Dispersed Featured

Alabama Hills National Scenic Area

Lone Pine, CA

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Dispersed camping — conditions change

Fire restrictions, road washouts, and seasonal closures are common on public lands. Confirm current rules with the managing agency (BLM/USFS field office) before traveling. Practice Leave No Trace.

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Dispersed Area Free · No reservation BLM · National Scenic Area

What is dispersed camping?

Dispersed camping is primitive camping on public land outside of developed campgrounds. There are no facilities — no toilets (usually), no water, no trash service, no marked sites. You may camp anywhere within the area, usually for free, subject to the agency's rules below. Pack everything out, follow Leave No Trace, and check current conditions with the land manager before you go.

Alabama Hills NSA is a BLM-managed scenic area between Lone Pine and the eastern Sierra Nevada. Dispersed camping is allowed on previously disturbed sites only — the 2024 NSA Management Plan ROD prohibits new sites to halt resource damage from the 400,000+ annual visitors. 14-day stay limit per location, then move at least 25 miles before re-camping in the area. WAG-bag pack-out is required in core zones. Vault toilets exist at Movie Flat and Tuttle Creek; assume no other facilities.

Fire restrictions change daily. We don't publish a static fire-allowed claim — check the current order before any campfire, stove, or smoking.

Current fire orders ↗

Previously disturbed sites only
Camp ONLY in established / previously used spots. Pioneering new sites is prohibited under the management plan and subject to citation.
Pack out human waste
WAG bag (or equivalent pack-out kit) is required. Burying is not allowed in this area.
Commercial / film permits required
Filming, photography for hire, guiding, and other commercial activities require a separate permit from the agency. Personal recreational use does not.

Managing agency: BLM · BLM Bishop Field Office
Designation: National Scenic Area
Size: ~18,610 acres
Max stay: 14 days per location
Move distance after stay: 25 mi minimum
Road access: High clearance recommended
Distance from water (LNT): 200+ ft
Vehicle notes: passenger car

Facilities

✓ Vault toilets present (2 locations)
→Potable water: Lone Pine, ~3 miles east on Whitney Portal Rd.
→RV dump: Boulder Creek RV Resort, Lone Pine.
→Cell: Spotty inside the Hills; reliable signal on Hwy 395 and in Lone Pine.

Seasonal notes: Fire restrictions are issued by the BLM Bishop Field Office and Inyo National Forest and change throughout the year. ALWAYS check the current order before any fire — see the agency link below. Some side roads close seasonally for wildlife under the NSA Management Plan.

About

Free dispersed camping in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area, designated by the 2019 John D. Dingell Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act (Pub. L. 116-9) and managed by the BLM Bishop Field Office. 18,610 acres of granite arches and Sierra views, famously the backdrop for hundreds of films. There are NO facilities outside the Movie Flat and Tuttle Creek vault toilets — pack everything out, including human waste in core zones. Camp only in previously disturbed sites; new sites are not allowed under the NSA Management Plan.