a portable waste system. A California campfire permit is required on BLM managed lands within California, and is available free online or at all BLM, U.S. Forest Service and Cal Fire offices. Check for current restrictions that may be in place. Use existing fire rings in an existing campsite. Extinguish fires with water, not dirt. Be sure to have shovels, adequate water and fire extinguishers. Do not build fires next to rock outcrops where the black scars will remain for years, and do not cut brush.