Desert and Mountain Motion Picture Locations
Great for Western, period, desert, contemporary films and background scenery shots.
Name: Red Rock Canyon State Park
Features: Red Rock offers spectacular scenic views of the cliffs, buttes and rock formations where the Sierra Nevada Mountain range converges with the El Paso Range. Each canyon offers views of dramatic colors and shapes.
Travel: From Los Angeles (LAX) 125 miles ~ Drive Time 2 hours
Website: http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=631
Name: Arthur B. Ripley Desert Woodland State Park
Features: This park features a preserve of native Joshua and Juniper trees. It is also a great place to view a colorful array of wildflowers.
Travel: From Los Angeles (LAX) Airport 70 miles ~ Drive Time 1 hour, 10 minutes
Website: http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=634
Name: Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve
Features: This reserve showcases the beautiful blooms of the California Poppy (state flower) and other wildflowers. The blooms and types of flowers in bloom are dependent on the weather and rain but are well worth the wait. The window for the flowers is from Mid March to Mid May approximately.
Travel: From Los Angeles (LAX) Airport 63 miles ~ Drive Time 1 hour, 5 minutes
Website: http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=627
Name: Saddleback Butte State Park
Features: Saddleback Butte, elevation 3,651 feet, is a granite mountaintop that stands some thousand feet above the broad alluvial bottom land of the Antelope Valley, on the western edge of the Mojave Desert. The state park surrounding Saddleback Butte was created in 1960 to protect the butte (one of many similar land features in the Antelope Valley) and examples of native Joshua Tree woodlands and other plants.
Travel: From Los Angeles (LAX) Airport 96 miles ~ Drive Time 1 hour, 35 minutes
Website: http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=618
Name: Providence Mountains Recreational Area
Features: Located on the east side of the Providence Mountain range, this recreation area offers thrilling views of the Mojave Desert. The park also features several caverns that are filled with intricate limestone formations.
Travel: From Los Angeles (LAX) 223 miles ~ Drive Time 3 hours, 18 minutes
Website: http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=615
Name: Santa Susana Pass Historic Park
Features: This park is located in Los Angeles County and features panoramic views of the rugged landscape in contrast to the developed communities below.
Travel: From Los Angeles (LAX) Airport 41 miles ~ Drive Time 43 minutes
Website: http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=611
Name: Malakoff Diggins Historic Park
Features: California’s largest “hydraulic” mine is located here. The park also contains a 7,847 foot bedrock tunnel that served as a drain.
Travel: From Sacramento (SMF) Airport 95 miles ~ Drive Time 1 hour, 55 minutes
Website: http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=494
Name: Manresa State Beach
Features: Located in Santa Cruz County in the San Francisco Bay Area, this beach is a beautiful expanse of sand and sea.
Travel: From San Jose (SJC) Airport 41 miles ~ Drive Time 53 minutes
Website: http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=545
Name: Castle Crags State Park
Features: This park offers a view of Mount Shasta along with water recreation provided by the Sacramento River. It also features 6,000 foot tall glacier polished crags.
Travel: From Rogue Valley Int'l Airport-Medford,
Oregon 97 miles ~ Drive Time 1 hour, 41 minutes
From Sacramento (SMF) Airport 205 miles ~ Drive Time 3 hours, 19 minutes
Website: http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=454
Name: Border Field State Park
Features: This park contains much of the Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve. The reserve serves as refuge for numerous species of birds and water fowl due to the presence of fresh and saltwater marshes.
Travel: From San Diego (SAN) Airport 30 miles ~ Drive Time 30 minutes
Website: http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=664
Name: Borrego Badlands in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park
Features: This is California’s largest state park. It features five hundred dirt roads, 12 wilderness areas and miles of hiking trails that offer wildlife and fauna scenery. (Pictured is Font Point in Anza-Borrego)
Travel: From San Diego (SAN) Airport 94 miles ~ Drive Time 2 hours
Website: http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=638