Dear Reader,
I have been working in the entertainment industry for ions, and I know most of the locations my clients like to film at, however the other day a client stumped me, the asked me if I have ever been to Pisgah Crater. I had to go on to Google just to look up the location. Pisgah Crater is about 50 miles east of Barstow, California. Or a three hour drive from Los Angeles. It is an awesome location, you take I-10 east, take I-15 north, then you take I-40 east, when you get off at Hector Road, you make a quick right and a left at National Trails Hwy (Route 66). The road is rough, as I soon discovered. I drove about 4.6 miles until I reached Pisgah Crater Road, I made a right and drove about two miles to the main parking area. You will need permission from the owner to shoot at Pisgah and a film permit from the Inland Empire Film Commission Sheri Davis 909 888 9011.
This is an active mine and you need to watch where you step, in the Spring and summer there are rattle snakes so be careful where you walk, you will probably want to wear hiking boots, the surface is made of tiny sharpe rocks. This is a very unique location from the standpoint there are so many places to shoot at, if you drive to the top of the road, you will see the fissures that are breathtaking. The vista is also amazing and since this is on private property the public is not allowed unless they have permission, just make sure you lock the gate behind you and have a PA monitor who goes in and out of Pisgah.
What makes Pisgah Crater such an amazing location is, very few people know about this place, it is secluded and it offers such an array of options in terms of diversity. You have the crater, the fissures, the various mining equipment laying around and Joshua Trees in the distance. You are next to Route 66 which also provides some wonderful ideas for shots or a scene in a movie or a commercial. There are no restrooms so you will need a motor home or portable restrooms depending on the size of your crew an budget. I can provide both motor homes and portable restrooms if you want to hire a local who knows the area and not pay for all the mileage and overtime you would get from hiring someone in Los Angles (Teamsters jobs are a little tricky, I would have to discuss this on a job to job basis).
For lodging, restaurants, grocery stores, fuel and dump stations, the closest town is Barstow about fifty miles west of Pisgah. The Flying J at 2611 Fisher Blvd, Barstow, CA 92311 there is an RV dump station, diesel and gas. Across the street is a truck wash, comes in handy after spending the day or days on dirt roads. In regards to lodging there are many options, for the trucks, I would suggest the Days Inn 760. 253 2121 at 2551 Commerce Pkwy, Barstow, 92311, this place has truck parking and easy access for large vehicles to park. This is a basic hotel, this is no frills motel, not a place you would want to put your clients in, there are other hotels in the area that are a lot nicer. If you hire a security company like Steve Nader Security 760.508.1440, his security team can keep an eye on your equipment at night, if you are doing a multiple day shoot and you want to keep your trucks at Pisgah Crater, even at hotels I would advise hiring a security officer to make sure your trucks with expensive gear is safe at night.
If you have any questions about this location or other locations feel free to call me Michael Green 818 317 7099. I also provide motor homes and portable restrooms, tables, chairs, pop up tents and other supples.
