I have been going to Mammoth since I was a teenager. Until we bought our place in Mammoth we would do a non-stop drive to Mammoth ignoring all the amazing stuff between LA and Mammoth. With a place of our own we started spending more time in the Eastern Sierra. With that regularity the need to rush straight through to Mammoth went away We started exploring cool things all along Hwy 395. It was then I fell in love with the towns in the Owens Valley. These towns seem one dimensional as you drive through but when you get to know them they have multiple layers that make them gems in their own right. Today’s post focuses on the town I know best - Lone Pine.
Lone Pine has incredible layers both natural and man made
Let’s start with a trivia fact. The famous hills to the west of Lone Pine are called the Alabama Hills. The name for these hills were given by pro-Confederate prospectors They chose the name after the CSS Alabama, the most successful Confederate war ship in the war. The CSS Alabama captured 65 ships, flying the American Flag, and sunk one Union warship. The pro-Union prospectors were not to be out done. They named the pass above the Alabama Hills the Kearsarge pass after the USS Kearsarge which was the ship that sunk the Alabama. Pretty funny when you think about it.
Lone Pine and it’s Alabama Hills are famous for its relationship with the movie industry. Over 300 films have been filmed here over the years including the 1938 classic Gunga Din, countless westerns and famous movies like Spencer Tracey’s Bad Day at Black Rock and Humphrey Bogart’s High Sierra.
You can check out this rich history at the Lone Pine Film Museum.
If you go be sure to watch the film it is pretty cool.
The Alabama Hills are also famous for there unique rock formations that are both beautiful to view but also spark your imagination. Explore enough and you will start to see figures in their shapes.
The Mobius Arch is one of the most famous arches in the Alabama Hills
But it is not the only one.
After a while you start to see images in the formations.
Jabba the Hut
Octopus maybe. If you look close you might find a laughing pig.
Towering above Lone Pine is Mt Whitney. With a height of 14,505 feet it is the tallest mountain in the contiguous United States.
About 9,000 feet up is Whitney Portal. There are camp grounds there and it is the trail head for the hike to the top of Mt Whitney. The portal is a wonderful stop on its own, It has a small pond with trout in it. Many like to fish others just like to sit and relax.
Fishing Pond at Whitney Portal
There is also a gorgeous waterfall as well.
If you don’t want to hike all the way to the top of Mt Whitney a much shorter but rewarding hike is to Lone Pine lake.
Lone Pine Lake sometimes looks like a scene from Jason and the Argonauts
If all this physical activity makes you hungry then the Whitney Portal Store has you covered with their huge pancakes!
Two plates are required to hold these pancakes.
If you want to wait to get back to town to eat there are some awesome restaurants it town. A few of our favorites are:
The Alabama Hills Cafe - Breakfast and Lunch
Alabama Hills Cafe
Seasons - Dinner is a great sit down restaurant.
Lone Star Bistro - Great sandwiches, hot dogs and ice cream
Frosty Chalet - for a quick bite to eat.
There is a nice grass area and shaded patio to enjoy your food at the Frosty Chalet
If you want just to sit down have a beer and possibly meet folks from around the world Jakes is a great little old saloon-. We have met folks from France, England, Australia, and more while we were there.
Bud sign at Jakes
Just north of Lone Pine is Manzanar one of the WWII Japanese Interment camps. It is now a National Historic Site where you can see both the hardships endured and the courage that our Japanese citizens displayed.
A barracks at Manzanar
I hope you see there is much more to do in Lone Pine than grab a burger and gas. Next time you are heading up 395 plan to spend time in Lone Pine!
Mt Whitney and the Alabama Hills always look good in snow!