Mt. Baldy regularly gets people into trouble. Photo: Wikipedia
After the deaths of three hikers on the slopes of Mount Baldy, calls are growing to regulate use of the popular Southern California mountain.
The San Bernardino County Sheriff and the father of one of the deceased hikers have urged the federal agency that manages the land – Angeles National Forest – to take stronger safety measures, which could lead to the implementation of a permit system. The agency is seeking public input at a virtual meeting scheduled for January 27.
According to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, 23 deaths have occurred and 345 search-and-rescue calls were made on the 10,000-foot mountain between 2016 and 2025. Most recently, three hikers died in two separate incidents after falling down icy slopes on December 29.
Following the incidents, Angeles National Forest closed Mount Baldy through January 8.
The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department criticized the forest’s management, calling for enhanced safety measures.
“The frequency of rescues our department is involved in annually, and the lack of concern for what’s happening on Mt. Baldy by those who are responsible for maintaining visitors’ safety needs to be addressed,” said San Bernardino County Sheriff Shannon Dicus. “For the last several years, our department has been trying to have the U.S Forest Service more involved in keeping people safe while they recreate on Mt Baldy.”
Kenneth Muensch Casanova, the father of 19-year-old Marcus Muensch Casanova – one of the victims on December 29 – spoke to the media to push for changes to the mountain’s safety regulations.
“I encourage everybody to go to the U.S. Forestry website,” Casanova said. “They have opened it up for public comment. Go and ask them for a simple permitting system.”
The public input hearing will be held on January 27 from 5 to 7 p.m. PST. Information on how to join can be found on the Angeles National Forest website.
The December 29 incidents occurred near a section of trail known as Devil’s Backbone, a narrow ridge with steep drop-offs on both sides that can become especially dangerous in icy conditions. Three additional rescues took place that day and the following day involving stranded hikers who survived.
In video recovered from Casanova’s phone before the fall, he can be heard describing the conditions as “40-mile-per-hour winds.”
“I just got hit by an icicle in the face,” he says.
If Angeles National Forest ultimately implements a permit system, Mount Baldy would join other popular – and deadly – California hikes that require permits to improve safety and hiker accountability, including Mount Whitney and Half Dome.