Camping below Mt. Whitney

California has much to offer. Home of Yosemite National Park, the great Sequoia trees, thousands of miles of coastline, and the yearly super bloom. It’s easy to spend weeks traveling across California to see all of the sights.

But, there’s more to California than where the tourists flock to.

The Sierra Nevada mountain range stretches 400 miles across the Central Valley area of California and is home to the mountain measuring at 14,505 feet, Mt. Whitney.

Driving from Las Vegas, NV to Mt. Whitney, I passed through Death Valley and drove North.

What lies on the foothills of Mt. Whitney is the Alabama Hills.

A hidden gem of California, the Alabama Hill’s rock formations stun with shaped bluffs, arches, bouldering, and incredible hiking.

If you’re a western movie fan, the Alabama Hills are something you need to check out. Hollywood used the Alabama Hills years ago as a prime spot to film western movies and in the town of Lone Pine nearby, there’s a western film museum with hundreds of props and memorabilia.

Some examples are Bonanza, numerous movies starring John Wayne as well as Clint Eastwood.

The dirt roads that circle around the Alabama Hills were first created by Hollywood so they could easily film and now the entire place is open to free, dry camping.

Driving 10 minutes west, you’ll then be at the base of Mt. Whitney, gazing up at its wonder. There’s a campground you can pull off to and wake up the next morning to hike to the Whitney Portal (8 miles total).

Mt. Whitney and the Alabama Hills were the highlights of my trip to California and I suggest you don’t miss it.