Black Mountain

Black Mountain is a 1,554 peak that is within the Black Mountain Open Space Park which is owned and managed by the City of San Diego. This area is located within the Rancho Penasquitos, a part of Northern San Diego County. This mountain is very prominent throughout San Diego and both the 5 and 15 freeways.

There are a number of trails in this open space area but the most common is Black Mountain. There are a number of trails and a maintenance road that lead to the top of the summit. A popular parking spot and trailhead is the Hilltop Community Park. The elevation gain from the park to the peak is about 600 feet. Most trails to the top range from 2 miles to 4 miles. There are various loops and alternate trails by intersect each other providing different options for hiking.

The view from the top is nice with a fairly good 360 degree view all around. On a clear day the ocean, downtown, Mt Woodson, Iron Mountain, Palomar and Cuyamacas can be seen. The only drawback from the summit of Black Mountain is the various communication towers and structures.

For more information on this peak and trails, see http://www.sandiego.gov/park-and-recreation/parks/blackmtn/index.shtml.

For a trail map of the Black Mountain Open Space, see http://www.sandiego.gov/park-and-recreation/pdf/blackmountaintrailmap.pdf.