Baldy Bowl Trail (Ski Hut Trail) to Mt Baldy

8.8 miles - Hard Effort
Or: 4.6 to Ski Hut and Back
5-7 Hours (Total)
3,900 Total Feet of Climbing
Max Elevation of 10,064 feet
Leashed Dogs Allowed

The Baldy Bowl Trail, also known as the Ski Hut Trail, is the shortest route to the summit of Mt Baldy. Unfortunately, that short distance comes at the price of a very steep climb. For fit hikers, you'll have to work, and for those out of shape, expect to take breaks to catch your breath as you navigate the steep slopes. Along the way, you'll have a picture-perfect spot to rest, the Sierra Club Ski Hut. And the final payoff is reaching the highest point in Los Angeles County, Mount San Antonio, known colloquially as Mt Baldy because of its bald face.

In this Guide:

Video and Turn-by-Turn Directions for the Baldy Bowl Trail
Is There Snow on the Trail?
Parking For the Baldy Bowl Trail / Ski Hut Trail
Tips & Recommendations

Quick Links:
Parks Pass - Park Website - Weather Forecast - My Apr 2024 Gear

Although this is the shortest hike to the summit, the route to Mt Baldy via Baldy Notch and the Devil's Backbone is the more traditional beginners' experience. The slopes are not as steep (overall), and there are more places to catch your breath.

Where is the Baldy Bowl Trail?

The Baldy Bowl Trail hike starts from the Manker Flats parking area, about 4.5 miles past Mt Baldy Village. Use this trailhead address:
993 Falls Rd, Mt Baldy, CA 91759

Baldy Bowl Trail Directions 2 — There's lots of parking alongside the road, but because of the popularity of this hike, it can get full at peak times.

Baldy Bowl Trail Directions 1 — There's a primitive toilet by the parking area.

Baldy Bowl Trail Directions 4 — Park as close to the bathroom (the brown building on the left) as possible. That's where the hike starts.

Do you need a parking pass? Technically, if there's a facility like a bathroom (which there is), you do. But according to the Forest Service fee area map, at the "Baldy Bowl Trailhead" you don't. If you park further down at the Manker Flat Campground you need an Adventure Pass or National Parks Pass.

Is There Snow on Mt Baldy?

Baldy Bowl Winter — Here's the Baldy Bowl in winter. The steep slopes are challenging enough when clear, and they can be deadly with even a little bit of snow and ice. Photo Justin Johnsen

Unless you have mountaineering experience and local knowledge, the Baldy Bowl Trail should only be attempted when free of snow. The weather is more unpredictable than ever, but generally, the area is free of snow from May to November. Even if it hasn't snowed in a while, snow can linger on the cooler slopes of the Baldy Bowl Trail. So, if you are in a shoulder month and want to check for snow, here's what I'd do.

Check the ski report for Mt Baldy Notch. If there's snow a the notch, there's probably snow at Baldy Bowl.
View webcams that show Mt Baldy in the distance and look for snow.
Visit the Mt Baldy summit weather website. If you see freezing temperatures at the summit, there may be ice.
Check the USDA snow-depth tool.

Want an alternative hike that's usually snow-free? Hike to the highest point in Los Angeles (city), Mt Lukens.

Gear For the Hike

Assuming the conditions are good, you'll still want to prepare for the alpine environment. It can be hot at the trailhead and cold and windy at the summit. Here's what I recommend:

Bring extra layers and a shell for the summit. The average wind speed on the summit is 45mph.
Trekking poles are crucial when navigating these steep slopes.
3L of water should be enough for the hike. If you have a water filter you can carry less and refill at San Antonio Creek by the Ski Hut, which generally flows all year.
The sun can be brutal, even if it's cool. Bring some protection.
Snacks will help keep your energy levels up.

Gear That I Love Right Now

Nothing is sponsored or promoted, just the actual gear that I use.

Garmin InReach Mini 2If you are out of cellphone range the Mini 2 will reliably allow you to hit SOS via satellite. You can see my review here.

HOKA Speedgoat 5These are a great balance of comfort and performance. The high stack height leaves my feet feeling great after a hike.

Check out the complete list here.

Camping On Mt Baldy

There are no official campgrounds on the Baldy Bowl Trail or Mt Baldy. And there's conflicting information from Angeles National Forest on whether dispersed camping outside official trail camps is allowed. But in practice, it is permitted, and there are several stone wind shelters on the summit where you can camp. If you decide to camp, know that it's extremely windy at the summit and not a calm place to sleep. I've marked some alternative sheltered (and unofficial) spots along the way on the map below if you'd like to overnight in the area. Your best bet for water is the creek crossing by the Ski Hut.

Baldy Bowl Trail Maps

Use This Map:
View in CalTopo | PDF Map | GPX File

How Will You Navigate?

Using the Apple Watch for Hiking

Garmin Fenix 7 & Epix Review For Hikers

How To Read a Topographic Map

Garmin GPSMAP 67i Review

Elevation Profile

Baldy Bowl Trail Elevation — Here's the one-way elevation profile to the summit. There's a short flat section just past the Ski Hut, but otherwise it's pretty much all uphill.

Landmarks on the Hike

Landmark	Distance	Elevation
Trailhead	0	6165
Ski Hut	2.5	8250
Baldy Saddle	3.1	8800
Summit	4.4	10064

3D Map

Baldy Bowl Trail Hike Directions

Baldy Bowl Trail Directions 5 — Head into the paved road by the toilet.

Baldy Bowl Trail Directions 6 — You'll see some trail boards. Take a picture of the map, just in case.

Baldy Bowl Trail Directions 7 — Go past the gate.

Baldy Bowl Trail Directions 8 — And continue past the private residences on the paved road. The pavement will end shortly, I promise.

Baldy Bowl Trail Directions 9 — When the road does a 180 turn, you'll see the 75-foot San Antonio Falls.

Baldy Bowl Trail Directions 10 — The pavement ends after the waterfall.

Baldy Bowl Trail Directions 11 — A few minutes past the waterfall and just before 1 mile into the hike, look for the (easy to miss) turnoff onto the Baldy Bowl Trail. If you've gone past a mile on the hike, you might have missed it.

Baldy Bowl Trail Directions 12 — There's a small sign as you climb off the road onto the Baldy Bowl Trail.

Baldy Bowl Trail Directions 13 — The start is loose and steep. It'll get better in a minute.

Baldy Bowl Trail Directions 14 — You'll pass an old trail register.

Baldy Bowl Trail Directions 15 — And then you're on a nice single-track trail, which is steep but easy to follow.

The Gold Ridge / Agamemnon Mine used to sit at the head of the canyon in front of you. Operating from 1897-1907, it was destroyed by an avalanche. Although some scattered wreckage remains, most has been washed away by flooding over the years.

Baldy Bowl Trail Directions 16 — As you hike up above San Antonio Creek, you'll get a nice view of Baldy Bowl ahead. We're hiking to the left side eventually, up onto the ridge.

Baldy Bowl Trail Directions 17 — You hike through the Douglas Fir and you can often see the trail unfolding in front of you.

Baldy Bowl Trail Directions 18 — The trail will start to go up switchbacks.

Baldy Bowl Trail Directions 19 — You can often look up and see where the trail goes by spotting other hikers.

Baldy Bowl Trail Directions 21 — At about 2.4 miles in you should be able to spot the Ski Hut on the slopes above.

Baldy Bowl Trail Directions 22 — When you get to the crossing of San Antonio Creek, look for the short spur trail to the Ski Hut on the right. The trail to the summit continues left.

Baldy Bowl Trail Directions 24 — You'll pass picnic benches on the way to the hut. They're shaded and a great place to refuel before continuing.

Baldy Bowl Trail Directions 23 — Here's the Ski Hut, which may be open if people are staying there. Be respectful.

The Ski Hut was first built in 1936 by an Austrian transplant to LA who wanted to recreate the hut experience of the Alps. That hut burned down and was rebuilt in 1937, which is the hut you see today. The Sierra Club runs the hut, and you can make reservations to overnight there.

Baldy Bowl Trail Directions 26 — From the front of the hut you can see many of the peaks in the area, including the two popular hiking summits, Cucamonga Peak and Ontario Peak.

Baldy Bowl Trail Directions 27 — When you are done at the Ski Hut, head back to the trail and cross over San Antonio Creek.

Batrachoseps Gabrieli — Keep your eyes open for the San Gabriel Mountain slender
salamander, a species discovered in the 1990s that only exists on these upper slopes of Mt Baldy.

Baldy Bowl Trail Directions 29 — Now we cross the actual Baldy Bowl, a rocky and thankfully flat area. The Baldy Bowl is a small cirque (or slide) area.

Baldy Bowl Trail Directions 28 — If you look to the top of the Baldy Bowl area, you'll see some crags that are reminiscent of "The Needles" on the Mt Whitney hike. If you have fun on this hike, you might want to add Mt Whitney to your bucket list.

Baldy Bowl Trail Directions 30 — The trail can get confusing across the bowl, and it splits and rejoins in a few places.

Baldy Bowl Trail Directions 31 — There is a trail marker along the way through the Baldy Bowl. You should be passing it in this spot, if not, correct your course.

Baldy Bowl Trail Directions 32 — Once you leave the open area of the Baldy Bowl, you'll enter the trees and start up a steep series of tight switchbacks. It's only about 0.3 miles to Baldy Saddle from here, but you'll work for it.

Baldy Bowl Trail Directions 33 — When you reach Baldy Saddle, make the right to hike up along the ridge.

Baldy Bowl Trail Directions 34 — Thankfully the Baldy Bowl Trail is well marked these days. Here's the sign at the saddle.

Baldy Bowl Trail Directions 35 — Continue uphill along the ridge.

Baldy Bowl Trail Directions 36 — To the right you'll see Mt Harwood in the distance. It's named after Aurelia Harwood, an early conservationist and the first female president of the Sierra Club.

Baldy Bowl Trail Directions 37 — Alright, now we're down to the business end of things. Start the steep climb for the last mile or so to the summit.

From here to the summit the trail frequently splits and rejoins itself. Just look for the path with the most footprints as you climb. If your trail starts to fizzle out, backtrack or look for it to join a more established trail to your left or right.

Baldy Bowl Trail Directions 38 — Once you climb for a few minutes you'll start to see these posts. These posts represent the "official" path. Look ahead and aim for the next post.

Baldy Bowl Trail Directions 39 — Keep following the posts.

Baldy Bowl Trail Directions 40 — The trail winds to the left side of the ridge. In the distance you can see West Baldy.

Baldy Bowl Trail Directions 41 — Once on the left side of the ridge, there's a sign here keeping you in the right place. One the way down, make sure you pass this point. There are some small trails to the left of this sign that lead down into Goode Canyon, which is easy to get lost in and hard to climb out of. Always look for signs and posts.

Baldy Bowl Trail Directions 42 — Here's a closeup of that sign.

Baldy Bowl Trail Directions 43 — And if you look down to the left into Goode Canyon, just before you reach that last sign, you'll see the wreckage of an old aircraft. Don't go down to check it out, stay on the trail and appreciate it from a distance.

Mt Baldy Plane Wreck Hellcat — The wreckage is from two USMC Hellcats aircraft that crashed here in a 1949 snowstorm, killing both pilots. The Hellcat, pictured here in WW2, was the main aircraft used in the war in the Pacific. Photo USMC, Okinawa, 1945

Baldy Bowl Trail Directions 44 — Keep following the main trail and the poles. The trail heads up the rocks to the right.

Baldy Bowl Trail Directions 45 — You'll pass a tent site and another sign pointing you to the summit.

Baldy Bowl Trail Directions 46 — While still uphill, the slopes are not as steep as they were earlier.

Baldy Bowl Trail Directions 47 — Soon the trees disappear and you're on the "baldy" section of Baldy.

Baldy Bowl Trail Directions 48 — Look for a post in the distance marking the beginning of the summit area.

Baldy Bowl Trail Directions 49 — And here you are, the summit of Mount San Antonio!

Baldy Bowl Trail Directions 50 — There's a beefy metal summit sign that you are obliged to take a photo with.

Baldy Bowl Trail Directions 51 — There are incredible 360 views from Catalina to San Gorgonio. The peaks to the north include the other epic peak, Mt Baden-Powell.

Baldy Bowl Trail Directions 52 — That's it, that's the hike! To return, just head back down the way you came up.

Need More Info?

Have a question about the guide or want to see what other people are saying/asking? View the Youtube comments for this video. Leave a comment and I will do my best to respond.
When planning, always check the park website and social media to make sure the trails are open. Similarly, check the weather and road conditions.

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This Guide Was Written by Cris Hazzard

Cris Hazzard 4 Mile Trail Yosemite
Hi, I'm Cris Hazzard, aka Hiking Guy, a professional outdoors guide, hiking expert, and author based in Southern California. I created this website to share all the great hikes I do with everyone else out there. This site is different because it gives detailed directions that even the beginning hiker can follow. I also share what hiking gear works and doesn't so you don't waste money. I don't do sponsored or promoted content; I share only the gear recommendations, hikes, and tips that I would with my family and friends. If you like the website and YouTube channel, please support these free guides (I couldn't do it without folks like you!). You can stay up to date with my new guides by following me on YouTube, Instagram, or by subscribing to my monthly newsletter.