Off the beaten path: A visit to Pioneertown turns up a clump of famous movie rocks

The Western town at Pioneertown, Calif., built around 1946, is one of only a handful of old Western movie sets still standing, but in my eyes the most impressive historical artifacts in the Pioneertown area are the magnificent rock formations surrounding the town.

Just back from my first visit to Pioneertown, I checked my archives and found this beauty — a screen shot from the 1951 Gene Autry feature "Silver Canyon."

This is a shot of the same rock clump today, taken during our road trip over the weekend. This spectacular group of rocks is one of countless similar rock features spread all around the area, mile after mile. They're so plentiful that it feels like a small miracle to be able to match one up from the movies. We found this one after a random decision to hang a right on an obscure dirt road. But in many cases the most spectacular rock features can be found right off the highway.

Here's another beauty in the Pioneertown area — this one is right next to the highway, probably less than two miles north of the Western town. Have you seen this group of rocks in an old movie or TV show? I haven't spotted it yet, but I have a feeling it will turn up. I'll keep you posted. In the meantime, please leave a comment if you've seen this one or any other noteworthy formations.