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:

Nov 17, 2021Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary
Nov 23, 2023Happy Thanksgiving!
Nov 28, 2019Wild turkeys in repose
Sep 21, 2018A tower of light
Mar 16, 2020I ll call for pen and ink
Jun 18, 2019From garden to table?
Apr 9, 2018The Lena Delta Wildlife Reserve in Siberia, Russia
Oct 3, 2018Monarch butterflies migrate south
Feb 20, 2021An enduring vision
Jan 30, 2026St. Michaels Mount in Marazion, Cornwall, England
Mar 16, 2026National Panda Day
Apr 2, 2026Wildflower bloom, Central Valley, California
Mar 21, 2020It s World Poetry Day
Oct 18, 2024Autumn in Central Park, New York
Jan 13, 2019On the hunt
Sep 30, 2022Southern right whale
Feb 15, 2020Whales in winter
Dec 18, 2024English National Ballet performing The Nutcracker
Feb 1, 2026Black History Month
Jun 16, 2021Put your flippers in the air…
Apr 4, 2019Taking the forest to the cloud
Apr 2, 2023Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park, East Java, Indonesia
Mar 10, 2025National Napping Day
Sep 2, 2025Camel thorn trees, Namib-Naukluft Park, Namibia
Aug 22, 2019Dancing waters of Dubai
Feb 6, 2020A hint of spring
Sep 7, 2024National Hummingbird Day
Apr 29, 2024Fujian Tulou, China
Jul 26, 2019The party’s just starting
Feb 11, 2026Death Valley National Parks Anniversary