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Jerry Pillarelli | profile | all galleries >> Travel and Nature >> US Travel; by Trip, by State >> California >> Alabama Hills National Scenic Area – California tree view | thumbnails | slideshow

Alabama Hills National Scenic Area – California

Images of Alabama Hills National Scenic Area – Central California, taken in September 2021.

Located at the foot of the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range in central California and managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area has been used as a location for over 400 movies and television shows. Congress designated it as a National Scenic Area in 2019.

Many people come to this park for its rich movie history but I was there for the fantastic rock formations, arches, windows and spectacular views of Mount Whitney, the highest mountain in the contiguous US at 14,505 feet, and the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range. Since the Sierras are to the west of the park it was imperative to get up early to catch the best light on not only the mountains but all the unique rock formations. Most famous of these formations is Mobius Arch which is perfectly situated to allow one to use it as a frame around Mount Whitney (images 8, 12 and 13). Just a few yards away I also took the opportunity to crawl up a granite ledge to shoot several images of the Sierras through Lathe Arch (images 17 and 18). Then it was off to spend the better part of the day locating several of the many arches which dot this amazing park. Counting the two aforementioned arches, I was able to locate a total of fourteen arches and windows and photographically feast on the stunning rock formations and views of the Sierras as you will see in this slightly larger than normal gallery. Fear not however, you are only getting 70 of the 925 images I took while exploring the park!
Sunrise on the jumbled rock formations in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
Sunrise on the jumbled rock formations in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
Early morning light on Mobius Arch in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
Early morning light on Mobius Arch in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
Mount Whitney (right; 14,505 ft) over the rock formations of the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
Mount Whitney (right; 14,505 ft) over the rock formations of the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
Mobius Arch against a deep blue early morning sky in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
Mobius Arch against a deep blue early morning sky in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
Mount Whitney (right; 14,505 ft), the highest mountain in the contiguous US as seen from the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
Mount Whitney (right; 14,505 ft), the highest mountain in the contiguous US as seen from the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
Mobius Arch with Lone Pine Peak (12,949 ft) in the distance in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
Mobius Arch with Lone Pine Peak (12,949 ft) in the distance in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
Rock formations in early morning light as seen through Mobius Arch in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
Rock formations in early morning light as seen through Mobius Arch in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
Mount Whitney (14,505 ft) and the Sierra Nevada Range as framed by Mobius Arch in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
Mount Whitney (14,505 ft) and the Sierra Nevada Range as framed by Mobius Arch in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
Mobius Arch framing rock formations in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
Mobius Arch framing rock formations in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
Looking east through Mobius Arch in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
Looking east through Mobius Arch in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
Northeastern view through Mobius Arch in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
Northeastern view through Mobius Arch in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
Wide view of Mobius Arch framing the Sierra Nevada range in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
Wide view of Mobius Arch framing the Sierra Nevada range in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
Closeup of Mobius Arch framing Mount Whitney (right; 14,505 ft) in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
Closeup of Mobius Arch framing Mount Whitney (right; 14,505 ft) in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
Mount Whitney and the Sierra Mountain Range with Mobius Arch in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
Mount Whitney and the Sierra Mountain Range with Mobius Arch in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
Mobius Arch in full sunlight in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
Mobius Arch in full sunlight in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
Lathe Arch allowing a sliver of sunlight through in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
Lathe Arch allowing a sliver of sunlight through in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
View of the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range through Lathe Arch in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
View of the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range through Lathe Arch in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
Lathe Arch frames Lone Pine Peak (left center) and Mount Whitney (right) in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
Lathe Arch frames Lone Pine Peak (left center) and Mount Whitney (right) in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
Rock formation flanks a view of Mount Whitney (right) in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
Rock formation flanks a view of Mount Whitney (right) in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
The Sierra Nevada Range looms over a rock formation in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
The Sierra Nevada Range looms over a rock formation in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
Sharkstooth Arch (right) in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
Sharkstooth Arch (right) in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
Sharkstooth Arch frames Mount Whitney in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
Sharkstooth Arch frames Mount Whitney in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
Mount Whitney viewed through Sharkstooth Arch in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
Mount Whitney viewed through Sharkstooth Arch in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
Sharkstooth Arch in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
Sharkstooth Arch in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
Mount Whitney flanks Sharkstooth Arch in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
Mount Whitney flanks Sharkstooth Arch in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
Large balanced boulder and a window arch in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
Large balanced boulder and a window arch in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
The window arch and a second smaller arch in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
The window arch and a second smaller arch in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
The Heart Arch from the Arch Loop Trailhead in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
The Heart Arch from the Arch Loop Trailhead in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
Back side of the Heart Arch along the Arch Loop Trail in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
Back side of the Heart Arch along the Arch Loop Trail in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
Window seen from the Movie Road in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
Window seen from the Movie Road in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
Lone Pine Peak as seen over boulders in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
Lone Pine Peak as seen over boulders in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
Rock formation in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
Rock formation in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
Mount Whitney (right; 14,505 ft) and the ‘Needles’ as seen from the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
Mount Whitney (right; 14,505 ft) and the ‘Needles’ as seen from the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
Stacked rock formation in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
Stacked rock formation in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
The Sierra Nevada Mountain Range as seen over formations in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
The Sierra Nevada Mountain Range as seen over formations in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
The Eye of Alabama Hills Arch (lower left) in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
The Eye of Alabama Hills Arch (lower left) in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
Lone Pine Peak (left) and Mount Whitney (right) as seen over the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
Lone Pine Peak (left) and Mount Whitney (right) as seen over the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
The Eye of Alabama Hills Arch in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
The Eye of Alabama Hills Arch in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
A grouping of Barrel cacti in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
A grouping of Barrel cacti in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
The Eye of Alabama Hills Arch as seen from the Movie Road in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
The Eye of Alabama Hills Arch as seen from the Movie Road in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
Eye of Alabama Hills Arch with surrounding formation in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
Eye of Alabama Hills Arch with surrounding formation in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
The Sierra Mountain Range and the Eye of Alabama Hills Arch in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
The Sierra Mountain Range and the Eye of Alabama Hills Arch in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
The Movie Road climbing towards the Sierra Mountain Range in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
The Movie Road climbing towards the Sierra Mountain Range in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
The Eye of Alabama Hills Arch overlooks the Sierra Mountain Range in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
The Eye of Alabama Hills Arch overlooks the Sierra Mountain Range in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
The Sierra Mountain Range over a rock jumble in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
The Sierra Mountain Range over a rock jumble in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
Side view of One Mile Arch in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
Side view of One Mile Arch in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
One Mile Arch and Lone Pine Peak in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
One Mile Arch and Lone Pine Peak in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
View of rock formations through One Mile Arch in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
View of rock formations through One Mile Arch in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
Mobius Arch viewed from the Movie Road in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
Mobius Arch viewed from the Movie Road in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
Shrub growing from the side of a boulder in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
Shrub growing from the side of a boulder in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
The Bowling Pins in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
The Bowling Pins in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
Bowling Pins Arch in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
Bowling Pins Arch in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
View through the Bowling Pins Arch in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
View through the Bowling Pins Arch in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
Weathered rock formation in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
Weathered rock formation in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
Rugged rock formation in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
Rugged rock formation in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
Movie Road Arch in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
Movie Road Arch in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
Rock formation in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
Rock formation in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
The Loaf formation in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
The Loaf formation in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
Boulder with rock vein running through it in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
Boulder with rock vein running through it in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
The Shark Fin formation (left) in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
The Shark Fin formation (left) in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
The Moon and a rock formation in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
The Moon and a rock formation in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
Cave Arch or Hidden Window Arch in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
Cave Arch or Hidden Window Arch in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
Subaru viewed through the Hidden Window Arch in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
Subaru viewed through the Hidden Window Arch in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
Canyon in the Gunga Din area of the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
Canyon in the Gunga Din area of the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
Gunga Din Arch in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
Gunga Din Arch in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
Rock heap in the norther section of the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
Rock heap in the norther section of the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
The rock formation home to the Big Daddy Arch in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
The rock formation home to the Big Daddy Arch in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
Big Daddy Arch and a smaller companion arch in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
Big Daddy Arch and a smaller companion arch in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
Rock formations with the Sierra Mountain Range in the distance in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
Rock formations with the Sierra Mountain Range in the distance in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
Boot Arch as seen from the Movie Road in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area
Boot Arch as seen from the Movie Road in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area