Black Mountain is a nice little peak in the Rancho Penasquitos area of northern San Diego. There’s a good network of trails that offer several different potential routes to the summit. We previously hiked Black Mountain via the Nighthawk Trail and have had this route on our list for awhile. The warm summer months seemed like a good time to get up early and tackle this relatively short hike before the midday heat set in.
Category Archives: Trail Write-Ups
Blue Sky Ecological Reserve
Blue Sky Ecological Reserve is a 700 acre canyon just north of Lake Poway, containing a beautiful mix of riparian, oak woodland, coastal sage scrub and chaparral habitats. Green Valley Truck Trail runs through the reserve, leading up to Lake Ramona, and several side trails offer further opportunities for exploration. Continue reading Blue Sky Ecological Reserve
Knott Grove
In 1986, college student Cara Knott was murdered by an on-duty CHP Officer and her body was dumped from an abandoned bridge above Penasquitos Creek. Her father, Sam Knott, channelled his grief and spent the next decade lobbying to have the area near where her body was found dedicated to his daughter. In 1996, the site was set aside as the Cara Knott Memorial Oak Garden, and several years later was re-dedicated as the San Diego Crime Victims Memorial Oak Garden. Continue reading Knott Grove
Annie’s Canyon Trail (San Elijo Lagoon)
For years, the area known as “The Mushrooms Caves” in San Elijo Lagoon Ecological Reserve was off-limits. Of course that only prevented responsible, law-abiding hikers from going there. Vandals and ruffians still frequented the location, defacing the delicate sandstone canyon walls with graffiti and carvings, and using the area as a party spot. Continue reading Annie’s Canyon Trail (San Elijo Lagoon)
Big Laguna/PCT Loop
Of the many hikes in San Diego we’ve done, this 10 mile loop through the Mount Laguna Recreation Area might just be my favorite. The first half traverses the Big Laguna Trail, which takes you through some beautiful pine tree forests that are becoming so hard to find in San Diego after the many devastating wildfires of the past decade. It passes the wide, open fields of Big Laguna Meadow and the sometimes wet Big Laguna Lake. Eventually it meets up with the Pacific Crest Trail which traverses the boundary of the forested mountains and the arid Anza-Borrego desert below. If you’re lucky enough to hike it at the right time of year (late spring or early summer), you will enjoy colorful displays of wildflowers along the way. It really showcases the wide variety of landscapes in San Diego. Continue reading Big Laguna/PCT Loop
Navajo Canyon
Located just north of Interstate 8 in a heavily populated area near SDSU, Navajo Canyon is one of San Diego’s many open spaces that protects a small island of nature within a sea of development. The canyon is home to a small creek with some large groves of palm trees, with a mix of riparian and chaparral habitats. Continue reading Navajo Canyon
San Clemente Canyon
San Clemente Canyon lies just south of Highway 52, between Interstates 5 and 805. Highway 52 was originally planned to run through the canyon, but thanks to the efforts of Marian Bear, a community leader and environmentalist, 52 was rerouted to its currently location and the canyon was preserved. The area is now known as Marian R. Bear Memorial Park, and preserves a beautiful riparian habitat. Continue reading San Clemente Canyon
Kwaaymii Point
Kwaaymii Point is a popular hang-gliding and star gazing spot just off of the Sunrise Highway in the Laguna Mountains. While its possible to just drive to Kwaaymii Point, a much more enjoyable adventure can be had by hiking a short stretch of the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) from the Pioneer Mail Picnic Area. Here, the PCT follows an old stretch of the Sunrise Highway that used to traverse the edge of the mountains before being re-routed to its less exciting present course. This stretch of trail offers breath taking views of Cottonwood Canyon and the Anza-Borrego Desert beyond. Continue reading Kwaaymii Point
Denk Mountain (Rancho La Costa Preserve)
Rancho La Costa is a habitat conservation area in Carlsbad and managed by the Center for Natural Lands Management, consisting of several non-contiguous parcels of land. We had previously hiked the Ridgeline Trail above Box Canyon. For this adventure we were hiking Denk Mountain, slightly east of the Ridgeline area.
Denk Mountain is home to a pretty extensive network of trails, so you can plot out routes of varying length and difficulty depending on what you’re after. This was our first time here, so we picked out a shorter route that looked like it would still hit the highlights as we explored the area: take the Switchbacks Trail to the viewpoint atop Denk Mountain, then descend along the Mule Deer Trail and connect back to the Switchbacks Trail. Continue reading Denk Mountain (Rancho La Costa Preserve)
Lucky 5/PCT Loop
The Lucky 5 Ranch area is a relatively recent addition to Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, thanks to the efforts of the Anza Borrego Foundation. The land lies on the western edge of the park along the Sunrise Highway, so its actually more mountainous than desert. Its location between Anza-Borrego, Cuyamaca Rancho State Park, and the Cleveland National Forest makes it an important wildlife corridor. Continue reading Lucky 5/PCT Loop