Off Highway 395 in the Alabama Hills, CA (Outside Lone Pine, CA)
Do you want a great place to stretch your legs on your long drive up the Highway 395? This great dog friendly hike is a perfect leg stretch. It is also known as a great place to go boondocking overnight, and a great dog friendly place to explore if you are in the Mount Whitney/Lone Pine area of California.
If you answered yes to the first question then the Mobius Arch Loop, in the Alabama Hills, outside of Lone Pine, CA might be the perfect place for you!
As we traveled along the 395 Highway, we wanted a chance for our dog and us to stretch our legs and breathe in the beautiful scenery. This Mobius Arch hike is short, picturesque, and had great views of Mt. Whitney. We weren’t boondocking, but there were a lot of people doing so. I can only imagine how beautiful the stars are at night if you are boondocking. (Boondocking is camping without any hookups outside developed campgrounds.)
This stop is a short distance, approximately 10 minutes, off the 395 Highway in the Lone Pine area. Most of the road is paved but the part that was dirt was well maintained. You will know you are headed in the right direction if you see the monkey head painted on the rock. (That’s what it looks like to me.) You will be making a right turn at Movie Road. The paved road will turn into a dirt road and you will eventually see your destination on your right. There is a dirt parking lot when you reach your destination. When we went, we found the trail on All Trails and the location on Google maps.
Helpful hint: Once you are in the parking lot for the trail, if you take the trail to the left that loops that way (which I recommend), you will come up to the back side of the arch. When you get to the pile of rocks, start looking to your right in the rocks as you walk or you may walk past the arch and miss it. We found it because we saw people taking pictures and wondered what they were taking pictures of (hahaha) and then noticed the arch. I just don’t want you to miss the arch. Taking the loop trail that starts on the left gets you to the arch the quickest. Use AllTrails for great details.
We went in November. NOTE: The trail seemed like it might be too hot in the summer as there is very little to no shade at all. It is a short trail, but don’t forget to bring your water and water for your dog. It was well worth the stop for us. Please note that we can only describe the experience we had on the day we went. Always do what is safe and best for you.
Most of all have fun, stay safe, and keep exploring!
