Alabama Hills
Photos Maps Summary: The Alabama Hills Recreational Area is a fantastically scenic area of the Eastern Sierra Nevada just west of Lone Pine, CA. Hundreds of movie and TV scenes have been filmed throughout this area and reportedly over 400 arches have been spotted (we've seen around 50). Most of these arches face east/west which allows for a perfect frame of Mt Whitney or any other peak looming over the Hills. Rattlesnakes are common in the area so be aware of where you step. Hiking and bouldering opportunities abound, therefore distances and difficulty levels will vary.Distance: VariableElevation Gain/Loss: Variable (but probably small)Season: Year-roundFees & Permits: NoneFinding the Trailhead: Whitney Portal Arch (36.95947 N, 118.15314 W)-from the Whitney Portal Rd/US-395 intersection in Lone Pine, CA, follow the Whitney Portal Road west for ~5.2 miles and turn right onto a short dirt road. Park in the wide area ~200' off of the Whitney Portal Road. Mobius & Heart Arches Loop (36.61132 N, 118.12499 W)-from the Whitney Portal Rd/US-395 intersection in Lone Pine, CA, follow the Whitney Portal Road west for ~2.7 miles before turning right onto Movie Flat Road. Follow Movie Flat Road for ~1.5 miles to a "Y" in the road. Stay right at the "Y" and turn left into the parking area after a further ~0.1 miles. To reach Mobius Arch first, follow the trail that leaves off of the western end of the parking area. To reach Heart Arch first, follow the trail that leaves off of the eastern end of the parking area. The Movie Flat Road will serve as the starting point for most of the arches in the area, however there are some arches off of Horseshoe Meadows Road and Tuttle Creek Road (not shown here). For more info check out this page.
The Hike: Whitney Portal Arch-from the small parking area head north down to the bridge over Lone Pine Creek. Once over the bridge, the trail climbs back up the other side and heads to the northwest. At ~0.15 miles you'll probably start to notice multiple use-trails leaving the main trail to the north (right) as the trail climbs up to the top of a small hill. You can follow any one of these as long you continue to head to the NNW. You could also continue following the main trail until you were directly south of the arch and then head north toward it. Watch out for Cholla. If you follow our trail, you'll cross over a sandy wash at ~0.4 miles and continue north. Here, you should notice a little more defined trail heading north before turning to the NE (right) to climb up the southern side of a small drainage (~0.5 miles). At this point, if you look up to the NE you should see the arch. If you don't, you're probably in the wrong drainage (perhaps the next one to the south). Assuming you're in the correct drainage, continue climbing to the northeast before turning to the north and reaching the arch (~0.6 miles). What I've called "Fish Head Rock" is just to the NW of the arch. We didn't explore too much of the area, but there may be other arches.
Mobius & Heart Arches Loop-from the parking area we first headed west to see Lathe Arch and Mobius Arch. The trail quickly descends to cross over a sandy wash before turning to the north. Just after crossing the wash you may notice multiple trails. The left one heads NNW out toward North Sentry Arch, the middle and right ones head N toward Mobius Arch. We took the middle one. There is also a small trail sign to make sure you take the right trail. At just over 0.2 miles the trail passes beside Lathe Arch (to the right) after turning to the NE. If you're not paying attention you'll walk right by it because it is not very large, however it is interesting. Less than 100' past Lathe Arch, the trail passes by Mobius Arch (right of the trail; ~0.25 miles). The Sleeping Giant can be seen to the NW. The Loop Trail continues to the NE past Mobius Arch, descends to another sandy wash (~0.3 miles), and climbs back up to the east. The trail turns to the southeast and turns sharply to the right (SW) at ~0.4 miles. Here, you need to head off of the main trail to the east to see Behind Heart Arch (~175' east of Heart Arch) or south to see Heart Arch (~100'). At close range Heart Arch doesn't look very much like a heart. Back on the main trail, follow it to the SW before it turns sharply to the left (SE) to descend to a wash (~0.5 miles), cross it, and climb up to the SW. The trail then descends again to another wash (~0.6 miles) before climbing up to the parking area to the SW (~0.65 miles). Be sure to look back toward Heart Arch while you're heading back to the parking area to see Heart Arch actually appear as a heart.
Other Arches-Most arches are near a road. For the ones near a major road (such as Movie Road or Horseshoe Meadows Road) use the Maps page. For example, Mile Arch can be found (you guessed it) about 1 mile along Movie Flat Road from the Whitney Portal Road (~1.1 miles to be precise). Turn right here onto a dirt road and immediately park in a small parking area off the right side of the road. Mile Arch is ~200' to the SE. "Eye" Arch, Ram Head Arch, and Old Tom Arch are near here to the south. Graffiti Arch, Cave Arch, and the Camp 3 Arches are a little further northwest. The arches in the vicinity of Charred Arch are approached by turning onto a secondary dirt road from Movie Road ~2.9 miles from the Whitney Portal Road. Boot Arch and Cyclops Skull Arch are approached by turning onto a secondary dirt road from Movie Road ~4.5 miles from the Whitney Portal Road. The arches in the vicinity of Hitching Post Arch (east of Movie Flat Road) can be accessed by following Movie Flat Road from Whitney Portal Road for ~0.2 miles before turning right onto a dirt road. Follow this NE for ~0.15 miles to a "T" and stay right. Continue a further ~0.15 miles to a "Y" and turn left. Drive N for a further ~0.15 miles to another "T" and turn right and then immediately turn left at another "T" (if you stay straight the dirt road will turn to the right and join the dirt road you were on near the "Y"). The road splits ~150' from the last turn. You can follow either branch, but Taco Bell Arch and Hitching Post Arch are closer to the right branch (east of the road). The two branches reconnect ~500' past the split but there are still two roads paralleling each other for a further ~350' to the NNW. Here, is a "Y" where Craggy Arch(es) can be found to the NW between the roads. The Lifeguard (named because it overlooks the 3 Surfers) can be seen to the SW. "Surprise" Arch and Elephant Arch are also in this area to the SW. During the 350' stretch where the two roads parallel each other, the three Surfers can be viewed from the eastern road to the east. "Britt" Arch and Eyebrow Arch can be found by following the eastern of the two roads slightly further north and then walking east from the road. To find Eagle Eye Arch, follow the Whitney Portal Road west from Movie Road ~0.4 miles, turn south onto Horseshoe Meadows Road, turn left after a further ~0.5 miles onto a dirt road, follow the dirt road to the fence, and park. Cross the fence and walk to the southeast for ~0.15 miles. Eagle Eye Arch sits by itself. To reach Spark Plug Arch and the others near it, follow Horseshoe Meadows Road south, turn left onto Sunset Drive, and immediately turn left on Tuttle Creek Road.