Hike Mt Baldy on the Bear Canyon Trail

In This Guide	How to Get to Bear Canyon Trail Turn by Turn Hike Directions & Video Bear Canyon Trail Maps
Total Distance (?)	13 miles (20.9 km)
Hike Time	8 Hours (Total)
Difficulty (?)	Very Hard
Total Ascent (?)	5,650 feet (1722m)
Highest Elevation	10,064 feet (3068m)
Fees & Permits	Parking Pass
Dogs Allowed	Leashed
Alerts & Closures (?)	Mt Baldy Visitor's Center
Park Phone	909-982-2829

Everyone hikes Mt Baldy from Manker Flats, but have you done it on the Bear Canyon Trail? Also known as Old Mt Baldy Trail, this hike leaves from Mt Baldy Village on it’s way to the summit. Unlike the main hike up Mt Baldy (via Baldy Notch), the Bear Canyon Trail is usually not as crowded. That’s because it’s harder. It climbs 5740 feet in 6 miles. There are sections that are very steep. It’d doable with a decent level of fitness. This hike is a good choice for those who have hiked Mt Baldy from Manker Flats and now want to do it again, without all the hub-bub.

The Bear Canyon Trail, built in 1889, used to be the main route to hike Mt Baldy, which is why they call it the Old Baldy Trail. When the road to Manker Flat was built in 1936, the shorter Ski Hut and Devil’s Backbone routes became more popular.

Bear Canyon was also the main way to access the Baldy Summit Inn, opened in 1910 by William B. Dewey, who was the first gringo to summit Mt Baldy in 1882. It cost $1 a night to stay at the inn, but burnt down in 1913.

Getting to the Bear Canyon Trail

Use this as the trailhead address: 6778 Mt Baldy Rd, Mt Baldy, CA, 91759, USA.

You need a parking pass for the lot. I use the affordable National Parks Pass, which gets me in every park, monument, and national forest. You can also use an (Southern California only) Adventure Pass, or buy a $5 day permit from the ranger’s office.

A Note on Parking

Parking here is tough. There are six spots in front of the Mt Baldy Visitor’s Center where you can park and leave your car. You can try your luck along the road in other places, but beware of the “no parking” signs. The Mt Baldy Visitor’s Center lot has a 20 minute maximum time. I would recommend calling the Mt Baldy Visitor’s Center number (above) to confirm. The parking situation seems to change every so often here.

bear canyon trail to mt baldy parking — Park in front of the official Mt Baldy Visitor’s Center. It’s right past Bear Canyon Road as you arrive in Mt Baldy Village. Once you’ve parked (and left your parking pass on the dashboard), walk back down the road to Bear Canyon Road, which is directly across the street from Mt Baldy Lodge.

When I finished the hike from this trip report, I ran into some upset hikers. They had arrived before dawn, and the parking options and signs weren’t so obvious. They saw a sign at the start of Bear Canyon Road that said “Private Road – Hikers Welcome” and assumed that meant they could park at the trailhead.

When they got back from their hike, a local (named “Mark” who lives on Bear Canyon Road) had left a really nasty and threatening note on their windshield. Yes, they made a mistake and parked in the wrong place. No, they didn’t deserve a profanity-laced missive on where to park. So take care when parking and avoid the grumpy locals. And stay classy Mark.

Gear for the Hike

This is a tough backcountry hike and you need proper hiking gear. Bring at least 3L of water, food, and gear for changing conditions.

This is not a hike to do in bad or winter weather, unless you are very experienced in those conditions. The Bear Canyon Trail is exposed for much of the way, with some sheer drop-offs on either side. People die here, don’t take any risks.

If you want to check if there’s snow on your hike, read this guide.

Altra Lone Peak 5
For most people, the Altra Lone Peak is a solid choice that will leave your feet feeling great at the end of any hike. The feel is cushy and light, and if it had a car equivalent, this would be a Cadillac or Mercedes Sedan. The grip is great and they’re reasonably durable for this type of trail runner, which I think is better in most conditions than a hiking boot, and here’s why. The downside of this shoe is that it won’t last as long as something like the Moab 2 (see alternate footwear choices at the bottom of my gear page). I’ve been using mine for many miles and my feet always feel great. Watch my video explaining why they are a great shoe here.
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Latest Price on Women’s Shoe – REI | Amazon
Latest Price on Men’s Shoe – REI | Amazon

Stay Safe Out of Cell Phone Range
If you’re not familiar with the Garmin InReach technology, it allows you to send and receive text messages where you don’t have cell phone signals. You can also get weather reports and trigger an SOS to emergency responders. Even if you don’t have an emergency, sending a quick message telling a loved one that you’re okay or are running late is well worth the cost. The Garmin InReach Mini (REI | Amazon | My Review) fits in your palm and weighs next to nothing.

Gaia GPS Mapping App
Smartphones are not backcountry instruments, but almost everyone has one today. And they all have GPS onboard. So I recommend getting a good GPS hiking app like Gaia GPS that supports offline maps. Just make sure to put your phone in airplane mode so the battery doesn’t drain. GaiaGPS not only has smartphone and tablet apps, but also an online planning tool. You can drag the GPX hike tracks from my (or any) guides into the online map and they will sync to your phone. You can also check for wildfires, weather, snow, and choose from dozens of map types with a premium membership (HikingGuy readers get up to 40% off here). Note that I also carry a paper map with me in case the phone dies or gets smashed.

Here’s my complete gear list that I personally use, have tested, and recommend, updated July 2021.

My July 2021 Top Gear Picks

No company pays me to promote or push a product, all the gear you see here is gear I use and recommend. If you click an a link and buy gear, I get a small commission that helps keep the website ad and promotion free. There is no cost to you.

Bear Canyon Trail to Mt Baldy Trail Maps

Explore Map on CalTopo View a Printable PDF Hike Map Download the Hike GPX File

If you try to download the GPX file and your browser adds a “.txt” or “.xml” extension to it, simply rename it as a “.gpx” file.

How are you going to navigate this hike?
To start, you should always have a paper map and compass. And it helps to print this guide out or save it on your phone. I highly recommend a GPS as well. I use the Garmin Fenix 6 Smart GPS watch ( REI | Amazon | My Review) with maps (or the more affordable Garmin Instinct). The GPS smartwatch is nice because it’s rugged, works if your phone dies, and also has a billion other features like sleep tracking, workout recording, etc.

The route up starts in Bear Canyon and then quickly goes uphill. After the first half of the hike, you are exposed and above the tree line. The last mile or so to Baldy is actually some of the easiest hiking.

bear canyon trail to mt baldy elevation — This hike is very steep. The hardest part is from mile 1 to mile 4, where the gradient is around a steady 18%. Unfortunately the steep slope makes the descent a little tricky too. I recommend using trekking poles on this hike.

Bear Canyon Trail to Mt Baldy Hike Directions

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Video Directions

Turn by Turn Hike Directions

Mt Baldy Visitor's Center — Here’s the sign for the Mt Baldy Visitor’s Center.

Bear Canyon Road is where the hike starts. You’ll see the church behind the lot. Bear Canyon Road is through the lot to the right.

Next to that “no campfires” sign is the trail register. Sign if you want to. Again, no permit is needed for this hike, fyi.

Bear Canyon trail sign — Shortly after Bear Canyon turns into a trail, you come to a trail sign. Hike right here toward Bear Flat and Mt Baldy.

The Bear Canyon trail starts to head uphill.

Bear Canyon trail at bear flat — In about 1.5 miles you reach the Bear Flat campground. Hike to the left at the sign through the fern and manzanita covered meadow.

Bear Canyon trail climbs — Once through the meadow, the trail starts going up. Pace yourself and start climbing.

cris hazzard on Bear Canyon trail — It’s steep hiking here, with a gradient around 15%. Take your time.

blue blaze on Bear Canyon trail — The Bear Canyon trail is easy to follow, but not really wide. At a few points there are cut-offs and small splits. Stay on the trail that’s more worn and you’ll be fine. There are also some random blue blazes.

bear canyon trail to mt baldy — As the trail winds around the mountain, you’ll get views into the peaks around Mt Baldy.

Most of the peaks you sea around you can be hiked. The Three Tees are directly to the right of Baldy. And across the valley are Bighorn and Ontario Peaks. All great hikes without big crowds.