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Best Campsite in Alabama Hills National Scenic Area | Highway 395

Writer: Muddy Ruttzz
Muddy Ruttzz
Aug 27, 2023
7 min read

Updated: Aug 28

Affiliate Disclosure: This post is unsponsored, I don't take products for free to do reviews on them. To support the studio, I use affiliate links from Amazon and eBay. If you click and purchase, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

TL;DR / Quick Summary


  • Location: Alabama Hills National Scenic Area near Lone Pine, CA off US Route 395.


  • The Spot: An elevated dispersed campsite at 4,000 feet with 360-degree views of Mt. Whitney, the Sierra Nevada, and the Inyo Mountains.


  • GPS Coordinates: N 36°36.9795' - W 118°06.5170'


  • Access: Accessible via Movie Road and "4-Wheel Drive Road"; suitable for high-clearance 4WD vehicles and off-road overland trailers.


  • Rig Setup: 2022 Jeep Gladiator Rubicon EcoDiesel (35" M/T tires, Warn winch, steel bumper) towing an XVenture XV-3 off-road trailer.


What You Will Learn In This Post

Planning an overland trip along California's scenic Highway 395 corridor often leads to the rugged granite arches and towering backdrops of Lone Pine. In this guide, you will discover how a last-minute route change turned into finding what park rangers and fellow overlanders consider the single best campsite in all of the Alabama Hills.


You will get exact navigation details, including the detour we took when Movie Road suffered storm washouts, the GPS coordinates for this specific ridge-top campsite, and trail-tested recommendations for handling spring weather, desert winds, and high sun.


We will also cover rig preparation tips for towing an off-road trailer like the XVenture XV-3, along with essential BLM dispersed camping guidelines to keep your Eastern Sierra adventure safe, legal, and low-impact.

https://youtu.be/EJTjQMaLwpY?si=d4Nofty2lUrC1BTU
The blog post pairs best with the companion video! Check out the full trail run and camp tour on the Muddy Ruttzz YouTube Channel.

Jeep Gladiator Ecodiesel, Exventure XV-3 Off-road Trailer, Camped at Alabama Hills National Recreation Area
Campsite at 4000' Looking Down On Movie Road Across the Valley to Mt Whitney and Sierra Nevada Mountain Range

Route to Lone Pine: The Highway 395 Run


Our overland trips rarely stick to a rigid script. We initially pointed our Jeep Gladiator EcoDiesel and XVenture XV-3 off-road trailer toward Anza-Borrego, considered pivoting to Joshua Tree at the base of the Tehachapi Pass, and ultimately made a northbound break at Mojave up Highway 14 toward Lone Pine.











Off-road vehicles and RVs near Jawbone sign in desert valley with California Aqueduct and mountains; www.muddyruttzz.com
It's very convenient to know where you can camp without a hassle and best of all, for free when you head out on your adventures. Jawbone Canyon is that and also a very cool destination in itself.

Jawbone Canyon: Free Dispersed Camping

Home base, San Jose California where every square foot is privately owned and every campsite is reserved months in advance. Many of our trips start out with a 8 hour plus drive to wide open public land spaces east of the Sierras.

Our first overnight stop was at Jawbone Canyon OHV, just off Highway 14. The following morning, we linked up with US-395 North and made a quick stop at Fossil Falls.

Dry rocky canyon at Fossil Falls with two hikers below; text reads Fossil Falls Dry Waterfall BLM Site.
Now a dry waterfall the Owens River once ran through here this canyon. There are a few first-come campsites and a huge lava field. Definitely worth a stop and a good place to camp.

Fossil Falls Tip: A short walk from the trailhead takes you right up to ancient volcanic basalt carved out by glacial runoff. Thanks to heavy winter precipitation, the surrounding desert hills across Highway 395 were covered in purple blooms. There is a developed BLM campground here if you need a staging area before heading further north.


Rocky desert landscape with snow-capped mountains under a bright blue sky, and a white truck parked at the right edge.
It was difficult to capture the magnificence of this campsite view but this panorama gives you an idea of where we were.

Alabama Hills: Extremely Popular California Overlanding Destination

Honestly, I'm not a big fan of crowds. Places like Joshua Tree and Alabama Hills just aren't my vibe. For me, the perfect Overlanding trip is all about those quiet moments—like spending three days in the desert without running into another soul. So, you can imagine how amazing it felt to stumble upon this National Scenic Area and have it all to ourselves. Total win!

Related Content From Muddy Ruttzz


Man beside Jeep Rubicon in snowy mountains; beside rooftop camper trailer labeled Xventure XV-3 and muddyruttzz.com.
First Overlanding trip for my wife's 2022 Gladiator Ecodiesel but not for the Xventure XV-3 off-road trailer.

Outfitting the Rig: Jeep Gladiator & XVenture XV-3

This trip marked the maiden overland outing for our Jeep Gladiator Rubicon EcoDiesel after transitioning from our Wrangler Willys EcoDiesel build.


Jeep front with hood open and aftermarket bumper, plus close-ups of RIGID LED cube lights; clean install display
The Alabama Hills trip included a last minute install of RIGID Industries - D Series Pro Spector Lights.

My Gladiator Does Not Have Off-Road Lights!

We were leaving Monday. Friday my wife pointed out the her Gladiator had no off-road lights like I outfitted the Wrangler with. We learned our lesson at Trona Pinnacles on a dark night after nearly driving into a ditch that off-road lights are essential. I was working weekends so it was crunch time for me to install lights. That night I ordered a set of Rigid D-Series Lights that I could mount on the Warn Elite Bumper. In between a couple of weekend shifts at a large sporting goods store (Bass Pro) I managed to get them installed, load up the Xventure XV-3 and the Jeep to be ready for Monday departure.



White Jeep Gladiator Rubicon tows an off-road camper through rocky desert with snowy mountains; www.muddyruttzz.com watermark.
The beauty of owning a capable 4WD rig, we saw the sign "4WD Road" and had the confidence to drive it to the best campsite at Alabama Hills.

Finding a Campsite at Alabama Hills National Recreation Area: From Whitney Portal Road to Movie Road


Wow, California really had a winter for the books this year! The rain was relentless, leaving some roads in the park pretty banged up. Movie Road had a closed sign after about three miles, which was a bummer. With limited access to the park, it felt like everyone and their dog was out camping and enjoying the day use areas. But we were determined to make the most of it!

We hit the trail leading up a steep hill and engaged the lockers on our Gladiator. It was a blast to tow our XVenture XV-3 up and over the hill, and it got us around that pesky road closure. After a couple of miles, we found a sweet little 4-wheel drive road that led us to some remote, unoccupied campsites. It was then we saw the this camp at 4000 ft elevation with a view that blew my mind!

Desert campsite with Jeep, rooftop tent, and campfire beside boulders, snowy mountains and sunset sky; muddyruttzz.com
I was in awe of this place and not being a profesional photographer really did not know how I could do it justice. I decided to climb on rocks all around the campsite and take tons of photos in the hopes some would out good.

The Best Campsite at Alabama Hills? Ranger And A Overlander Tells Us Yes It Is

We stumbled upon some awesome campsites, but when we reached this one, it was clear we had hit the jackpot! The view of Movie Road and the Sierras to the West, plus the Inyo Range to the East—just stunning. After we got our camp all set up, we couldn’t resist taking a moment to soak it all in and snap a few photos!


While relaxing at camp, another overlander stopped by to check availability, confirming what local BLM rangers had told him: this ridge-top perch is widely considered the premier dispersed site in the entire recreation area.




Why This Site Tops the List

  1. Unobstructed Views: Westward panoramas frame Mount Whitney and the sharp peaks of the Sierra Nevada; eastward views sweep past Lone Pine out to the Inyo Mountain Range.


  2. Elevated Perspective: Perched high above the valley floor, looking down across Movie Road and the surrounding labyrinth of granite boulders.


  3. Seclusion: Tucked far enough off the primary tourist artery to escape daytime crowds.


Campsite Coordinates:


Latitude: 36°36.9795' N


Longitude: 118°06.5170' W


(Elevation: Approx. 4,000 ft)


Person relaxes by a campfire in rocky desert camp, with snowcapped mountains beyond; www.muddyruttzz.com watermark visible.
Mount Whitney is out there somewhere. Definitely the best site I ever had for a campfire. The Snow Peak Fire Pit is awesome. I even use it in the standard BLM fire rings as well as in parks where fires on the ground are not allowed.

Desert Elements, Fighter Jets, and Campfire Sunsets

As dusk approached, F-18 and military jets from nearby testing ranges tore through the corridor overhead with full afterburners—a roaring soundtrack to an otherwise silent landscape. We wrapped up both evenings with hot tea by the campfire, watching the granite faces of Mount Whitney shift from golden yellow to deep crimson alpenglow.

Map To Alabama Hills National Monument In California



Two Garmin GPS screens show Alabama camp 1 coordinates and a trail map with route lines and 4,500 ft elevation.
The exact GPS Coordinates to the Best Campsite at Alabama Hills.

Alabama Hills Best Campsite GPS Coordinates

N 36°36.9795' - W  118°06.5170’

Conlusion: Watch the Full Adventure

Check out the full trail run, campsite walkaround, and scenic footage on the Muddy Ruttzz YouTube Channel:


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