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Black Mountain Open Space Park

4.1 (56 reviews)
Closed 6:00 am - 7:00 pm

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Ed T.

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.

Krajicek K.

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.

Shayne C.

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 !

Jessica D.

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!!

Trail map by Hilltop park trail entrance
Ellre W.

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.

Karen H.

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.

Entrance near Black Mountain Road
Jen E.

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!

Julia P.

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.

Nighthawk trailhead
Wanting H.

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.

Carmen V.

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.

Nice purple flowers on the hike back to the trailhead
Steven G.

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!!!

Aurora G.

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.

Gaby J.

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.

Almost to the top!!!!

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Ask the Community - Black Mountain Open Space Park

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No fee. Closes at 7:00 pm daily.

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Review Highlights - Black Mountain Open Space Park

The main hike up the mountain is the Nighthawk Trail, which I think is approximately 4 miles round trip.

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