Driving ‘Movie Road,’ the Secluded Landscape You’ve Seen in More Than 400 Films

Detour three hours outside of LA and a few miles off Highway 395 in the small town of Lone Pine, California, and you’ll be rewarded with the gateway to the Alabama Hills, a landscape of stark beauty and cinematic wonder. Spanning nearly 30,000 acres, these rounded, sun-baked hills were sculpted by centuries of wind and rain and stand as silent sentinels against the backdrop of the towering Sierra Nevada. Their otherworldly appearance of weathered rock formations and sparse vegetation has made them a favorite location for filmmakers for decades, transporting viewers to distant planets and epic battlefields.

But the Alabama Hills aren't just a movie backdrop. They are a place that inspires solitude, where the vastness of the desert sky and the ruggedness of the terrain create a sense of awe and wonder. Hikers can explore a network of trails that wind through the hills, offering breathtaking views of the surrounding mountains and valleys. Photographers can capture the ever-changing light and shadows that play across the landscape, creating images that are both dramatic and ethereal. And stargazers will marvel at the clarity of the night sky, where countless stars twinkle unabashedly, flaunting their luster.

The Alabama Hills are a place of contrasts, where the harshness of the desert meets the grandeur of the mountains. They are also a place of history, where ancient petroglyphs and remnants of mining towns tell stories of the past. Getting there is easy: take Highway 395 to Lone Pine, turn west at the stoplight onto Whitney Portal Road, then drive about 2.5 miles to Movie Road and turn right. The Bureau of Land Management manages the Alabama Hills and camping there is free.

Hollywood filmmakers began to take an interest in the Alabama Hills starting in 1920. Since then, more than 400 movies and TV shows have been filmed there. Classics like Yellow Sky and How the West Was Won were filmed along Movie Road. The 1990 sci-fi classic Tremors was filmed almost entirely on location in the Alabama Hills. During 1993, portions of Maverick were filmed there. More recently, scenes from Star Trek Generations, Gladiator, Iron Man, and Django Unchained were filmed in the Alabama Hills.

The Inyo Film Commission estimates that they issue an average of 70 to 80 permits per year that result in filming somewhere in the area. This is mainly restricted to small and independent narrative features, although large film productions occasionally still stage productions there.

The Lone Pine Film Festival occurs every October, which features screenings, panels, and discussions that showcase movies filmed in the Alabama Hills. It takes place at the country’s only Western film museum, the Museum of Western Film History, where you can grab a map at any time and take a self-guided tour of Movie Road. During the festival, which is celebrating its 34th year, “on location” guided tours are also available, with different themes including an Ansel Adams-themed tour that takes you to some of the sites where he captured his famous images.

There are no facilities, water, or food in Alabama Hills. Although it is only about a five minute drive from Lone Pine, there is no cell reception there. All the roads in the Alabama Hills are washboard roads, and even though some of the main roads may be bumpy, they are mostly flat. Regardless, it’s wise to drive a four wheel drive or high-clearance vehicle, along with a good GPS and a full tank of gas.

The indigenous people of the Lone Pine Paiute Shoshone Tribe still reside in this area, where their ancestors have lived for thousands of years. It is important to respect and care for this land, and to not disturb or destroy anything that you may find. There are no trash services, so pack out all trash, and camp in designated campgrounds only. Also, be sure to travel on existing roads and trails as vegetation in this climate can take decades to recover when crushed by off-road driving or parking.

GPS Coordinates: 36°35’47.5″N 118°05’54.5″W
Nightmare Rock sounds like it could be the type of monolith that haunts your dreams, and it is indeed unsettling. A bizarre rock formation that has been painted to resemble a monstrous gaping maw with rows of sharp teeth, it is a stark contrast to the smooth, rounded boulders that populate this area. The face’s features change over time, depending on who decides to give it a fresh paint job. Located on Whitney Portal Road at the entrance to the Alabama Hills, it also serves as an unofficial greeter of sorts.

GPS Coordinates: 36°36’48.9″N 118°07’32.4″W
One of the most popular rock formations in the Alabama Hills is the Mobius Arch, which perfectly frames the majesty of Mt. Whitney through its “window,” making it a great photo op. The elements have sculpted this natural wonder, leaving it sunbleached and wind-worn. Located off Movie Road, you’ll know you reached it when you see a small turnout where the road splits into two separate routes. Park at the turnout and you’ll see a small trailhead sign to the west indicating the Arch Loop Trail. Follow the trail for about a half-mile, and you’ll see a big rock and then the arch itself.

GPS Coordinates: N 36°36.780 W 118°07.398
This is one of the easiest arches to find in the Alabama Hills. You can spot it from the Mobius Arch parking lot. The heart shape is most visible from a distance, particularly from the parking area, and it is accessible via a short spur trail that branches off from the main Arch Loop Trail. Once you’re off the main trail, you’ll need to navigate uneven terrain and scramble over some rocks to get to Heart Arch. The roundtrip hike is about 1.5 miles and is considered moderately challenging due to the off-trail section and some elevation gain.

GPS Coordinates: 36°36’14.2″N 118°07’01.4″W
Named after the famous singing cowboy, Gene Autry Rock is a large, prominent rock formation situated on a hill on a small dirt road. It was given its name because Autry, a legendary figure in Western films, often rode his horse to the top of the rock during filming breaks. It was featured in Boots and Saddles, one of Autry’s films, and was also in one of the scenes in Django Unchained. You’ll need a four-wheel drive or high clearance vehicle to reach this formation, but it is easily visible from the road.

GPS Coordinates: 36°36’26.98″N 118° 7’46.18″W
Hidden Window is a lesser-known but fascinating natural feature in the Alabama Hills. It’s a small, almost perfectly circular hole in a rock face, resembling a window looking out on the vast landscape. Located just off Movie Road, it stands alone near the roadside and is relatively easy to spot compared to some of the other arches and formations in the area. For photographers, it presents a unique opportunity for creative composition because the contrast between the dark interior of the window and the bright landscape beyond creates a dramatic effect.

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