7 min
Overview
It seems like every region is required to have at least one Black Mountain. This moniker occurs any time a mountain is a little darker than surrounding peaks, whether due to geology or vegetation. Given San Diego’s massive land area, it should come as no surprise that we are blessed with not one, but TWO Black Mountains. How we got to be so lucky is anybody’s guess. This Black Mountain north of Ramona in the Palomar District of Cleveland National Forest is not to be confused with the Black Mountain in Rancho Penasquitos. That mountain, which is cloaked in thickets of black sage (hence the moniker), is a smaller, easier, and far more accessible route traveled every day by hundreds of hikers and mountain bikers. The “Big” Black Mountain in Ramona is seldom-traveled, much taller (4,000+ feet), and has a much more challenging approach. As they say, one of these things is not like the other. Note that off-road vehicle traffic occasionally passes along the road to the summit. It’s possible that you may encounter a 4WD vehicle at any point on the hike. It’s also possible that you could drive a high-clearance or 4WD vehicle up to the top, but then you’d miss the opportunity to wage caloric genocide. From the cattle guard at the beginning of Black Mountain Truck Trail, strike out due east along the wide path. The trail dips into a wooded ravine before bending to the right to continue climbing. It was at this bend that I encountered a half-blind bobcat perched in a coast live oak tree. I stopped for a moment, looked up, and saw the cat looking at me a mere 15 feet away. We were both too startled to move, and I eventually moved on without incident, leaving the cat in peace. I bring this up not just because bobcats are awesome (Spoiler alert: They are WAY AWESOME!), but because you have a good chance of wildlife encounters in this remote part of the county. The trail takes a wide switchback to the north and junctions with Santa Ysabel Truck Trail at 1.4 miles. A wide, flat-ish field next to the road on the right might serv
Trail Stats
22.8 km
975 m
1242 m
300 m
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Photos
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