Alabama Hills - Movie Road (2.9 miles away)
Lone Pine, California
Horseshoe Meadows Sites 7-8
Scout Route
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As you pull onto this spur road, a sign reads:
"GUNGA DIN" FILMED HERE"
IN 1938, THIS HILL AREA, AMONG MANY OTHERS IN THESE ALABAMA HILLS, SERVED AS A STAND-IN FOR THE HILL COUNTRY OF NORTHERN INDIA WHEN RKO MADE THE CLASSIC ADVENTURE FILM, 'GUNGA DIN,' ON LOCATION IN LONE PINE. HUNDREDS OF HORSEMEN RACED ACROSS THE HILLS AND ELABORATE SETS WERE BUILT HERE AND NEARBY WHILE THE CAST AND CREW LIVED FOR WEEKS IN A TENT CITY OFF MOVIE ROAD. DIRECTED BY GEORGE STEVENS, THE EPIC STARRED CARY GRANT, DOUGLAS FAIRBANKS JR. VICTOR MCLAGLEN AND JOAN FONTAINE WITH SAM JAFFE AS GUNGA DIN, THE WATERBOY WHO WANTED SO MUCH TO BE A SOLDIER."
The drive starts with dropping into a short canyon with rougher dirt and erosion than the other surrounding roads. The road leads to the designated dispersed sites 7 and 8. Any high clearance vehicle can manage the erosion. Large C-class RVs should be avoided.
About the camping on this route:
All dispersed camping is designated to a specific site and requires a permit. A permit can be obtained online or at the Eastern Sierra Visitor Center or kiosks located on Movie Road and the main entry point in Lone Pine. Permits need to be signed and displayed on your dashboard.
The BLM has created a map showing the site numbers. However, those numbers are not used in the field, but each site is clearly marked with either a camping allowed or no camping allowed symbol on a clearly visible sign. Please be aware that all sites are first come, first served, and a permit does not guarantee you will find a site. Due to the area's popularity, it is best to arrive early.
There are six portable restrooms throughout Alabama Hills. If you do not want to drive or walk to one, you must bring your own system to pack out human waste.
About the sites:
7: Large site suitable for a few vehicles, but the ground is slightly slanted. Well separated from Horseshoe Meadows Road.
8: Large site suitable for a few vehicles, but the ground is slightly slanted. It has a decent separation from site 7, but being in the canyon, voices and sounds could reverberate.
