What do the movies Battlestar Galactica, Star Trek V: the Final Frontier and Planet of the Apes have in common? They were all filmed at Trona Pinnacles, an eerily beautiful natural landmark where some 500 calcium carbonate spires (tufa) rise up to 140ft out of an ancient lake bed in otherworldly fashion. The site sits at the end of a 5-mile dirt road off Hwy 178, about 18 miles east of Ridgecrest. Check locally for current road conditions.