Weekend in the Alabama Hills

Camping & Hiking in the Alabama Hills | January 2025

During our time in Death Valley over New Year’s, we joked that because we were starting 2025 off at the lowest point in the US, things could only go up from there. However, after spending a weekend in the Alabama Hills, we’re now concerned that we’ve already peaked for the year, because how could anything be better than this? We spent 5 glorious days in this rock wonderland, enough time to create a routine and pretend like we actually lived in this beautiful place that felt like paradise. We’ll go as far as to say that this is one of our top favorite places that we’ve camped, right up there with Salmon Glacier. The contrast between desert in the foreground and snow capped peaks in the background made for some of the most stunning and dramatic landscapes we’ve ever seen, and even though we spent so much time exploring, we know we only scratched the surface of all the beauty that lies within this area!

Every morning, we would wake up, make breakfast and tea, and immediately go for a long walk. Charlotte was more interested in taking longer walks thanks to the dirt roads being easy for her, and the temperature being cool and comfortable. When we returned to the van, she would take a nap and Curtis and I would get work done in the sunshine. We each took a few solo hikes as well — Curtis went in search of letterboxes or peaks, I would usually just rock hop around different formations. We would take another family walk in the afternoon, then have an early dinner so that we could set up the bed and be ready to retire to the van as soon as the sun set. The weather was perfect for our long weekend here, and while this area felt busier over the weekend, it really quieted down by Sunday night, and we hardly saw anyone on our last couple days here.

On our first morning here, we set out on our morning walk with the goal of hiking the Mobius Arch trail. Our campsite was almost a mile away from the trailhead on main roads, but we were able to get there faster by taking different 4×4 roads. It was a bit more difficult to get Charlotte to focus on the actual trail, but we were successful in hiking the whole thing and seeing both the Heart Arch and Mobius Arch. When we started, we could tell from a distance that there were lots of cars in the trailhead, so we were honestly shocked to find no one at Mobius Arch when we arrived, and that we had plenty of time there alone before continuing on.

We knew going into this weekend that this area is known for being the backdrop in different movies. That’s about all I can tell you since I’m not really a movie person, but I know there’s a museum in Lone Pine that can tell you everything you’d want to know on that subject. On one of our days here, I was out for a solo walk when I noticed some commotion on the roads. We had seen police cars blocking off the roads at different times, but while I was walking I noticed two trucks speeding by very close together, one with a crane and camera equipment in the back. So maybe I witnessed some filming happening, but my bet is that it was just a truck commercial.

As self proclaimed High Pointers, I can’t talk about our time here without mentioning how much Mount Whitney was taunting us the entire time. This was our first time ever seeing the peak, and we knew going into this weekend that that’s all we would be doing this time, and were fine with that. Curtis had recently seen a trip report from hikers that attempted to hike it in the snow, so he was very aware of all the different ways we were unprepared for such a hike. However, when it comes to hiking Mt. Whitney, I have some reservations to doing it the typical way. Because it is the highest point in the continental US, in such a scenic area, and relatively close to major cities, it naturally is a very popular peak. There is a permit system in place, which is very necessary, and very competitive. And as much as I may want to hike it someday, I don’t necessarily want to be around so many people, and have to go through the logistics of obtaining a permit. Which makes me think that maybe a winter ascent is actually the preferred way for us to hike?? Or maybe when we do it, it’ll be while backpacking another trail. All that to say, we were content to simply gaze upon the peak for this weekend, and dream of the day we could actually hike it, if it ever happens.

We stayed as long as we could here, and when it came time to go, we did so reluctantly and with hope that we could one day return. We were truly blessed to get to experience it, and hope that this land will continue to be protected and preserved for whenever that time comes, and for future generations. But as I’m sitting here, reflecting on this place and the wonderful days we spent here, I’m devastated over how thousands of National Park and National Forest rangers have been fired over the past few week, and worried that beautiful places like this will be negatively affected by it. I have contacted my representative about how I feel, and if you feel the same way, I hope you’ll do the same. Click here for an easy way to do so, and visit npca.org to learn more about what’s going on and how you can help.