Alabama Hills Arches: Mobius, Eye of Alabama, Space

Last week we attended a beautiful wedding in the Alabama Hills (yay Paige and Fred!) Before the ceremony we had some down time so we decided to explore some of the Alabama Hills arches. We walked a ~2.5 mile loop from the parking area for the Mobius Arch and visited four unique formations. This is an easy cross-country hike if you have the GPS track, but beware: it is easy to get wonderfully lost exploring the Alabama Hills! I could spend days wandering these rocks!

The loop will take you by four interesting arches. This is just a sample of what the hills have to offer. It’s not only arches; unique formations and path ways make these hills endlessly explorable. I encourage you to wander and find your own favorite places.

First of all, before finding any arches, take in the view. Up close, the rocks create all kinds of interesting figures, but paired with the backdrop of Mt Whitney, the views from here are unbeatable.

Our first stop on our short Arches tour is the Eye of Alabama. This is my favorite arch in the hills, mainly because it sits up on a hill with an incredible view over the rest of the Alabama Hills. The arch is probably 5 feet wide.

Eye of Alabama

Our next stop is a two-fer. The Space Arch and the Baseball Bat arch are tucked in a rock pile away from the more popular destinations of the Alabama Hills.

Space and Baseball Bat Arch

While the choice of Baseball Bat for the name of the arch on the right makes sense, I’m less convinced about the name ‘Space Arch’. Maybe from certain angles it looks like an alien head or space ship?

Space Arch

Next, we wandered over to the Mobius Arch, most famous of the Alabama Hills Arches. We had parked at the Mobius parking area which is usually pretty full. On our return hike we were pleased to see the arch free of tourists. I think this is the first time I’ve been able to walk up and snap a photo without having to wait for people to move out of the way. While this is the cliche shot from Alabama Hills, I still enjoy photographing it. There’s a reason it’s such a popular subject.

Mobius Arch

This is such a tiny selection of what there is to explore around the Alabama Hills. Let this be a starting point for your own exploration!

Style:

Loop hike on dirt road, trail, and cross-country. Instead of a topo map, the satellite view of my GPS track is more useful to help discover the nooks and crannies.

Distance:

2.2 miles

Elevation Gain:

+/- 440 ft

Trailhead and Permit Notes:

There are no permits required for day hiking in the Alabama Hills. There is a parking area for the Mobius Arch trail which is a good starting point for this hike. Roads in the area are dirt but normally passable by most vehicles.

Camping Tips:

Dispersed camping is popular in the Alabama Hills and there are many campsites to choose from. Please keep the area clean!