A Weekend Adventure in Alabama Hills
As much as we love California coastlines, we also feel this deep affection for California deserts. Alabama Hills is one of those diverting desert areas in Central California region with lots of creativities and hardly any limits.
Just west of Lone Pine, this large recreational area stays unknown to even many local California residents. But chances are if you are an outdoor fan, you will easily find something entertaining to do here. Alabama Hills is a perfect destination for camping, hiking, mountain biking, rock climbing, stargazing, photography, etc., and is actually a popular Hollywood movie site. Though we didn’t have a chance to camp here this time, it definitely will be a top destination of ours if we ever decide to go on a camping trip.
Day 1 - Hiking Adventures
Nightmare Rock
As we drove into the area, Nightmare Rock was the first stop of ours and was simply non-negligible. As one of the most iconic places here, this oddly looking rock has successfully transformed into a nightmare with those artistic touches, and is probably one of the weirdest sightseeing viewpoints we’ve ever stopped for - you don’t take a photo here because of fondness, but because of quirkiness.
Mobius Arch
Probably one of the most famous arches in the area, Mobius Arch is surprisingly easy to reach with a short 10-minute hike. The name Mobius is such an accurate and precise description of this arch, an absolutely stunning creation of Mother Nature.
Heart Arch
A few minutes of walk from Mobius Arch, Heart Arch is one of the most adorable rock formations we’ve ever seen. And if you look at the arch from a specific angle afar, the hole of the arch is also in a shape of a mini heart.
Cyclops Arch
Again, we were super impressed by the name of this arch and how well it represents the shape. Walking around the Cyclops Arch is like watching a 3D science fiction movie, can’t help but to have all sorts of imaginations.
Boot Arch
Last stop of our hiking day is Boot Arch. Though it took us a little while to figure out how it got its name, the moment Matt put his foot in front of it, it suddenly made sense to us!
Stargazing
As a completely remote area with no city lights at all, Alabama Hills is a perfect location for stargazing, and if you catch the right times, the Milky Way observing experience will simply stun you. Not many events in life will be as magical as this.
We chose Mobius Arch as our spot to photograph the Milky Way, but pretty much any spot in the area is suitable for this.
Day 2 - Photography Tour
Movie Road
You may not have heard of Alabama Hills or its iconic Movie Road, but chances are you’ve watched the top global box office movie - Iron Man, and yes that along with so many other movies were filmed here.
The rugged landscapes will instantly give you that Western Film vibe, in fact there is a Western Film Museum in the area if you’re a fan.
Rock Formations
Stop anywhere in the area and you will probably be able to see some incredible looking rock formations, though many of those places are unnamed, it doesn’t undermine the fact that views here are just so picture worthy.
What makes it even better? The epic view of Mount Whitney in the back - the highest mountain in the contiguous United States, a 14,505 feet tall backdrop.
Hotel of Our Stay: Trails Motel
We booked this trip last minute and was not able to camp out this time, we stayed at this motel a few miles away and it worked out nicely for us too. A cute family run motel with easy access to many restaurants in the area.
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