Class 2 5.9 miles 2900 gain 4-6 hrs Out + Back Oct 5, 2018
Effort
Beauty
Personality
Solitude

Baldy Peak via Bar Canyon GPX Track

I need to offset my substantial website costs somehow! You can download a hike/drive GPX to assist you here. Before sharing my GPX tracks with others, please remember my site is otherwise a free resource.

Although it's one of the taller peaks in the Organ Mountains, Baldy Peak isn't technical compared to what you'd expect to see from observing the Organ Mountains from below. It's separated from the jagged peaks of the northern Organs, but is super pretty and gives you some great views the whole way up.

Starting at the Soledad Canyon Day Use Trailhead, the junction of Soledad Canyon and Bar Canyon, and head up the flat and well-maintained trail past some ruins and into Bar Canyon, where you'll be stopped by Bar Canyon Waterfall (Google Maps has them labeled improperly as of 10/2018). Apparently there's a Class 2 route to get up and over the falls and into the canyon bed, but I didn't know this and instead did some Class 4 moves to get up the waterfall. Either way, you should end up back in the canyon where there is some minor bushwhacking, but nothing too annoying. The canyon opens up and enters a wide area. The beta I read recommended going up the canyon where you can scramble up a scree field. I love avoiding scree when I can, and opted to head up the ridge to the right of the canyon (south side). I came down the scree field on my way back down later (see map), and definitely recommend using the ridge rather than the "standard" route up: you get nicer views and avoid scree and bushwhacking.

From the ridge at the top of the scree gully (the head of Bar Canyon), continue along a Class 2 ridgeline to get to the summit of Baldy Peak. You can see Organ Peak to the north, as well as the more jagged Organ Needle farther north. I was also pretty inspired to bag more of these peaks by looking south toward the southern Organ Mountains.

PEAKS ON HIKE
Elevation (ft) / Prominence (ft)
Peaks on hike
Elevation
Prominence
1
Baldy Peak
8445 ft
n/a rise

Hire me or show me some love!

Hire/refer me as a web developer or send me a few bucks if you find my site useful. I'm not sponsored, so all fees are out-of-pocket and my time preparing trip reports is unpaid. I really appreciate it!

Starting from the Soledad Canyon Day use Area, head up the well-traveled trail into Bar Canyon.
Starting from the Soledad Canyon Day use Area, head up the well-traveled trail into Bar Canyon.
Image 1 from gallery
Ruins along the Bar Canyon Trail.
Ruins along the Bar Canyon Trail.
Image 3 from gallery
Entering some narrows just before Bar Canyon Waterfall.
Entering some narrows just before Bar Canyon Waterfall.
Image 5 from gallery
Waterfall. Fun Class 4 scrambling to get up via the waterfall, but apparently there is a Class 2 route to avoid the sketchy waterfall scramble.
Waterfall. Fun Class 4 scrambling to get up via the waterfall, but apparently there is a Class 2 route to avoid the sketchy waterfall scramble.
Looking down from the top of the first set of falls.
Looking down from the top of the first set of falls.
Narrow section above the first set of falls before starting the sketchiest stuff.
Narrow section above the first set of falls before starting the sketchiest stuff.
The top of the falls looking down into the narrows of Bar Canyon.
The top of the falls looking down into the narrows of Bar Canyon.
Continuing up the canyon.
Continuing up the canyon.
Bar Canyon opens up. You can see the screen field in the center (standard route, but it's dumb), and the more pleasant ridgeline on the right.
Bar Canyon opens up. You can see the screen field in the center (standard route, but it's dumb), and the more pleasant ridgeline on the right.
I opted to take the ridgeline on the way up.
I opted to take the ridgeline on the way up.
Looking back into Bar Canyon on the way up the ridgeline.
Looking back into Bar Canyon on the way up the ridgeline.
Still along the ridgeline, you can see the scree on the left.
Still along the ridgeline, you can see the scree on the left.
Image 15 from gallery
At the top of the ridgeline, looking north toward Baldy Peak (white blip in the center).
At the top of the ridgeline, looking north toward Baldy Peak (white blip in the center).
Looking south toward another peak, Bar Canyon on the right.
Looking south toward another peak, Bar Canyon on the right.
Heading up the ridge to Baldy Peak.
Heading up the ridge to Baldy Peak.
On the way up to Baldy Peak looking back toward the ridgeline, Bar Canyon on the right out of frame.
On the way up to Baldy Peak looking back toward the ridgeline, Bar Canyon on the right out of frame.
Baldy peak on the right.
Baldy peak on the right.
Ridgeline I came up on on the right, southern Organ Mountains on the left.
Ridgeline I came up on on the right, southern Organ Mountains on the left.
Close-up into Bar Canyon.
Close-up into Bar Canyon.
Approaching Baldy Peak summit.
Approaching Baldy Peak summit.
Image 24 from gallery
Baldy Peak summit, looking east toward Organ Peak.
Baldy Peak summit, looking east toward Organ Peak.
Baldy Peak summit looking north toward the northern organs (Organ Needle).
Baldy Peak summit looking north toward the northern organs (Organ Needle).
Baldy Peak summit looking south toward the ridgeline I came up.
Baldy Peak summit looking south toward the ridgeline I came up.

Hire me or show me some love!

Hire/refer me as a web developer or send me a few bucks if you find my site useful. I’m not sponsored, so all fees are out-of-pocket and my time preparing trip reports is unpaid. I really appreciate it!