In the center of town of Lone Pine, California on Hwy 395 there is a road which heads west called Whitney Portal Rd. This road provides access to the Alabama Hills BLM, Portagee Joe Campground (for rigs under 30′), Tuttle Creek Campground, and Lone Pine Campground. We stayed at Alabama Hills but toured Tuttle Creek Campground and Lone Pine Campground to have a look. We did not visit Portagee Joe Campground due to the size limitations but it is the closest to the town of Lone Pine and therefore could be an option for some wanting to be close to amenities.
Tuttle Creek Campground
This 83-site campground is to the south of Whitney Portal road off Horseshoe Meadows Rd, is managed by the BLM, and offers first come first served dirt campsites, dry camping only, and all sites appear to have fabulous views. It looks like a wonderful option for spending some time in the area. There were vault toilets and trash dumpsters at the campground.
Lone Pine Campground
Further west on Whitney Portal Rd, up in the foothills, 6 miles west of Lone Pine, is the “beautifully located” by a “bit weathered due to neglect”, Lone Pine Campground. This dry camping area is managed by the Forest Service and has just over 40 “somewhat paved” campsites. All sites have bear boxes and must be used if tenting. Their website states that their sites are up to 40 feet long but we found the campground road and the sites to be better suited to much smaller rigs. A bit rig would find it a really, really tight squeeze. Plus the campground has seen better days
For a small rig or tenters this campground could be a possibility especially given its’ perfect location next to the Whitney Portal Trailhead and its’ beautiful surroundings. Especially for those of you who can ignore the weathered look for the sake of gorgeous scenery!
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