Alabama Hills, California
What is this amazing dessert, rock, and mountain park doing in Alabama? It’s not actually in Alabama, but when we watched the videos of another RV family boondocking in Alabama Hills, California last year, we knew it had to make it on our list of places to stop. Living on the East Coast, I didn’t know that you could camp for free on public land through the Bureau of Land Management (aka BLM land). I didn’t even know that places like Alabama Hills existed.
If you ask any of us what the “favorite” stop was in our first cross-country trip, both kids would declare Alabama Hills as the BEST stop, hands down. It’s definitely in the top 5 for both Steve and me too. This was our first true boondocking experience, with no hookups for several days, and far away from neighbors or resources.
There were so many things that made this long weekend special. The location, the activities, the change in routine, the freedom you feel in this amazing place.
As you drive along Movie Rd., you quickly realize that all the camping spots offer something special. It was quite windy while we were there (apparently this is pretty normal), so we wanted a spot with a little protection if possible. We found a spot next to some rocks, and not near any other campers. Outside our front door were rocks to climb, a great spot for a fire, and miles of open space. Out the back you looked toward the snow covered Mt. Whitney, with amazing rock structures along the way.
Our boys instantly went into outdoor adventure mode. They barely stepped foot inside the RV the entire time we were there. They sorted wood, played with rocks, climbed rocks, dug in the dirt, and felt so much freedom to play and explore. Once we set out to hike along the rocks right outside our site, we found old creek beds, narrow pathways, and huge rocks to climb. The rocks created a natural playground for us all to explore, and the texture of the rock gave us plenty to grip as we climbed and jumped from rock to rock.
Once we started exploring, we noticed natural arches and windows in some of the rocks, which then led us to have to find even more of them. Some were difficult to find, others easy, and some we never found at all. The wind was picking up and made it a little uncomfortable, but you’d never know as we stayed out climbing the rocks much longer than most hikes we try.
There’s something magical about seeing all these round, nubby rocks all over the park with the snow-capped Mount Whitney (the tallest mountain in the lower 48) looming as the backdrop to the west. And if you’re a movie buff, you’ll enjoy looking through the long list of movies filmed in Alabama Hills.
