{"id":174031,"date":"2026-02-11T21:55:09","date_gmt":"2026-02-11T21:55:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/174031\/"},"modified":"2026-02-11T21:55:09","modified_gmt":"2026-02-11T21:55:09","slug":"mt-baldy-trails-closed-amid-california-winter-storms-what-to-know","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/174031\/","title":{"rendered":"Mt. Baldy trails closed amid California winter storms. What to know"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ahead of back-to-back winter storms, officials closed hiking trails on California\u2019s deadliest mountain<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Trails on Mount Baldy in the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument<\/a> were closed starting Tuesday, Feb. 10, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service said in an alert.<\/p>\n

Why are the trails closed?<\/p>\n

\u201cThe purpose of the closure is to provide for public safety due to upcoming winter storms,\u201d officials said.<\/p>\n

Rain was expected to start hitting<\/a> Southern California Tuesday, Feb. 10, and continue into early Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service. Light rain was predicted for Thursday afternoon and evening.<\/p>\n

Another storm is expected to hit the area next week, according to the NWS.<\/p>\n

The trail closure also comes after San Bernardino County Sheriff Shannon Dicus<\/a> in January urged the U.S Forest Service do more to keep mountain recreators on safe.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe frequency of rescues our department is involved in annually, and the lack of concern for what\u2019s happening on Mt. Baldy by those who are responsible for maintaining visitors\u2019 safety needs to be addressed,\u201d Dicus said in a news release.<\/p>\n

Nearly two dozen deaths on Mt. Baldy in nine-year span<\/p>\n

Mt. Baldy is the highest peak in the San Gabriel Mountains<\/a>, about 45 miles northeast of Los Angeles, according to the travel magazine Cond\u00e9 Nast Traveler.<\/p>\n

The mountain rises above 10,000 feet and \u201cis known for rapidly changing weather, steep exposed trails, snow, ice, and high winds,\u201d according to San Bernardino County deputies.<\/p>\n

\u201cEven well-prepared and experienced hikers can quickly find themselves in life-threatening situations,\u201d deputies said.<\/p>\n

From 2016 to 2025, 23 people died on Mt. Baldy, according to deputies. During that same nine-year span, deputies said they conducted 208 air rescues and 129 ground rescues on the mountain.<\/p>\n

\u201cMost of these incidents involved non-residents and were concentrated in the Devil\u2019s Backbone and Icehouse Canyon areas,\u201d deputies said.<\/p>\n

Most recently, three hikers died on Mt. Badly<\/a> in late December.<\/p>\n

Marcus Alexander Muench Casanova, 19, was among those hikers, according to deputies.<\/p>\n

He plunged 500 feet near Devil’s Backbone on Dec. 29, then a hiking companion trekked to an area with cell service and provided GPS coordinates to deputies. All three hikers were later found dead.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s been the worst six weeks<\/a> of our lives since that day,\u201d Ken Muench Casanova told KTLA 5 News.<\/p>\n

In the wake of his son\u2019s death, Ken Muench Casanova told the TV station he wants to alert others of the dangers of Mt. Badly.<\/p>\n

\u201cNothing can bring back our son,\u201d Ken Muench Casanova told KTLA 5.<\/p>\n

In January 2023, actor Julian Sands, 65, went missing<\/a> on the mountain, prompting a monthslong recovery effort. His remains were found in June that same year.<\/p>\n

Which trails are closed?<\/p>\n

The following seven trails are temporarily closed:<\/p>\n

Mt. Baldy Trail (Trail No. 7W12)<\/p>\n

Mt. Baldy Bowl Trail (Trail No. 7W02)<\/p>\n

Devils Backbone Trail (Trail No. 7W05)<\/p>\n

Three T\u2019s Trail (Trail No. 7W06)<\/p>\n

Icehouse Canyon Trail (Trail No. 7W07)<\/p>\n

Chapman Trail (Trail No. 7W07A)<\/p>\n

Ontario Peak Trail (Trail No. 7W08)<\/p>\n

When will the closures end?<\/p>\n

The closures are slated to end on Feb. 23, officials said.<\/p>\n

Winter hiking safety tips<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re planning a winter hike in California\u2019s mountains, preparation is critical, according to the National Park Service:<\/a><\/p>\n

Gear up: Wear waterproof boots, layered clothing, and carry traction devices like microspikes or crampons. Bring trekking poles for stability.<\/p>\n

Navigation: Do not rely on cell service\u2014carry a map, compass, or GPS and know how to use them.<\/p>\n

Check conditions: Weather can change rapidly. Verify avalanche forecasts and trail conditions before heading out.<\/p>\n

Emergency essentials: Pack extra food, water, first aid kit, and a whistle or signal mirror. Always let someone know your route and expected return time.<\/p>\n

Know when to turn back: High winds, ice, and snow can make trails like Devil\u2019s Backbone extremely dangerous. If conditions worsen, retreat immediately.<\/p>\n

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Mount Baldy trails close ahead of winter storms after recent deaths<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Ahead of back-to-back winter storms, officials closed hiking trails on California\u2019s deadliest mountain. Trails on Mount Baldy in…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":174032,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[7,9,8,83121,39571,83120,83119,61064,60,5518,5076,59040],"class_list":{"0":"post-174031","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-california","8":"tag-california","9":"tag-california-headlines","10":"tag-california-news","11":"tag-devils-backbone","12":"tag-hiking-trails","13":"tag-ken-muench-casanova","14":"tag-marcus-alexander-muench-casanova","15":"tag-mount-baldy","16":"tag-national-weather-service","17":"tag-san-bernardino-county","18":"tag-san-gabriel-mountains","19":"tag-winter-storms"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/174031","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=174031"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/174031\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/174032"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=174031"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=174031"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=174031"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}