Join Hopalong, Roy and Autry for ‘Concert in the Rocks.’ Live western history amid the Alabama Hills near Death Valley.

You may not know the Alabama Hills by name, but when you see the distinctive rock formations of the heavily mined hills, you may very well recognize them from hundreds of movies, television shows and commercials—old west and more contemporary.  Not far from Death Valley on Highway 395 is small town of Lone Pine, tempting with its own rugged brand of mountain beauty that has served as the high desert stomping ground for film crews and western movie legends since the 1920s. A horizon-less sea of golden-colored granite boulders that rise up dramatically from the desert floor make up the Alabama Hills of Lone Pine.  The rounded mounds and twisted rock formations came about by thawing Ice Age snow that first sharply chiseled the igneous stone. The pursuant winds shaped the rough edges into smoothed-over hills with east-west-looking archways.  Only nature could create such a perfect movie set ripe for gunfights, bad-guy hideaways and long, dusty trail rides.

Fatty Arbuckle saddled up in the 1920 movie, “The Round Up,” filmed here.  Hopalong Cassidy (William Boyd) starred in dozens of films and eventually made the area home with a cabin on Tuttle Creek Road.  He and Roy Rogers trapped wild horses in Lone Ranger Canyon, and Gene Autry made the same canyon the setting for his 1950 movie, “Cow Town.”  Even modern-day cinema has enjoyed nature’s unique movie set—you may have seen Kevin Bacon wrestle with giant worms in the movie “Tremors.”

Concert in the Rocks on June 2

Every June, the unique outdoor venue of Lone Ranger Canyon hosts the “Concert in the Rocks.” The evening begins with a welcoming reception in the equally fascinating Lone Pine Film History Museum with its large archive of memorabilia from movies, television shows and commercials filmed in the Alabama Hills. From here, attendees will be transported to the Alabamas for a “Cowboy Ranch” dinner prior to the concert. The music this year will excite Sinatra fans with the vocals of Matt Mauser and the orchestra of Pete Jacobs reverberating off the rocky outdoor theater. The entertainment begins just as the sun is setting and early stars appear in the sky. Buy tickets and read details here.

Portal to Mt. Whitney

The town of Lone Pine is named after the lonely pine tree that sat at the mouth of Lone Pine Canyon.  Don’t waste time looking for the namesake tree—it has been gone for years, a victim of flooding.  Founded during the 1860s as a supply source to local gold and silver mining communities, the town later turned to farming and ranching.

Today, Lone Pine hosts occasional film crews and those trekking to Mt. Whitney or on their way to the Sierras.  Outdoor recreationalists flock to the mountain cool for plentiful fishing, hiking, horseback riding, birding and fishing.  Just three miles west of Lone Pine, follow the path taken by your western movie favorites up Movie Road until it intersects with Whitney Portal Road.  Even without a hike in mind, the eight-mile jaunt up to the Whitney Portal Store & Hostel for the best giant pancakes in the west is a great excursion, backed by exquisite mountain scenery.

 

Make plans NOW for the Lone Pine Film Festival

Every Columbus Day weekend the tiny berg hosts one of the world’s most unique film festivals—the Lone Pine Film Festival.  The annual celebration of western screenings, stars and memorabilia will be held October 4-8 this year. The otherwise quiet town, normally a welcome refuge for hikers preparing for (or recuperating from) a trek up the 14,494-foot peak of Whitney, transforms for a long weekend into a western set itself.  Hopalong Cassidy and John Wayne look-alikes walk the streets, horses prevail over cars and western flicks fill the screens.

Even though details on this year’s festival have not been announced at this writing, make your reservations now for lodging. Lone Pine and surrounding towns normally sell out way ahead of final details.