On the southern edge of Death Valley, where silence reigns and the earth begins to look like another planet, lies one of the most surreal landscapes in the American West: Trona Pinnacles. Though this area has served as a backdrop for many science fiction films, it remains largely unknown to most travelers.
Trona Pinnacles consists of more than 500 tufa spires—porous rock towers formed from mineral deposits that built up under an ancient lake: the long-vanished Searles Lake. These formations, some rising up to 150 feet, pierce the desert floor like the skeletal remains of a forgotten world. Located within the Searles Valley area and protected under federal management, the site is remote and undeveloped, preserving its raw, otherworldly charm.
The pinnacles were formed between 10,000 and 100,000 years ago during the Pleistocene epoch, when underwater vents released calcium-rich waters into the lake. Over time, these mineral deposits accumulated and solidified. When the lake evaporated, the tufa formations remained—an alien landscape revealed. Their bizarre textures and jagged silhouettes have attracted both scientists and filmmakers. Movies like Star Trek V, Planet of the Apes, and Lost in Space have all used Trona as their surreal stage.
Unlike California’s more famous national parks, Trona Pinnacles offers no visitor center, no paved trails, and no crowds. A single dirt road leads into the expanse, managed by the Bureau of Land Management, giving explorers unrestricted but responsible access. The experience is raw, solitary, and humbling.
At sunrise or sunset, when shadows stretch and the light bathes the pinnacles in hues of gold and violet, the scene becomes almost sacred. It is a place not just for seeing the extraordinary, but for feeling utterly removed from time.
