2 min
Overview
Mountaintops are pretty hard to come by on the heavily-developed strip of land between the Pacific Ocean and Highway 15 in San Diego County. Most of the non-developed topography is dominated by a series of shallow canyons, coastal bluffs, and tidal lagoons. The few hills through this region, such as Mt. Soledad or the bluffs at Torrey Pines, provide nice views but don’t get you up into the slightly more rarified air that allows for the expansive views across the county you might get at Mt. Woodson or Iron Mountain. Summit of Black Mountain as seen from Stanley Peak Black Mountain is one of a few exceptions (another being Double Peak in San Marcos) where you can stay close to the coast and still get the kind of spectacular views that San Diego should be much more famous for. From the tower-crowned summit, one can see the entirety of the county from the Peninsular Ranges west, while the ocean shimmers so close that you can almost reach out and touch it. Summit antennae during a break in the marine layer Of course, this being coastal San Diego, there is frequently a marine layer to deal with. The pictures in this write-up don’t reflect the quality of the views since this hike was documented during a fairly dense marine layer that did not burn off until I got back to the trailhead. While a marine layer hangs out just below the summit can be its own kind of magic, these pictures don’t capture the views. Words will have to suffice; from the summit, you will get a full panorama of San Diego’s geographic landmarks, including the Palomar, Volcan, and Cuyamaca Mountains, Mt. Woodson, Iron Mountain, Torrey Pines, Point Loma, Mission Bay, Camp Pendleton, and all of the spaces in between. There are a number of ways to reach Black Mountain in the Rancho Penasquitos/Rancho Santa Fe/Mt. Carmel area. This route follows the Nighthawk Trail from Hilltop Community Park on the southwest end of Black Mountain Open Space Park. This route approaches from the south while passing along a shallow canyon before joining with Black Mountain
Trail Stats
6.6 km
213 m
491 m
251 m
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Photos
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