Southern California · Strenuous · Loop

Mount Baldy by the Ski Hut and Devil's Backbone

The classic loop on Mount San Antonio: up past the falls and the Ski Hut, down the narrow Devil's Backbone to Baldy Notch.

Distance
10.3 mi (16.6 km)
Ascent
3,799 ft (1,158 m)
Time
About 8 h 15 min
High point
10,033 ft (3,058 m)
Grade
Strenuous

Line © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), checked by Global Adventurer.

0 mi2 mi4 mi6 mi8 mi10 mi10,003 ft6,152 ft
Move along the height chart to see each point on the map.
Mount Baldy by the Ski Hut and Devil's Backbone
The original uploader was Tillman at English Wikipedia. · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons

The hike

The walk starts at Manker Flat, on Mount Baldy Road; park beside the road by the gate of Falls Road. Walk up Falls Road to the hairpin below San Antonio Falls, where a short path leads to the foot of the falls. The road turns to dirt, and soon the Baldy Bowl Trail leaves it on the left. It climbs steeply to the San Antonio Ski Hut, crosses the foot of Baldy Bowl and climbs the ridge to the bare summit, just over 10,000 feet up. Go down east by the Devil's Backbone, a narrow ridge with drops on both sides, to the top of the ski lifts and Baldy Notch. From the Notch the fire road winds down past the falls to Manker Flat.

It is a 10.3-mile (16.6 km) loop with 3,800 feet (1,158 m) of climbing; allow about 8½ hours. The grade is Strenuous: a very big climb, steep and loose, to a high, exposed summit.

In winter and spring the upper mountain is hard snow and ice. People die in falls here most winters, and the Forest Service closed these trails for weeks early in 2026. Go only when the route is free of snow, unless you have an ice axe and crampons and can use them. Carry all your water.

Cars parked at Manker Flat need an Adventure Pass or an America the Beautiful pass.

Route drawn by Global Adventurer along OpenStreetMap paths (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), with figures worked out from it. Check the forecast and the ground on the day: paths change.

Good to know

  • Up past San Antonio Falls and the Ski Hut, down the narrow Devil's Backbone
  • In winter the upper slopes are icy and people die in falls: axe and crampons skills needed
  • An Adventure Pass or interagency pass is needed to park at Manker Flat

Summits on the way

  • Mount San Antonio 10,066 ft (3,068 m)

Getting there

Start: Manker Flat. 34.26567, -117.62725

Directions to the start

Places to stay nearby

Rooms in and around Southern California: Booking.com → Expedia →

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Paths change, and the weather decides the day. The line and figures come from OpenStreetMap and our own checks; take a map, check the forecast, and turn back if it isn't right.