On the way to Death Valley National Park, explore the unique geology of the Alabama Hills – also known as movie flat!

Since the early 1920’s, famous movie stars like Hopalong Cassidy, Gene Autry, and the Lone Ranger have been shooting it out at Alabama Hills. In 1969, the BLM dedicated nearly 30,000 acres of public land west of Lone Pine, California, as the Alabama Hills Recreation Area. The rounded, oddly shaped contours of the Alabama Hills form a sharp contrast to the glacially chiseled ridges of the nearby Sierra Nevada. Both landforms consist of a similar granitic rock that was uplifted around 100 million years ago.

The Alabama Hills lie west of Death Valley National Park, so it’s an easy trip for park visitors. And the Alabama Hills also lie at the base of Mount Whitney, the highest peak in the lower 48, which adds to the spectacular landscape. The BLM and the Alabama Hills Stewardship Group care for this area with the goal of preserving the hills in as close as natural state as possible for the enjoyment of future generations. A one-of-a-kind #mypubliclandsroadtrip!