A short, scenic Alabama Hills hike near Lone Pine with incredible rock formations, Mount Whitney views and plenty to know before bringing your dog.
Driving along Highway 395 with your dog and looking for a fun place to stretch your legs?
Mobius Arch Loop Trail in the Alabama Hills, just outside Lone Pine, California, was exactly the kind of road-trip break we were looking for.
This short hike gave both us and our dog a chance to get out of the car, move around and enjoy some incredible scenery. Between the unusual rock formations, views toward Mount Whitney and the famous Mobius Arch, it felt like a little adventure rather than just another stop along the highway.
But there’s one thing we’d plan around carefully:
The heat.
We visited in November and were surprised by how warm it still felt. There is very little shade along the trail, so we’d personally save this one for cooler weather and skip hot summer days and early fall when temperatures are still high.
🐾 Read Next: Is It Too Hot for Your Dog? Paw, Pavement & Summer Heat Safety
🐾 Mobius Arch Loop at a Glance
📍 Location: Alabama Hills National Scenic Area, near Lone Pine, California
🥾 Activity: Short scenic desert hike
🐕 Dogs: We visited with our dog; check current BLM pet rules before your trip
🌳 Shade: Very limited
☀️ Best for: Cooler-weather visits—we were surprised by the warmth even in November
💧 Water: Bring plenty for both you and your dog
🚻 Restrooms: BLM currently lists porta-potties at the Mobius Arch trailhead
🅿️ Parking: Dirt parking area at the trailhead
🐾 Paw protection: We recommend having dog shoes available for hot, sharp or unfamiliar surfaces
⚠️ Keep in mind: Heat, very little shade, exposed desert terrain, rattlesnakes and other wildlife, changing weather and potentially limited cell service.
🏕️ Camping: Current BLM rules require a free permit and restrict dispersed camping to designated sites
🗺️ Google Maps: Mobius Arch Loop Trail – Google Maps
🌐 Official Information: BLM Mobius Arch Loop Trail
🏔️ Why Mobius Arch Is Worth the Stop
As we traveled up Highway 395, we were ready to get out and stretch our legs—and of course, our dog was ready too!
Mobius Arch Loop turned out to be a great choice.
The trail is short and picturesque, so we could enjoy the Alabama Hills without adding a major hike to an already full travel day.
And what a setting.
The rounded rock formations of the Alabama Hills sit below the dramatic Sierra Nevada, creating one of those landscapes that makes you want to keep stopping for just one more picture.
The area is managed by the Bureau of Land Management, and the official Mobius Arch Loop page identifies hiking, photography and wildlife viewing among the activities here.
Official BLM Mobius Arch Loop Trail Information
🐾 Bringing Your Dog to Mobius Arch Loop
We hiked Mobius Arch Loop with our dog and found it to be a wonderful road-trip stop.
Because pet rules and conditions can change, check the current BLM information before bringing your dog rather than relying solely on our experience from a previous visit.
Regardless of the rules in effect when you go, this is exposed desert terrain. Bring plenty of water for your dog, watch the ground and weather conditions, and make sure the outing is appropriate for your particular dog.
For us, dog shoes are something that travel with us even when it isn’t hot. Desert terrain can hold sharp rocks, broken glass or other hazards we may not see until we’re already there.
🐾 Need help deciding what to bring? Read: What to Pack for an Overnight Trip With Your Dog — Our Basic Dog Travel Packing List
🚗 Getting There
The trailhead is only a short detour from Highway 395 near Lone Pine.
BLM’s current directions are straightforward: from Highway 395 in Lone Pine, turn west onto Whitney Portal Road, travel approximately 2.5 miles, and turn right onto Movie Road. Continue about 1.5 miles until you reach a Y in the road. Bear right, and the dirt parking area will be immediately on your left. The loop can be started from either side of the parking area.
Most of the drive was paved when we visited, and the dirt-road portion we traveled was well maintained.
And here’s our much less official navigation landmark:
Look for the rock with what looked to me like a monkey head painted on it. 😂
That’s when we knew we were headed in the right direction.
We used Google Maps to find the area and AllTrails to help us follow the trail. Road conditions can change, so check current information before heading out.
📸 Don’t Miss the Arch!
Here’s our biggest tip: if you take the trail to the left from the parking area and follow the loop in that direction, you’ll approach the back side of the arch.
When you reach an area with a pile of rocks, start looking carefully to your right.
It would be surprisingly easy to walk right past Mobius Arch.
That almost happened to us.
We noticed people standing around taking pictures and thought:
What are they taking pictures of?
Then we looked a little closer and—
There it was! 😂
The left side of the loop seemed like the quickest way to reach the arch during our visit, so it’s worth paying attention as you approach.
And don’t forget to actually look through the arch. The surrounding Sierra scenery is a huge part of what makes this little hike so memorable.
⚠️ A Few Things to Know Before You Go
The trail may be short, but this is still exposed desert terrain.
We visited in November and found the weather comfortable overall, but we were genuinely surprised by how warm it became. With very little shade, this isn’t somewhere we’d personally choose to hike with our dog during hot weather.
Rattlesnakes are also found in this desert environment. Keep your dog close, watch where they’re walking and sniffing, and give any snake you encounter plenty of space.
BLM also recommends being prepared for changing weather and potentially limited cell service, so even though Mobius Arch is a short hike, we wouldn’t treat it like a walk around the neighborhood.
Bring:
- Plenty of water for you and your dog
- Your dog’s leash and travel essentials
- Paw protection appropriate for the conditions
- Sun protection
- A dog first-aid kit
- Your phone or camera because you’re probably going to want it 😂
🐾 Read Next: Dog First Aid: How to Prepare for Injuries, Travel & Emergencies
Weather and road conditions can change, cell service shouldn’t be something you depend upon in remote areas, and desert wildlife deserves space. Keep your dog close and pay attention to where they’re walking and sniffing.
Most importantly, check current BLM conditions and information before you go. What we experienced on our visit isn’t a guarantee of what you’ll encounter on yours.
⛺ Thinking About Camping in the Alabama Hills?
We saw people camping throughout the Alabama Hills when we visited, and I remember thinking how incredible the night sky must be out there.
But camping rules have changed since our visit, so this is one part of the original article that definitely needed an update.
BLM now requires a free Alabama Hills permit for designated semi-primitive camping, and camping outside developed campgrounds is permitted only in designated campsites marked for camping. The free permit does not reserve a campsite; sites remain first come, first served.
So if boondocking is part of your Highway 395 plans, don’t rely on older articles or memories of how camping used to work here.
Check Current Alabama Hills Camping Rules & Permit Information — BLM
🐾 Is Mobius Arch Loop Worth a Highway 395 Stop?
For us, absolutely.
We weren’t looking for a big hiking day. We wanted somewhere to get out of the car with our dog, stretch our legs and see something beautiful along the way.
Mobius Arch gave us exactly that.
It’s a short adventure in a spectacular landscape, and the Alabama Hills and Sierra Nevada make a pretty impressive backdrop for what started as a simple road-trip break.
If you’re traveling Highway 395 with your dog, cooler weather and current conditions permitting, this is one we’d happily put on the list.
Most of all, have fun, stay safe, and keep exploring! 🐾❤️
