Black Mountain Open Space Park

Awesome scenery with alot of trails to choose from. Great for mountain bikers and didnt see a whole lot of people either. There is some sort of paragliding that takes place from the top of the so called mountain but even if you are not there for that it makes a good views. My dog loved it as well. If any of the information above was useful to you or any of the pictures that are part of my review gave you a good perspective of this place please give my review a thumbs up so that I know it's worth the time making these for fellow travelers.

Nice hiking and mountain biking area with a decent amount of trails in the space between 4S Ranch and Rancho Penasquitos. From the top of Black Mountain peak you get great views of Del Mar beach, Torrey Pines to the West, Palomar Mountain to the North and Mount Wilson to the east. For mountain bikers you can ride up Black Mountain Summit Road, drop down Black Widow trail, climb back up and then ride Manzanita Loop, to Road Runner Loop, work your way over to Miners Ridge trail, to Lilac trail, to Ahwee trail and then back some of the fire roads. This is a great loop and gets you about 14 miles of riding and 2,600 ft of climbing. Make sure you wait a week to ride here after a heavy rain as it can get muddy especially on the North facing slope trails.

This is a moderate difficulty to easy hike. Hardly anyone on the trail the day we went. We occasionally saw a couple of horses running on the rail. Very green this February with all the rain.

This place was a hell of a hike. Don't let it fool you. Maybe it's just my cardio lacking fat self. I went when the sun was about to drop. I'm not sure if there is another place to park; but Google led me through the back way of a neighborhood and I entered through a "closed" gate. Definitely a sight to see though, at least once. It's a real nice view overlooking North County. However, careful when you come back down, when it's dark. There's no lights on the pathway. I've seen bikers going up and down the trail with headband lights. I should have been more prepared.

One of the best locations in North San Diego County for a technical mountain bike ride. The San Diego Mountain Bike Association has volunteered many man hours over the last few years to make amazing trails that flow really well while still retaining great natural features like rock gardens and chaparral canopies that the trail twists and turns through. Great views for days from the top of black mountain as well as Manzanita Loop, Little Black Mountain, and Road Runner Loop. Black Widow flow trail is scheduled to be installed in the very near future, so visit the San Diego Mountain Biking Association and see if you can help offer your time volunteering to build more amazing trails for future generations to enjoy!

Takes some time to figure out the best mountain biking routes to take but really fun once you start to know them. Big climbs and fun downhills make for a great ride and it's never crowded. Plus, great views from the top make the climb worth it.

Pretty steep and up and down hills also the trails are good for mount bikes for whoever likes the challenges.

Cool hike with lots of paths, not much shade so go on a cool day. Good for exercise as well as nature spotting. Rewarding views at the top and a nice breeze.

I've been coming here for years. Tons of open space that's well maintained. With beautiful views of the established and up and coming neighborhoods, it's worth the trek. A good amount of parking and trails that allow you to get your cardio on. Everything I visit, there is always a photo session taking place. I'll be back soon.

Boyfriend and I did the nighthawk trail up to black mountain where the satellite towers are. I would say this hike is a little over 4 miles round trip and difficulty level is moderate. The way up is steep but not terrible, it's like a slight incline the whole 3/4 ish way up. Wear actual hiking boots because it's very very rocky! I wore running shoes and slipped on the rocks at one point and scratched my knee a bit lol. Very scenic views, no shade and we went on a Saturday but there weren't many people doing the hike. A lot of people brought their dogs on leashes, very cute. It's a very clean trail! No dog poop or trash. I would do it Again but not during the summer or warmer months as there is no shading. Would recommend!

The Yelp address is incorrect for this listing as it should be where Hilltop Community Park is located in Rancho Penasquitos. You can use their parking lot if space is available, or you can park curbside on Oviedo Way. There was a large marker at the trailhead which provided a map of Black Mountain Open Space Park. I came to trek Black Mountain including the Nighthawk Trail and the Miner's Ridge Loop. The latter appeared to be closed, but I walked it anyway and came across several runners who were jogging along the path. The ascent to the summit was a decent challenge that I would rate as moderate. The descent was when I tried Miner's Ridge Loop instead of going back down the way I came up. The Loop was narrower and windier, but it felt more like a wilderness hike which I enjoyed better. It also added approximately 1.25 miles to the round trip. If you want a shorter up and down hike, then just go to the peak and back. If you want additional length and more challenge, then include the Loop as part of your journey.

This review is for the Nighthawk Trail to Black Mountain Summit which was a little bit over 4 miles round trip that took ~2 hours. Ton of inclines and extremely rocky trail. Definitely want to wear proper hiking shoes. Plenty of nice views as you get closer to the summit. Free parking at the Hilltop Community Park.

This is a moderate difficulty to easy hike. Hardly anyone on the trail the day we went. We occasionally saw a couple of horses running on the rail. Very green this February with all the rain.

Started July 2020 with a kick-butt hike ! So glad I finally checked this place out since it's in my neck of the woods ! Thanks to my bro for accompanying me! Tons of parking at Hilltop park and along the street on a weekday and it wasn't crowded at all. I found this hike more challenging than Cowles mountain due to the steep, rocky, uphill climbs until you reach the summit. Heading back is faster and mostly downhill, but be careful due to the rocks on the trails. Trail entrance is easy to find at Hilltop park. Restrooms are available at the park, but not along the trails so take advantage now. We chose to hike the 'Nighthawk Trail' up to the summit and took ~2.5 miles out and back. There was hardly any shade so prepare with sunscreen and a hat. I'm not an expert hiker so the inclines were challenging, but doable. It's worth it when you reach the top! The trails were well kept and spacious, but do expect tons of rocks and gravel so be careful not to twist your ankle. Recommend investing in good hiking boots with proper tread and stay hydrated, especially summer time. The summit at the top is beautiful. We had to take some pictures and enjoy the views of my hometown! The communication satellites made you feel like you're in space. Perhaps Mars ? ET phone home. Overall, I had a quick and decent workout and so glad it's super close to home! I'd like to return and checkout the other trails in the area. So many hidden gems ! Love it !

My new favorite hike! 1) because it's so close by, and 2) it's not crowded. I saw about two mountain bikers and three other hikers along the trail briefly. I've been wanting to check this hike off my San Diego trail list, and finally had the opportunity to do so on a Tuesday morning. Trail entrance is easy to get to from Hilltop Park. There is plenty of parking at the park and restrooms if needed as well. My cousin and I started this hike around 8am with slightly overcast weather. The nighthawk trail and miners loop took about 2.5hrs to complete including our snack break time at the summit. Total distance was just over 6 miles. Pretty easy-moderate hike with several inclines to get you heart rate up. AllTrails app reviews stated some parts of the trail are closed. So we opted to go counter-clockwise to the Black Mountain summit and then complete the Miners loops on our way back down the same trail versus doing the other side of the Nighthawk loop. The trail is well maintained, however quite rocky! I recommend actual hiking boots with comfortable hard soles versus running shoes. The weather wasn't too hot, so a 32oz water bottle was more than enough. I could definitely feel the heat coming back down, so maybe bring more if you go later in the day or with hotter weather. Perfect local hike to work off those recent holiday eating calories.

First time hiking this trail was for the blood wolf moon. We started a bit past 7pm after a week of rain I wasn't sure how the trail would be. It's not a difficult hike, I do feel it was more challenging doing it at night. It's quite rocky on some parts with an incline and decline. There were plenty of flat parts you can easily run through. Trekking poles aren't necessary but helpful navigating down the rocky decline areas. It's pretty short if you take the trail straight up to the top where the radio towers are. Great views of the city lights if you do it at night. It's a wide trail, felt more like a service road than anything. It was a cold night so I layered up but broke sweat getting up there in all those layers. Looking forward to trying this full trail out again during the daytime to get a real feel for the trail. Overall I enjoyed this trail, not difficult but you get a little workout.

We parked at he park across the street. The walk up Night Hawk trail is full of large scree (loose rocks) and later small gravel. When you get to the top, where it becomes Miner's Loop, it becomes flat dirt which is more comfortable. For the large scree, the con is you will be very uncomfortable, but on the up side, there are few people on this trail...I saw only 4 people around 8am. In the miner's loop area, there are lots of dirt bikes so beware. On the way down, on the flat, wide easier stretch which is the fire road, there were lots of families with kids. There isn't much shade except in Miner's Loop.

This is a rather basic park with few improvements. The environment is relatively unspoiled with excellent hiking trails. The access road from Carmel Valley Road is mostly unpaved and takes you to an unpaved parking area.

Did the Nighthawk trail and Miner's Ridge Trail Loop to get to the summit which was ~6.4 miles. It was a nice hike with a lot of sun as well as some shade during the Miner's Ridge Trail Loop. Bring sunscreen! The trail itself has a lot of loose gravel and rocks. I'd recommend wearing hiking boots! Some parts are narrow so it can be hard to maintain 6ft apart from other hikers. This seems to be a popular mountain biking spot so make sure you're music isn't too loud so you can hear them coming behind you. Plenty of parking on the street next to Hilltop Park!

Black Mountain Open Space Park is a very chill place to head for when you want to take a walk AND enjoy some killer views! Over and above the hiking trail, there are exercise and stretching facilities, as well as a couple of playgrounds for kids. The walking trail itself is long enough that you won't get bored doing it a couple of times. There are also a couple of basketball courts, and lots of picnic tables to enjoy for lunches and/or parties.

First time hiking up any mountain, I probably should have taken it slow and kept hydrated. I did neither yet it wasn't too bad. The Glider trail is only about 10 minutes or so. I just stopped once to take off my hoodie && catch my breath. Hiking boots are not necessary, my running shoes did the job. It was a beautiful view at the top, we relaxed there for a bit and took pictures. I would definitely recommend coming here if you want the scenery without doing too much work. Be careful coming down it can be slippery. I know I did a couple of snowboarding moves coming down!!

The best part about this hike is the spectacular views. The Sky was especially beautiful today, what with the puffy clouds interspersed in the blue sky. Flowers were blooming too. The hike itself was fine, though not really my favorite. The trail was really rocky, so I had to pay really close attention in order not to twist my ankle (and on the way down I actually slipped a couple of times, but didn't fall). I feel like I only got to look at the beautiful views sometimes, as a result. The hike is steep on the way up, but you're trying to get to a summit, so that isn't that surprising. As you get close to the top you see these rusted satellite dishes, which are ok, but I wish they hadn't been there Other than that, the hike was fine. It's nice to be able to hike up a mountain in the middle of the city.

Located in Rancho Penasquitos, Black Mountain Open Space Park is exactly what it sounds like. It's an open space park in the Black Mountain area. The "park" is covered with rolling hills, some wildlife, sage, canyons, and trails. The center of the peak is about 1500 ft in elevation and has a beautiful view of the city. There are different trailheads, and this information was found from the City San Diego website: ------------------------------- How to Get to Black Mountain Black Mountain Open Space Park is easily accessible from four different trailheads. Black Mountain itself is served by two trailheads. From I-15 or I-5, you can take Hwy. 56 to Black Mountain Road and head north. For the Nighthawk Trailhead, turn right on Oviedo Street and right again on Oviedo Way. Proceed to the top of the hill and park at Hilltop Community Park. The trailhead is just to the north. If you would like to get to the Miner's Ridge Loop Trailhead, continue north on Black Mountain Road until you reach Carmel Valley Road. Turn Right (east) on Carmel Valley Road and proceed approximately .75 miles to the entrance you will see on your right. The northwest portion of the park also has two trailheads. The first is on the north end of Black Mountain Ranch Community Park. From the intersection of Black Mountain Road and Carmel Valley Road described above, turn right (east) and take your first left at the stoplight into the community park. To reach the San Dieguito Trailhead from the same location, you will turn left (west) on Carmel Valley Road and proceed to Camino Del Sur. Take a right (north) at the stoplight and continue on Camino Del Sur. When you reach San Dieguito Road, make a left turn (west) and the trailhead is .5 miles on your right. --------------------------------- I took the Carmel Valley Road emtrance and parked at the Black Mountain Community Park lot. It is a bit rocky getting to the parking lot and there is no marked spaces as it is a dirt area , but park accordingly and respectfully. See map that I posted as a picture below for some trail names. I wanted to try out an easy trail on a Sunday morning to give me the best views. The trail I tried was , when facing the mountain, to your left. I took a left and continued straight on. The city line was besides me the whole time I was walking and gave me a beautiful view. It was an easy hike with some rocky areas and terrain, but very little elevation, and when it did go up..it was very casual. It was also nicely groomed and well maintained. The view was the best part! There is so much to explore here, so I will be back!

We approached the park from a different trailhead today, the San Dieguito Trailhead which is very close to Rancho Santa Fe. The hike was closer to 4 miles or so, some great plants, awesome vistas and a couple brutal climbs. We saw some beautiful flowers, and the conditions were amazing. The recent rain gave the normally hardpacked sandy/clay soil a sponge like feel and was truly refreshing to walk on. This is a really fun and serene hike, but a bit more challenging than the Miner's Loop trailhead. Bring water, always bring water!!!

Definitely a moderate to hard hike!!! But when you get to the very top where the satellite's are the view is soooo....AWESOME!!! Worth the hike!!!! I do not know how you are supposed to stay hydrated without needing to use a bathroom....I understand you are in nature so just know there are no bathrooms along this hike and I could not seem to find any at hilltop park where nighthawk trail started...fair warning..(which I fine,but I guess when I'm Rome...)

Black mountain open space park is a wide range of hills and mountains for hiking and biking. Black Mountain itself can be reached by two trails. Entrance/parking: 1.The Nighthawk Trailhead starts at the Hilltop Community Park. There are plenty of parking. 2. Miner's Ridge Loop Trailhead on Carmel Valley Road Trail distance/difficulty: The distance to summit is about 5 miles round-trip. It is a fairly easy hike with mild to moderate slopes and well maintained trails. When I heard "Black Mountain", I was imagining high peaks and deep forests area. However, it wasn't exactly as I pictured. There were little shading along the way and the trails were mostly mild slopes. It is very easy to get to the summit. I was hoping to see breath-taking view when I reached the summit. However, the summit is occupied by a satellite station. It was quite disappointed that the view wasn't as good as I expected. Overall, it was an easy hike and still provided good exercise and off the city feeling.

First time hikers try the Glider Launch Trail. A friend and I are not experienced hikers at all and we made it to the top. Let me tell you it was a little challenging going up but the view at the end was worth it. Take in the breeze. Take in the view. Some advise take it easy going down.

I haven't been hiking mountains for some months now, so I wanted an easy way to go to the top in the monthly 'full moon hiking' a German friend regularly organizes. I am glad she opted to trailhead at the Hilltop Community Park, the named 'Nighthawk' trail. Very cool to see the shadow of all hikers participating in that excursion because the moonlight was very intense! I almost need moonglasses:). It was an easy hike (I think roundtrip was around 5 miles) but I have to recommend to bring sturdy shoes or real hiking boots. I brought mine, but they are kind of old, so with so many rocks I almost fell a couple of times. Too many loose rocks for my taste, I prefer flat terrain, but nature is nature. I am glad that I carried a lamp with me so I could check where I was putting my step all the time (even if the night was bright, not enough for those rocks!). The views from the top are nice, very panoramic, but if you don't like to see suburbian houses from a moutain, then go to a more wild location. This was actually my first time at the Black Montain and I liked the proximity from where I live, the fact that was not difficult hike and we could go in a group with different levels and the picnic and dancing once on the top made a magical night.

I come here to hike and enjoy the views. I would say this is more of a leisurely walk than a hike, but maybe that's because I'm used to hiking Iron Mountain, which is all uphill lol

Went here on Tuesday evening to see the full moon in a pink hue. The nighthawk trail has one of the greatest view in town. I've been living in San Diego close to nine years and I'm suprised this was my first time hiking this trail. Beautiful in the day and night time. I recommend this trail for all-levels.

I randomly came here because I wanted to try a new trail in North County and I'm glad I did. It was so refreshing to be able to see the mountains as well as the ocean during your hike. I literally posted photos from my hikes on my social media and made everyone jealous lol.

This is a fairly hidden hiking and biking trail that not too many people in SD know about. It is a very rocky trail and I have nearly sprained my ankle here before so if you are running it, make sure to tread carefully. The great thing about this hike is if you are pressed for time but want to get in a quick, but hard fought workout, this is an ideal place to do it! I tried running up this thing from start to finish and failed but I was still able to run/walk to the top in about 25 minutes. Going down is the same route just in reverse. I started from the Black Mountain Service Road which eventually merges with the end of the Nighthawk Trail. The Service Road is probably the quickest of all of the trails so I would recommend this if you are looking for the fastest way to go to the top. To get here, you would have to go through a residential neighborhood off of Black Mountain Rd. and into Stargaze Ave. I believe it is the 3rd right and into a cul-de-sac one you go up Stargaze Ave. This hike starts off flat but you will quickly have many elevated twists and turns. Because it's short, the difficulty is still relatively easy if you just want to casually hike it. It is rocky the entire way so again, tread carefully. You will know you are near the top of the mountain once you see the graffiti wall with the satellite towers looming behind. The view from the top is decent and on a clear day, you can even see out into the ocean. This place is far from offering the best views in SD though. Still, I enjoy it because it is never crowded with people and I don't have to block off hours in my day to complete it.

This city preserve is pretty much the furthest north open space park in San Diego, located out in Rancho Penasquitos. It's in very close proximity to the Penasquitos canyon as well. The park is a pretty good size going from Carmel Mountain road all the way north to Camino Del Sur. Other than maybe Tecolote Canyon, this is one the city's largest open space park with tons of rolling hills, hiking trails, and lots of nature. Like the rest of the parks, the roads out here were created to maintain the city's water facilities in the hills. One of the better spots to park I found was at the Black Mountain Ranch Community park off of Carmel Valley road. Here you'll find plenty of parking spots along with some baseball fields and overall a nice park to walk your dog around. Out in the hills area is lots of different trails, which all can all be found either on Google Maps or the city's open space park website. There's also lots of signage that surrounds the trails that help you determine which way to go to keep on the trail. The trails here are well defined and its quite hard to go off path. The hills make it a great awesome place to go mountain biking, Its definitely one of the better spots to get a lot of biking in. Although the roads make it a good place to go walking, due to all the dirt I wouldn't advise going running here unless you don't mind uneven terrain. If you ever come here after a rainstorm like I did, be very prepared to deal with lots of muddy shoes or bike tires. The size of this park would allow you to spend an entire day out exploring the different trails and enjoying some outdoors while still remaining inside the city. I found it to be very quiet and peaceful out here on the weekends but due to all the home construction surrounding the area, it may be a bit noisy during the week. It's hard to stop progress but it would be nice if they stopped building homes next to these areas so we can enjoy an escape from the city once in awhile without having to drive way out east.

We did the Ahwee Trail here and I will say, it was pretty darn easy. The hardest thing about it was avoiding being run over by mountain bikers, so if you're expecting a step below summiting Everest you're not exactly going to find that here. For a quick stroll that won't kill you though, this is a decent spot. It's centrally located so regardless of where you're coming from it'll only take you about 20 minutes to be blazing the trails of Black Mountain. The views aren't bad and if you want to bring a dog it's an ok option since it isn't too strenuous. They should be able to make it to the top without too much of a struggle.

I live close to this park, so it's an easy run for me to get here without driving. Once I arrive though, there's too many rocks for me to continue running, so it's more of a hiking spot for me. The view got wrecked with all of the new tract homes being built. Hiking trails can get steep. No bathrooms here. Access to the summit is provided by a 2.5-mile hike or bike ride up a dirt road that is near Hilltop Community Park, located at 9711 Oviedo Way. There are also other ways to get there (off Carmel Valley Road). I usually go from Carmel Valley Road and hike up Miner's Ridge Loop Trail. I've also hiked the other trails and enjoyed them all. There's also a glider port trail where you can watch hand gliders. Free parking is available. The reason I gave it 4 instead of 5 stars is simply because I can't go running there.

We hiked the Lilac Canyon Trail in Black Mountain Open Space Park in late April. Our destination was Gilder point, and all the flowers were in bloom. Red-orange monkey flower bushes were scattering over the hillsides; the chamise shrubs had white blossoms; yellow and purple shrubs lined the trail. The air quality that day wasn't very good, but I've been here on clear days when the view can be beautiful! On those clear days, you can even see the ocean. The hike along the trail was only moderately difficult in places, and easy in others. The trail wound through canyons, with small changes in elevation all along the way. The trail as you approach Gilder point is somewhat rocky, and gets a bit steep; you need to watch your step coming down. During the week, you'll encounter very few other people along the trail; it makes for a very pleasant morning hike :-)

Black Mountain was a great spot to get outdoors and do some cardio! You start at Black Mountain Open Space Park. The views were pretty good throughout the hike although not as mountainous or impressive as Mount Woodson or Iron Mountain. The trail is rocky and steep so make sure to wear good shoes for working out. (We took Nighthawk trail to the top.) Bring an extra layer for the top of the mountain as it can get cold and windy at the summit! The trail is around 4 to 5 miles. We went about 5 miles because we took the trail up and the service road back. The service road was a little better for our pup because it was less rocky! The service road ends in a neighborhood. You just have to walk down the street, cross and then take the trail up the hill back to the park. This hike is dog friendly but make sure to keep them leashed and clean up after them.

Living near the area, I'm lucky to be able to hike (little) Black Mountain quite often. It's not a terribly difficult or strenuous trek, but it can be quite hot. Expect long periods where shade is scarce. At a moderate pace, the summit can be reached within an hour or so. I like to start the ascent from Nighthawk trail, which eventually connects with the peak, before coming down via Miner's ridge loop. Miner's ridge is narrower and the foliage more dense providing shade for more sun-affected among us. Little Black Mountain peak has the usual array of satellite dishes and microwave repeaters. From the top plateau looking westerly, you can see to the oceans and beyond. To the east, the boulder-filled mountains of Poway, Rancho Bernardo, and Ramona are even more picturesque. I prefer this trail during autumn and winter, as the verdant hills have been sated with rains. Although all the trails are beginner-friendly, I do recommend you watch your step as many of the trails, no matter how wide, can be rocky affording the uninitiated a sprained ankle or worse. happy hiking! -Karma

Tried the Nighthawk trail to the Black Mountain summit for the first time today and am hooked. Recommend trailhead starting from Hilltop park. As you approach the summit I recommend going thru Nighthawk loop then approaching the peak from the northside ascent which is steep, rocky and a good burn. You can also take the shortcut if you bypass the Nighthawk loop that connects to the paved service road...its moderately steep but not as "nature-like" as the previous route. All in all the route took about 1hr 15 min. In summary: It's a "quick getaway" from the city although it's located conveniently in the heart of Penasquitos...so no need to drive far from I-15. Aside: I also recommend the "AllTrails" app: great for gps directions while on any trail; advice and info on local trails.

This week's hike was at Black Mountain Open Space Park.. Here's the map in case you get lost... http://www.sandiego.gov/park-and-recreation/pdf/blackmountaintrailmap.pdf the trail is covered with ROCKS! "They've got a lovely bunch of ROCKS.. There they are all standing in a row Big ones, small ones, some as big as your head!" it's not a bad walk if a 7 year old can make it to the top of the satellite dishes AND come all the way down... nice breeze up top and a beautiful view of San Diego. This trail is for everyone.. bikers, dogs, kids, adults.. all seem to be enjoying Black Mountain.

I took Miner's trail to the summit then back down the glider port trail. The hike was enjoyable - not too easy but not too difficult. I only saw 2 other people my entire 3 hour hike. I recommend hiking with someone on this mountain just in case. You can mountain bike the trail as well. Although going down is pretty steep. The view from the top is nice despite the towers! Note that there isn't any water or bathrooms on the mountain so come prepared!

-pretty easy hike -lots of loose rocks/gravel -lots of radio(?) towers and dishes on top -view is mostly of tract homes -a few different trails...we did the nighthawk trail -barely anyone out on the trails

Perfect hike and lots of trail options! We have recently loved the nighthawk trail. It can easily turn into a 6 mile hike. If you want a simpler one just go to the top for a beautiful view.

We started this Thanksgiving week off with an attempt to fight off the turkey pounds. The first step was a nice dash up the the Black Mountain Dish-Fest where we had amazing cell phone coverage and likely were exposed to enough electrical activity that we can expect a third eye later this week. I am not complaining mind you, I feel eyes one and two with the astigmatism and 105/20 vision were not that great so an extra eye with better vision could be a real plus....but I digress.... Nice hike, good weather and a lovely view when we arrived at the top. I feel very fortunate to have so many great hiking locations that are so close to my suburban neighborhood.

My friend and I took my dog here over the weekend and hiked the Nighthawk Trail. It was around 4 miles round trip and it was a steep! We encountered quite a few people on the trail, bikers and hikers aplenty. The trail itself was well-maintained and well marked. We parked at the Hilltop Park and early in the morning there was plenty of parking which made it really easy. If you are looking for a killer hike to workout the booty/hamstring, this is the one!

Wonderful, well designed parkland with plenty of interesting hikes to offer. Getting to the main trailhead at Hilltop Park can be a bit tricky, but just keep an eye out for the signs as you turn off Black Mountain Rd. and you should be able to find your way there. Park makes for a nice trailhead base with water, restrooms, etc. The main hike up the mountain is the Nighthawk Trail, which I think is approximately 4 miles round trip. Very easy to navigate and well signed. There seemed to be a good variety of other trails all around, including some that went down the spurs of the mountain in various directions and the main maintenance road up to the top of the mountain. Be warned that this trail (and probably all trails on this mountain) is extremely rocky, with lots of loose footing, sharp rock edges, and slippery rock surfaces. Boots would be highly advised, if only for the health of your shoes (my tennis shoes were chopped to bits by the rocks). Views at the top are superb, if a bit marred by the numerous communications towers. You can see all the way from Oceanside to the coast of Mexico as well as the downtown skyline of San Diego. On the hike down I was pleasantly surprised to discover that Black Mountain is apparently home to hummingbirds who enjoy flitting just above your head when you're hiking through the chaparral. They had brilliantly red throats that flashed in the late afternoon sunlight and appeared from out of the blue periodically to distract my attention from the trail. A neat wildlife experience, to be sure. I was also astounded to run into a rare and endangered species that I had never seen before: friendly and considerate bikers! These guys were polite, made sure to warn, and even engaged a puny pedestrian in conversation. Though one incident isn't enough to override many others, I appreciate these guys being good people and looking out for the little guy.

My new favorite spot for trail running! I've only run on the north side of the park (where they hold the XTerra trail runs). The 15K loop (Lusardi Creek Loop, I think) is super challenging but also really fun. I thought I was going to cry on the hills the first time I did the 15K course. Those 10 miles are harder than a lot of marathons. There are rarely other people out there in the mornings, even on weekends, which is great. No creepsters so far. Looking forward to going back.

I've been here twice. Honestly, there are better places to hike in San Diego, but there really isn't anything wrong with this location. There are actually two paths to take. The first is the obvious path cut out that you're intended to follow, which eventually leads to the electrical towers at the very top. The second path, well, I'm not even really sure you're SUPPOSED to take it, but me and my roommate did and liked it. After parking your car and walking up the initial path for about 3 minutes, you come to these lil signs with information and facts. If you look to your left you'll see some metal bars. If you head between that opening, it'll lead to a very out-of-the-way path with lots of grass, open space, and not so much of the dirt and rock.

My go-to hiking spot since it's about a mile from my house. Great trails! Beautiful view at the top on a clear day - you can see downtown and the ocean :)

This is a great open space on the North side of Rancho Penasquitos that as others have indicated offers hiking and mountain biking. I cannot say that I've ever seen a horse while I've been up there but I will take their word on it. My son would heavily disagree on my assessment of the "park" because he bitches every time we run it. Ok who am I kidding, I don't run it because this guy isn't a runner. Anyway, a friend and I take our kids up during the summer in preparation for football hell week and it is a work / reward. The views on the trail itself aren't very cool however once you get to the top, it is pretty spectacular on a clear day and you're able to sit at the top and watch the gliders on many days. If you take the service road on the southwest side of the mountain, expect a lot rocks and no overhead cover to speak of. I prefer to take the Miners Ridge Loop trail which is on the Carmel Valley Road side. This trail offers a little more shade and is more of a vertical climb. The Nighthawk trail off of Hilltop Park is also a nice option. In the summer months, you need to beware of snakes as they are all over the hills.

I'm a fan of this mountain. I started out from the trailhead at the Hilltop Community Park - I believe it was the 'nighthawk' trail? Warning- LOTS of loose rocks, can cause you to easily lose your footing if you're not careul. Wear good shoes, obviously. Almost fell twice, especially coming back down. I believe it was about 4 miles round-trip. Nice little work out. Lots of sage and chaparral. The view from the top makes it worth it all. I disagree with the gentleman who claims the view is of rolling hills clustered with homes. Obviously that is part of the view, but if he had looked out a little further - he may have noticed the entire downtown skyline, Mexico, the Coronado Islands, Point Loma, La Jolla, the coastline curving towards San Clemente and the best of all - snow-covered Mount Gorgonio (or was that San Jacinto?) Either way, it was GORGEOUS and definitely warrants that you bring binoculars. I will be going back soon but this time to try out the Miner's Ridge Loop instead, and I don't think I will be going on the Nighthawk Trail again because I don't like almost falling on my ass. Btw, stay left at all major trail intersections - it can get confusing as to which is the main path due to all the other old roads / trails.

Great hike(~45 minutes) up. A bit tough at times but worth the view. You can also explore the rim trails. Haven't been able to explore every trail just yet, even after going 5 times.

This is a nice open space in the Rancho Penasquito's area. I typically hike the trail from Hilltop Community Park. Lots of parking and the trail head is easy to find. The hike itself is short... a little over a mile one-way I believe. Its a good workout though; there is a decent incline all the way up. The view at the summit is great. On a clear day, you can see all the islands out west. Go when the temperature is reasonable... the climb could be difficult on a hot summer day since there is only low-lying vegetation on the mountain and little shade.

I was laughing so hard that someone would review a "mountain" and give it a low rating because it wasn't flat enough. If your ok with climbing up and then going back down again I highly recommend this hike. The view is great and it's uncrowded.

One of the easier mountain hikes in San Diego, this is a cool one since it's proximity to the ocean means you can hike it year round without heat stroke worries. We had a hard time finding the trail initially (the expansion of Carmel Valley Road makes it a lot easier) since the driveway to the Miners Ridge Loop entrance is a very narrow road that is not well labeled. If you miss it, you'll need to make two u-turns to get back since there is a median down the entire length of the road. I definitely recommend Miners Ridge Loop as opposed to the service road since it's better scenery and more coverage. You have two options - the loop itself, which is about 2 miles with minimal incline - or you can split off of the loop, join the service road about 1/2 mile from the summit and walk up to the radio towers at the top of the mountain. This is definitely worth it as it provides you with some great views of the ocean and surrounding communities. Expect to take about 1 1/2 hours in total if you go to the summit.

This is a once a week hike for my dog and I. When we're crunched on time but need a good work out this is the trail for us. We can make it to the top and back down to the parking lot in 1 hour. We love this hike, as we live in 4s ranch and it is very convenient for us. We park right off of Carmel Valley Road, the entrance is very hidden so you may miss it! And it is only accessible from the road for the drivers coming from Penasquitos so I just make a legal U turn at Black Mountain Road. And then the parking lot is the second Black Mountain entrance, the first one is for the Gliders. This is just one entrance, the other entrance to this mountain is off of Stargaze Ave then a left on Laurentian Drive. This is a neighborhood so be respectful where you park. On weekends it is very busy with lots of hikers at this spot. But coming from this entrance of the mountain is a longer hike. It takes me about 2 hours round trip. The view from the top is great you can see the ocean on a clear day. Dog friendly and kid friendly too! Oh and lots of mountain bikers!

The address listed on this page is the Ranger Station and Canyonside Stables. If you Google "Black Mountain Open Space' Maps/Navigation will bring you to a closed, restricted access gate: 32.974778, -117.125534 ---DO NOT GO HERE! Here is Hilltop Community Park: 32.972701, -117.119733 Here is Gliderport Trail: 32.990062, -117.125242 Here is Miner's Ridge Loop: 32.992563, -117.116257 Black Mountain 4: 32.999227, -117.098077 Hiked Gliderport for the first time on Friday midday. The 'gliderport' is the big bare patch with carpet covering the hillside about 1/3 of the way up. It's a bit of an eyesore that you can see on Google Earth:(https://www.google.com/maps/@32.9878954,-117.1222897,70m/data=!3m1!1e3) I would give credit to whoever hauled rolls of carpet up there except...it's carpet...on a mountain... I was happy there were no abandoned couches up there. The upper trail to the peak is not as steep as it looks from the ridge below but the whole trail is pretty much straight up the hill. Several places are wide enough to traverse a bit. A few spots have a lot of loose rock.