Devil's Punchbowl Natural Area (Pearblossom)
Free, but closed Mondays and small. The Devil's Punchbowl Natural Area (28000 Devil's Punchbowl Rd, Valyermo, near Pearblossom) is run by Los Angeles County, so parking is free and no Adventure Pass is required for the lot or nature center. It's closed Mondays; the lot holds only about 30–40 cars and fills on busy days, and hours are seasonal (8am–7:30pm in summer, 8am–5pm in winter). The short loop into the punchbowl needs no pass; only the longer backcountry route toward the Devil's Chair edges into Angeles National Forest.
The facts
- Trail served
- Devil's Punchbowl Loop (~1–1.5 mi, moderate with a steep return) into the tilted sandstone formation; longer Burkhart / Devil's Chair Trail (~7–8 mi RT) continues into the Angeles National Forest backcountry
- Cost / pass
- Free — no Adventure Pass and no entry fee for the county lot and nature center; the Devil's Chair extension enters the national forest but the Punchbowl lot itself is county-run and free
- Lot size
- Small county lot, roughly 30–40 cars, at the nature center
- When it fills
- Weekend and holiday midday it can fill completely — arrive in the morning; cars overflow onto the access road on the busiest days
- Overflow option
- Limited roadside space along Devil's Punchbowl Rd on crowded days; don't block the gate, and note the lot is locked at closing
- Tow / citation risk
- Cars left after closing time can be locked in behind the gate — finish and exit before the posted closing hour
- Restrooms
- Restrooms and a nature center at the trailhead (nature center staffed Tue–Sun 9am–5pm)
- Road to the lot
- Paved access via Devil's Punchbowl Rd off Hwy 138 near Pearblossom; easy for any vehicle year-round
- Busy season
- October through May — summer heat on the desert side can be extreme; the park closes Mondays year-round
Getting there
28000 Devil's Punchbowl Rd, Valyermo, CA 93563
Get directions →Free to park — no Adventure Pass here
Unlike the national-forest trailheads elsewhere on the desert side of the San Gabriels, the Devil's Punchbowl Natural Area is a Los Angeles County park, so the lot and nature center are free and require no Adventure Pass or entry fee. The short loop trail down into the punchbowl stays entirely on county land. The longer route toward the Devil's Chair follows the Burkhart Trail into Angeles National Forest. Parking stays free at the county lot either way; the distinction matters because online trail notes sometimes lump the routes together.
Closed Mondays, small lot, and a gate that locks
The park is closed every Monday year-round. Hours are seasonal — roughly 8am–7:30pm March–October and 8am–5pm November–February (nature center Tue–Sun 9am–5pm). The lot holds about 30–40 cars and fills on busy weekends, with overflow spilling onto the access road. The gate is locked at closing, so time your hike to be back at the car before the posted hour — a car left inside can be shut in overnight.
What you're seeing: the tilted-rock canyon
The place is a natural amphitheater of tilted sandstone slabs pushed up along the San Andreas Fault. The main Punchbowl Loop is a short (~1–1.5 mile) but steep-on-the-way-back hike into the formation. For a full day, the Devil's Chair route (~7–8 miles round trip via the Burkhart Trail) traverses to a railed overlook above the punchbowl. It's dog-friendly on leash, but bring water and go October–May — the desert side gets brutally hot in summer.
Frequently asked questions
Is parking free at Devil's Punchbowl?
Yes. Devil's Punchbowl Natural Area is a Los Angeles County park, so parking and entry are free and no Adventure Pass is required for the lot or nature center. The lot holds only about 30–40 cars, though, and fills on busy days.
Do you need an Adventure Pass for Devil's Punchbowl?
No — not for the county-run lot and the loop into the punchbowl. Only the longer Devil's Chair route follows the Burkhart Trail into Angeles National Forest, but you still park for free at the county lot.
What days is Devil's Punchbowl open?
It's open Tuesday through Sunday and closed Mondays year-round. Hours are seasonal: about 8am–7:30pm March–October and 8am–5pm November–February. The gate locks at closing, so be back at your car in time.
How long is the Devil's Punchbowl hike?
The main loop into the punchbowl is short — roughly 1 to 1.5 miles — but steep on the climb back out. The longer Devil's Chair route is about 7–8 miles round trip via the Burkhart Trail into the national forest.
Facts on this page last verified August 2, 2026. Fees, hours, and access rules change seasonally — confirm with the official source before a long drive.