Big Pine

History

The Big Pine post office first opened in 1870, closed for a time during 1877, changed its name to Bigpine in 1895, and reverted to Big Pine in 1962. Big Pine has a significant geologic feature (an earthquake scarp) related to the 1872 Lone Pine earthquake. In 1958, the Owens Valley Radio Observatory was established just north of Big Pine. Matt Williams, a professional baseball player and manager, lived there for part of his life. Hollywood character actor Elisha Cook, Jr., known for such classic films as The Maltese Falcon and Shane, had a home in Big Pine and died there in 1995.

Geography

Big Pine is located in the Owens Valley of California between the Sierra Nevada and the White Mountains, just west of the Owens River upstream of its diversion into the Los Angeles Aqueduct. It lies on U.S. Route 395, the main north–south artery through the Owens Valley, connecting the Inland Empire to Reno, Nevada. US 395 also connects Big Pine to Los Angeles via State Route 14 through Palmdale. To the East, CA route 168 crosses the White Mountains over Westgard Pass to the basin and range province of Nevada, while Death Valley Road leads to Death Valley. The plaque beneath the young giant sequoia (pictured), referred to as the Roosevelt Pine, at the road junction says it was planted in 1913 to commemorate the opening of Westgaard Pass to auto traffic. The landmark giant sequoia was felled on September 28, 2020, after most of its foliage had died following its sole water source drying up in the 2017-18 drought. North from Westgaard Pass lies the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, home to the oldest trees in the world. To the West, Glacier Lodge Road leads high up Big Pine Creek into the Sierra, to lakes, hiking trails, fishing, and rock climbing underneath the Palisades Range and the Palisade Glacier. According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of , over 99% of its land.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Common Raven

  Corvus corax Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  1,393
• Yellow-rumped Warbler

  Setophaga coronata (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  701
• Northern Flicker

  Colaptes auratus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  698
• Bewick's Wren

  Thryomanes bewickii (Audubon, 1827) · Aves
  618
• White-crowned Sparrow

  Zonotrichia leucophrys (J.R.Forster, 1772) · Aves
  583
• House Finch

  Haemorhous mexicanus (P.L.Statius Müller, 1776) · Aves
  575
• Song Sparrow

  Melospiza melodia (A.Wilson, 1810) · Aves
  532
• Red-tailed Hawk

  Buteo jamaicensis (Gmelin, 1788) · Aves
  530

Most recent

• M 2.55 — 2026-08-25
  13 km W of Round Valley, CA
• M 2.85 — 2026-08-24
  19 km SW of Toms Place, CA
• M 2.78 — 2026-08-24
  19 km SW of Toms Place, CA
• M 2.61 — 2026-08-18
  11 km SW of Round Valley, CA
• M 2.53 — 2026-08-17
  18 km SW of Toms Place, CA
• M 3.29 — 2026-08-14
  19 km SW of Toms Place, CA