| Lone Pine, California doesn't look like much | | | | |
| at first. It's a dusty desert town of a few | | | | Mount Whitney |
| thousand, on highway 395, on the eastern side | | | | |
| of the Sierra Nevadas. There might still be | | | | Lone Pine is the gateway to Mount Whitney. At |
| only one traffic light. So what makes it a | | | | 14,496 feet, it is the highest mountain in |
| great vacation destination? | | | | the lower 48 states. Whitney Portal Road |
| | | | starts in the center of town, and takes you |
| The Lone Pine Film Festival | | | | 20 miles up to the trailhead and campground. |
| | | | The Whitney Portal Trail goes to the top. |
| Here are some of the movies filmed in this | | | | It's a strenuous hike, and the 22-mile round |
| part of California: Gunga Din, How The West | | | | trip is best broken into two or three days, |
| Was Won, Star Trek, Tremors, Springfield | | | | with a night or two spent in the beautiful |
| Rifle, Joshua Tree, Gladiator, and Maverick. | | | | high country. By the way, you'll find snow up |
| John Wayne, Gene Autry, Gary Cooper, Kirk | | | | there most of the year. |
| Douglas, Robert Mitchum, William Boyd, and | | | | |
| dozens of other movie stars have all spent | | | | The National Forest Service has designated |
| time in Lone Pine. Television series filmed | | | | much of the Inyo National Forest and Sequoia |
| here include The Lone Ranger, Have A Gun, | | | | National Park around the mountain as "The |
| Bonanza, and Wagon Train. Spend much time in | | | | Whitney Zone." To hike within this area you |
| Lone Pine, and later, when you're watching | | | | need a permit, which can be obtained from the |
| movies at home, you'll find yourself saying | | | | inter-agency visitors center on Highway 395, |
| "Hey I've been there." | | | | just south of Lone Pine. Plan ahead, as |
| | | | permits are limited, and a seperate summit |
| More than 200 movies, and numerous television | | | | stamp may be required now to go to the peak |
| series have been filmed in and around the | | | | of Whitney. |
| area. The Lone Pine Film Festival, which is | | | | |
| held in early October every year, features | | | | There is a campground behind downtown - to |
| the classics, as well as more recent films. | | | | the west, and several nice motels in Lone |
| If you watch many movies, you can see | | | | Pine. The visitor's center south of town has |
| familiar movie scenery any time of the year. | | | | a lot of information on activities and sights |
| | | | in the area. The reservoir south of town is |
| The Alabama Hills | | | | good for fishing and swimming. The Beverly |
| | | | and Jim Rogers Museum of Lone Pine Film |
| Drive a few minutes south of Lone Pine, turn | | | | History will open soon. Actors have gun |
| west, and you'll find the Alabama Hills, one | | | | battles in the local bar just to entertain |
| of the most unique geological areas you'll | | | | you (no charge). |
| ever see. Rounded and smooth rocks are piled | | | | |
| up in the most amazing formations. You may | | | | My wife and I love Lone Pine. Where else in |
| recognize some of the scenery from old | | | | California, or anywhere else, can you - all |
| westerns. On the south side of town, at the | | | | in one day - go swimming, watch a gunfight, |
| visitors center, you can get free maps that | | | | explore caves and rock formations in the |
| will guide you to rock arches, caves and | | | | desert, then drive up the mountain for a |
| other sights. You'll have to walk into mazes | | | | snowball fight? |
| of rocks to get to the better ones. | | | | |