Arch and Milky Way, Alabama Hills, Sierra Nevada, California May 13, 2026

Arch and Milky Way, Alabama Hills, Sierra Nevada, California

In today"s image, the granite arches of the Alabama Hills frame the Milky Way over a rugged landscape in California"s eastern Sierra Nevada. Famous for its rounded boulders and weathered rock formations, this area formed when molten rock cooled deep underground around 100 million years ago. Water and wind gradually shaped the stone into the smooth shapes seen today. Visitors can explore the natural arches, hike among the rocks, capture photographs of the unique landscape, ride horses or mountain bikes, and enjoy seasonal displays of wildflowers.

© Tim Fitzharris/Minden Pictures

palette

Today in History

May 13, 2018Happy Mother’s Day
May 13, 2019In praise of bogs, swamps, and marshes
May 13, 2020Of moose and Maine
May 13, 2021Hues of Hokkaido
May 13, 2023World Migratory Bird Day
May 13, 2024Fish River Canyon, Namibia
May 13, 2025Torres del Paine National Park in Patagonia, Chile

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Mar 16, 2026National Panda Day
Dec 4, 2020Protecting wildlife today and tomorrow
Sep 6, 2022National Mushroom Month
Jun 7, 2020A hermitage with a view
May 29, 20261953 Mount Everest Expedition
Mar 8, 2024International Womens Day
May 2, 2018Mackerel forming a bait ball to avoid predators
Jul 31, 2022Noctilucent clouds
Jul 1, 2019It’s Canada’s national day
Mar 28, 2020The meeting point of the winds
Mar 2, 2021Fall for Chile
Jan 8, 2019A stunning national park in winter white
Jul 15, 2021A river runs through rice fields
Oct 20, 2022International Sloth Day
Aug 25, 2025Yellowstone for the National Park Services birthday
Jun 23, 2026Mount Fuji on Honshu Island, Japan
Mar 4, 2019The eloquence of elephants
Apr 13, 2020Floating temples in the Land of Smiles
Sep 9, 2020Where the bearded reedling sings
Jan 28, 2022Short-eared owl
Sep 9, 2019A toast to California!
Jul 8, 2026Sunrise at Lake Atitlán, Guatemala
Aug 22, 2020A monster view in Scotland
Mar 16, 2023Panda Day
Oct 8, 2025World Octopus Day
Jul 4, 2024Independence Day
Dec 23, 2019A Festivus for the rest of us
Jan 22, 2024Walton Lighthouse, Santa Cruz, California
Sep 30, 2019Wheels up in Beijing
May 13, 2026Arch and Milky Way, Alabama Hills, Sierra Nevada, California