Hiking on the Edge at Devil’s Punchbowl

The Devil’s Chiar Trail starts in Hell (the desert) and transcends into the Garden of Eden (the forest). The contrast is striking and I can’t help but draw upon those Biblical analogies, because the location of this trail is at The Devil’s Punchbowl in Pearblossom, Ca. This Los Angles County run park is right on the edge of the San Gabriel Mountains and the High Desert. It literally is in between 2 dramatic geologic worlds so if you’re looking for a trail with serious drama look no further…

Technically speaking, there are 3 trails and trailheads at Devil’s Punchbowl (yet there are other connecting trails):

1. The Pinyon Pathway (One Quarter Mile)- an easy walk that requires little effort but the views of the High Desert are breathtaking. Perfect to do after eating  lunch at their designated picnic area.
2. The Loop Trail (one mile)- it’s only a mile but you drop 300′ to the floor of the canyon to the river and it’s a tough and hot hike back up. It’s not that challenging but if you’ve got bad knees going down will hurt. Read more about when I went with my dog here and here.
3. Devil’s Chair (7.4 Miles)- round trip it took me about 4 hours. 3 hours to the Devil’s Chair because I was taking photos and 1 hour back because I booked it- I only stopped once to rest.

This blog post is dedicated to the Devil’s Chair Trail and my experience with it. For the most part the whole park is very well maintained. The trails are well marked and not once did I wonder if I were on the right path. The trail head though starts in the parking lot and is a little hard to see but that was the only problem I had.

I was surprised at how perfect the weather was for a January weekend. It was cool but not freezing. The only time I saw snow was on some distant peaks and a little bit of ice where a stream should have been. Other than that the sun was out and it was a beautiful day!

I have to admit that it felt like the trail was longer than 7.4 miles and I was tired afterwards. It’s not an easy hike for you’re constantly walking up steep parts, maintaining your balance when the trail gets narrow and holding on to rails near the end. It’s not the toughest hike I’ve been on but it was unexpectedly challenging. I wished I had brought my hiking sticks because they would have helped near the end when the trail grade gets really steep. Yet it’s possible to do this trail without them…obviously .

A word of cation though, my mom almost got hit by falling rock. It was just pure luck that she missed it. Also, there are many opportunities to slide off the trail when it narrows. I carried my dog past those parts because at one point she was sliding down the mountain! Oh, and there were 2 trees that had fallen onto the trail and you have to either climb over or under them. One of them is easy and the other…well you’ll have to be careful.

Speaking of my dog Daisy, she is a 3 year old 10 pound Maltese-mix and she had a blast. We met some larger German Shepherd and Lab dogs that also were enjoying the trail and even a small Chihuahua named Hercules! I would recommend that you have them wear booties though since the trail gets rocky in many parts. I’m still warming my dog up to doing that especially since she stopped a few times to get rocks out of her paws.

The most amazing thing about this trail is the dramatic desert views. You can see how a branch of the San Andreas Fault System molded the rocks and the minerals painting the landscape. The park website has more about the geology of the place if you’re interested.

Overall, this is a great hike to physically challenge yourself with the varied terrain and your dog can join you too. This place gets busy on the weekends and the small parking lot fills up fast so come early. There isn’t an admission, parking or trail permit  fee so that adds to the popularity with large groups and families. The picnic area is well maintained along with the nature center, but the bathrooms are just pit toilets or as I like to romantically call them, latrines. There was a warning sign posted that cars had been broken into recently so don’t keep anything of value in your car. Other than that I really enjoyed hiking in such diverse climates. I normally hike the 1 mile Loop Trail so that Daisy can play in the river and that’s mainly a desert-like trail. This one surprised me and I never got bored. Happy Trails Travelers!