, just left of
Mount Whitney (high point in the distant center-left horizon) and the rest of the
Sierra Nevada, dominates the views west of town The town is home to an Interagency Visitor Center at SR136 and US395. Much of the local economy is based on tourism, as the town is between several major tourist destinations, such as
Mount Whitney,
Sequoia National Park,
Kings Canyon National Park,
Mammoth Mountain,
Death Valley National Park, and
Yosemite National Park; many motels line the main road through town.
Manzanar National Historic Site The
Manzanar National Historic Site (formerly the Manzanar War Relocation Center), a
Japanese American internment camp during
World War II, is located on Highway 395 north of Lone Pine and south of
Independence. Manzanar (which means "apple orchard" in Spanish) is the most infamous of the 10 camps in which
Japanese Americans, both citizens (including natural-born Americans) and resident aliens, were encamped during World War II. Manzanar has been identified as the best preserved of these camps by the
United States National Park Service which maintains and is restoring the site as a
U.S. National Historic Site.
Sierra Nevada The
Sierra Nevada range and the
Inyo Mountains dominate the views from the town.
Film history at Lone Pine The Lone Pine Film History Museum, supported by Beverly and Jim Rogers, highlights the area's frequent appearances in Hollywood feature films. The
Alabama Hills west of town are frequently used as a
filming location for
Western movies. Since the early years of filmmaking, directors and their production units have used the Lone Pine area to represent the iconic
American West. Approaching the 100th anniversary of
The Roundup (1920), the first documented film produced in the area, Lone Pine has played host to hundreds of the industry's best-known directors and actors, among them directors
William Wyler,
John Ford,
George Stevens, and
William Wellman, and actors
John Wayne,
Bing Crosby,
Gene Autry,
Clint Eastwood,
Barbara Stanwyck, and
Jeff Bridges. The
Whitney Portal road was used in the film
High Sierra (1941) with
Humphrey Bogart, which culminated with a shoot-out between Bogart's character and the police, at the foot of
Mount Whitney. The classic
Bad Day at Black Rock (1955), starring
Spencer Tracy,
Robert Ryan and
Anne Francis, was also filmed in and around the Lone Pine area. Lone Pine is also the location of several scenes in
Iron Man (2008), depicting Afghanistan, and in the
Godzilla (2014) remake, as a temporary military
forward operating base ("FOB"). Barbara Stanwyck in accordance with her wishes had her cremated remains and ashes scattered from a helicopter over Lone Pine, where she had made some of her western films. The Forum Theater is a theater-cafe that hosts live music, theater, and films at weekends. The Lone Pine Film Festival has been held every year since 1989 to celebrate the rich heritage that filmmakers have brought to the area over the years. The Alabama Hills Recreation Area is directed by the
Bureau of Land Management for public recreation.
Events From 1971 through 1981, Lone Pine was the site of the annual
Lone Pine International Chess tournament. Winners of the Lone Pine tournament included world champion
Tigran Petrosian, world championship finalist
Viktor Korchnoi, and U.S. champions
Arthur Bisguier,
Walter Browne, and
Larry Evans. ==Government==