Alabama Hills

Rocks worked as makeshift tent stakes because the ground was too hard.

No, the Alabama Hills are not in Alabama. Located 3 hours Northeast of LA, on the way to Death Valley, this stretch of land is owned by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The land was named after the C.S.S. Alabama (fun trivia fact from my brother) and is a destination for climbers, photographers, and those looking to have an amazing morning view.

There are no designated campsites or facilities, so it is all on a first come, first serve basis. Because of this, we left first thing Saturday morning to make sure we arrived early enough to set up camp and have a full day to explore!

We left LA around 5:30, pulled into Lone Pine around 8:30, and had our spot picked out by 9. We chose a spot tucked between some boulders on the West side of Movie Flat Road, the main road running through the area, later learning this is the main destination for climbers. I would recommend choosing a spot on the East side of the road. You will have an even more majestic view of the Sierras, and won’t deal with the “traffic” from the climbers.

Mobius Arch- framing Mt. Whitney

After setting up camp we were itching to go find the Mobius Arch and climb around on some rocks!

If you’ve ever been to Joshua Tree, picture that landscape and feel, minus the Joshua Trees. There are some marked, well-maintained trails, and also plenty of room to explore wherever you’d like. This makes it both a good destination for a day trip with kids, or a quick weekend trip. 

But most importantly, the view.

The hills butt up against the most eastern ridge of the Sierra mountain range; creating one of the most surreal views I’ve ever experienced. This is definitely somewhere I would come and park my RV if I had one. But for those who don’t, it’s a quick 10 minute drive back into Lone Pine incase you need anything.

After finding the Mobius Arch, we wandered off the path a bit, climbed around, and ate the PB&Js we packed before heading back to the campsite to hang out before an awesome sunset. Because we didn't hike as much as usual, it was really nice to have the chance to just hang out at the site, read our books, and just enjoy being outdoors.

Checkout the rest of our camp meals over on my cookbook, and head over to my friend Hannah’s blog for even more details about the weekend!