ALABAMA HILLS

CALIFORNIA

AN OVERVIEW

Alabama Hills is a hidden gem. I’m guessing this place just doesn’t get as many visitors because of the more than five national parks within driving distance from the major cities in California you would use as a starting point to get here. And that works to your favor because it is a wonderful place to park and explore, with endless views and differing terrains.

These hills - or, actually large boulders - sit in the shadows of the eastern sierras and essentially are a directionless playground. You won’t find many signs or actual pathways as you adventure through the area.

Between the ancient volcanic rock and natural arches, it is no wonder that this place has been used for countless movies as a film location. The opening scenes of Iron Man made this landscape look like the Middle East, and others like the Lone Ranger, Django Unchained, and so many more adapted this desert for their scenery. If you’re a movie buff, take a look at the endless list of films for your amazement. That’s why the main road through Alabama Hills is named, you guessed it, “Movie Road.”

If you like Joshua Tree National Park and the general idea of bouldering and discovering large rocks with interesting shapes randomly set in a large swath of desert, you’re sure to love this place too. And it does deserve just as much time if you want to properly explore it. It also sits in BLM lands making it easy to find some patch of dirt to set up camp. If you’re going to visit the several parks in the area, make sure to give this place a stop over, preferably for a night.

A Guide

Alabama Hills has a few “highlights” that you must check out, but for the most part, it really is about being close to nature in rock-form without an agenda. Maybe some light planning…

The boulders ensnare you in their shadow when you stand beneath them, changing the blistering heat to a chilly darkness, and they all have smooth, but intricate and (subjectively) identifiable shapes. So if you’re keen on trying to scout out the familiar in the rocks, with a quick google search beforehand, or from quirky placemats at the diners in town, you will see the many, many shapes that people have noted over the years, and you can go looking for them yourself. Or ignore historic guidelines and create your own personalities if you dare.

movie road

If you’ve ever seen a photo of Alabama Hills, it is very likely it was taken at a certain point on Movie Road. In one select area, the road dips drastically with the mountains in the background, making for an amazing viewpoint.

This location tends to get crowded with the lineup of people waiting to get their shots on the road, but if you’re patient (or lucky) you may have it to yourself. The colder months (or just weekdays) may help guarantee more solitude. We slept nearby the famed location and got some sweet star shots and a beautiful sunrise.

mobius arch loop

The perfect frame for the Eastern Sierras and Mt. Whitney, the Mobius Arch lies hidden in a barrage of rocks and sand. The trail is well marked as it dips and rises around the large rocks and shouldn’t take more than 30 minutes (if you’re distracted by the great photo ops) from the main parking lot.

Since this is a loop, you can go multiple ways to the Arch. We didn’t do the entire loop, rather just headed down from the parking lot past the Heart Arch, and went to Mobius and back. The Arch is larger than you would imagine from the pictures you’ve seen of it. The real goal of this hike is to get to the arch, but to take your time and allow yourself to get sidetracked on your way.

Cyclops Arch and Boot Arch

On the opposite end of the park, heading north down the dirt roads, be sure to pull over and traverse the rocks and find Cyclops Arch (we did not find Boot Arch because we had to move on and there is no signage anywhere). At one point, as you drive down movie road, you’ll notice the road gains several hundred feet in elevation and then winds down. Be sure to take advantage of this perspective before heading back down.

Once down near the area around Boot Arch, the game plan should be the same. Use your map (google maps on your phone should work okay) to get a general idea of where you are trying to go, but just explore the terrain without a designated path. It's a bit more fun to feel a sense of discovery this way.

Since it was fall, we decided to keep driving north because we could see some golden trees in the distance. Some people decide to drive back to Lone Pine and head north on the main highway, but you eventually connect with it if you keep going through the park. Just take Movie Road until it merges with Moffat Ranch Road.

The Basics

STAY IN THE PARK / SPEND THE NIGHT

A proper visit to Alabama Hills would be sleeping in the park, whether in a camper or tent, so you can get the full feel of the area. The night sky in the park is filled with stars and the weather drops rapidly once the sun dips behind the mountains. The glow of the fading or rising sun is amazing as you walk through the boulders. But keep in mind that the mountains surrounding the area are pretty tall, so you’ll lose light well in advance of the sunset time.

FOLIAGE

Despite being a very dry area in the middle of an expanding desert, there are several trees in and around the park. Believe it or not, these trees, from early to mid November, turn a golden yellow with hints of orange around other areas. As you get closer to Lone Pine at this time of year, you’ll start seeing colors on the trees at a distance and the further north you get, the more drastic the abundance of trees become. But keep in mind that the further north you go, the leaves may have already turned. To properly track colors - which are outstanding in the Mammoth Lake area - you can use this great resource at Mono Lake County.

LONE PINE

Even if you just pass through, or if you are spending the night here, walk around the town for a little while. It has a nostalgic feeling to it, and just looking around the main road, you feel like you’re fully disconnected from modern, social life norms. There are plenty of worthy choices for breakfast and lunch, and great gear stores in case you need anything.

My Trip

I visited Alabama Hills for a short period in November 2019, spending one night here on the drive from LA to Death Valley. We set out from LA for the night in our campervan, rushing through the 3.5 hour drive to make it for last light.

Just as we entered from the southern road down Whitney Portal Road, we were sidetracked by a bright, golden tree square between the first huge rocks.

From here, we took our van to the The Mobius Arch Loop Trailhead, where we headed out for sunset. We started on the rocks before realizing how quickly the temperature was dropping, so we packed up our gear and went into the maze of rocks.

If you do the loop counterclockwise, you dip and climb through the rocks going past Heart Arch to the east until you reach the Mobius Arch.

Mobius Arch perfectly frames the sierras in the back, and has a great viewpoint of Mt. Whitney in the background, the tallest peak in the lower 48.

We headed back to the van for dinner, walking back in total darkness just moments after the blue hour ended. Then, we decided to get some night shots at the arch before making our way to Movie Road for the night. At around 4am, the moon finally set and gave way to a darker sky to play with.

The long anticipated sun rose to the east, shining the first rays of light on the sierra peaks. The light came down slowly, engulfing the park below in golden light.