Trona Pinnacles Through the Lens: An Ancient Lakebed and a Landscape Made for Film

RURAL CALIFORNIA THROUGH THE LENS · SEARLES VALLEY NEWS

Fiesta Adventures. A visit and camping trip at Trona Pinnacles. Watch on YouTube.

SEARLES VALLEY, Calif. — In camping videos from Trona Pinnacles, the towers rise from a dry desert basin. The formations themselves tell an older story. The Bureau of Land Management describes more than 500 spires made primarily of calcium carbonate. Some reach about 140 feet. The site was designated a National Natural Landmark in 1968.

What the camera sees above the old lakebed

Fiesta Adventures makes a camping trip the setting for its look at the towers. A second video approaches the area by bike and on foot. San Bernardino County’s January 2026 feature explains that the spires formed underwater. It also identifies the Pinnacles as a location for parts of Star Trek V: The Final Frontier and Rihanna’s Sledgehammer video. The road-trip footage and the productions use the same terrain for different purposes.

A second Trona Pinnacles visit filmed from the perspective of people biking, hiking and camping. Watch on YouTube.

Check access before following an older video

The BLM visitor page provides the route map and dispersed-camping limits. Check the agency’s information before using an older trip as a route guide. For a look at the inhabited communities nearby, see our Searles Valley feature on Trona, Argus, Pioneer Point and South Trona.

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