Photo of Mobius Arch, Alabama Hills

By November 10, 2008January 30th, 2022Astrophotography and Night Scapes, California, Sierra Nevada

Mobius Arch Photograph

I made a banzai run up to the Alabama Hills last weekend. The weather forecast looked favorable, and I had not been up along the Eastern Sierra for some years, so it just seemed like the thing to do. I got up early to photograph Mobius Arch at sunrise. Mobius Arch, a natural stone arch, is the most striking and notable arch in the Alabama Hills. It is also known as Movie Road Arch, Alabama Hills Arch, Moebius Arch, and, in a tribute to photographer Galen Rowell, Galen’s Arch. Mobius Arch is about 17 feet wide and 6 feet high, and nicely frames both Lone Pine Peak and Mount Whitney in the Sierra Nevada range. Situated in the Owens Valley alongside the Sierra Nevada, just below Mt. Whitney, the Alabama Hills Recreational Area (administered by the BLM) is a 30,000 acre area of fantastic granite and metamorphosed rock, in an endless variety of rounded shapes and sizes.

Mobius Arch at sunrise, with Mount Whitney (the tallest peak in the continental United States), Lone Pine Peak and snow-covered Sierra Nevada Range framed within the arch. Mobius Arch is a 17-foot-wide natural rock arch in the scenic Alabama Hills Recreational Area near Lone Pine, California

Mobius Arch at sunrise, with Mount Whitney (the tallest peak in the continental United States), Lone Pine Peak and snow-covered Sierra Nevada Range framed within the arch. Mobius Arch is a 17-foot-wide natural rock arch in the scenic Alabama Hills Recreational Area near Lone Pine, California.
Image ID: 21729
Location: Alabama Hills Recreational Area, California, USA

Mobius Arch in the Alabama Hills, seen here at night with swirling star trails formed in the sky above due to a long time exposure, Alabama Hills Recreational Area

Mobius Arch in the Alabama Hills, seen here at night with swirling star trails formed in the sky above due to a long time exposure.
Image ID: 27681
Location: Alabama Hills Recreational Area, California, USA

Mobius Arch at sunrise, framing snow dusted Lone Pine Peak and the Sierra Nevada Range in the background. Also known as Galen's Arch, Mobius Arch is found in the Alabama Hills Recreational Area near Lone Pine

Mobius Arch at sunrise, framing snow dusted Lone Pine Peak and the Sierra Nevada Range in the background. Also known as Galen’s Arch, Mobius Arch is found in the Alabama Hills Recreational Area near Lone Pine.
Image ID: 27627
Location: Alabama Hills Recreational Area, California, USA

See more of our Mobius Arch photos

Keywords: Mobius Arch, photo, picture, Sierra Nevada, Alabama Hills, image, photograph, California, Lone Pine, Mount Whitney.

About Phil Colla

I am a natural history photographer. I enjoy making compelling images in the ocean, on land, and in the air. I have maintained the Natural History Photography blog since 2005 and my searchable Natural History Photography Library since 1997. Here are some tear sheets and behind the scenes views. Thanks for looking!