Alabama Hills' Mobius Arch
DETAILS:
Location: Mobius Arch is located in Alabama Hills recreation area along Movie/Movie Flat Road and is approximately 5 miles west of the town; Lone Pine. Here are the Google coordinates to the trailhead: 36°36'41.1"N 118°07'29.4"W. The trailhead is easily located by most GPS apps as well.
Hours of Operation: 24/7
Parking: There is a free gravel parking area at the trailhead.
Cost: Free!
Time Commitment: The trail to and from Mobius Arch will take less than 30 minutes. Add time for stoppage and any additional sight-seeing within Alabama Hills. We visited for approximately 2 hours and feel like that provided us with a pretty full experience of the area.
MISC:
The looped trail is approximately 0.5 miles from the trailhead to Mobius Arch (veer left on the loop if you want to access Mobius Arch first). Besides the small ravine that you’ll have to descend and ascend at the beginning of the trail, the rest of the path to Mobius Arch is pretty flat and suitable for most walkers.
Free camping (with permit) allowed in Alabama Hills. Please see website below provided under “resources” for details.
Dogs are allow within Alabama Hills.
There is zero shade in the area so make sure to bring ample water and sun protection when visiting.
Please respect the motto: PACK IT IN, PACK IT OUT.
Nestled just east of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, Alabama Hills (operated by the Bureau of Land Management) is an unworldly span of craggily rock formations that will make you feel like you’ve been transported to the surface of Mars which explains why hundreds of movies (mostly early westerns) have used this unique site as a filming location. While dozens of natural arches make their home in Alabama Hills like Lathe Arch, Heart Arch, & Shark Tooth Arch, the most famous arch in the area is undoubtedly Mobius Arch which you’ve certainly seen in countless social media posts as it perfectly frames Mount Whitney (the highest mountain in the contiguous United States) through its peephole.
Located just outside the town of Lone Pine (a great stopping point before or after your visit to grab a bite and/or fuel up), you’ll travel west on Whitney Portal Road towards the mountains for just over two miles until you meet Movie Flat Road which is the entrance point to Alabama Hills Recreation Area. You’ll make a right onto Movie Pass Road and proceed towards the trailhead (NOTE: Movie Pass Road is a rough gravel road. While it’ll certainly be a bumpy ride, it’s still suitable for most cars). After you’ve driven approximately 1.5 miles, the road will split. Continue to the right and the trailhead & parking area will be just ahead on your left.
At the head of the trail, you’ll actually be able to see Heart Arch to your right which can also be accessed on this same trail loop. It’s approximately 0.5 miles from the trailhead to Mobius Arch (veer left on the loop if you want to access Mobius Arch first). Besides the small ravine that you’ll have to descend and ascend at the beginning of the trail, the rest of the path to Mobius Arch is pretty flat and suitable for most walkers. Once you’ve reached Mobius Arch, you’ll have to do a little rock scrambling in order to frame yourself for those obligatory pics. And while the arch may not be as big in person as you might’ve imagined (the arch is barely 7 feet tall) it’s still quite impressive thanks to the splendid backdrop of the Sierra Nevadas.
From here, you could return to Lone Pine to get back onto some paved roads, but I would suggest proceeding further on Movie Flat Road to view its much Instragramed stretch where the road appears to roll endlessly into the mountains which is only about 10 minutes passed the Mobius Arch trailhead. Also, for those heading north after their visit to Alabama Hills, you can continue on (eventually accessing Moffat Ranch Road) to reach 395 north of Alabama Hills instead of backtracking to Lone Pine!
RESOURCES:
Bureau of Land Management’s Alabama Hills’ page.
