The Black Mountain TrailThe peninsula's biggest hill climbLength 9.7 mi · Climbing 2420 ftCalifornia > San Francisco Bay Area > Rancho San Antonio Open Space Preserve
The one level section of the Black Mountain Trail Background
This is the most difficult of the many routes that climb Skyline Ridge, and is one of the more challenging 10-mile hikes on the peninsula. The elevation change isn't actually all that big for a hike of this length, but the long climb that gets progressively steeper toward the end has a way of wearing you out. The trail is very popular and on a nice summer day you can expect to encounter a group of hikers every five minutes or so. There's an unusual variety of people here, with young and old, people who show up in Jaguars, and a whole lot of Silicon Valley engineers all puffing their way to the top. The route seems to be a favorite of hiking clubs and other organized groups. The trail is fairly scenic, with some really nice sweeping views of the Bay Area. In fact this trail might have the best views of Silicon Valley of any trail on the Eastern Slope. There aren't any roads nearby, so it's quiet. The trail is mostly wooded, but there's a long stretch of chaparral at the top. In addition, the lower portion of the trail can get very hot in the summer. The hike should be avoided if the high temperature for the day is forecast to be 85°F or higher. For those looking for a similar hill climb with fewer people, the Kennedy Trail in Sierra Azul Open Space Preserve has 2020 feet of climbing in an 8-mile out-and-back. It starts just outside Los Gatos, and like Black Mountain it's essentially one continuous climb.
Click map to show all roads and trails Hike description
Click here to see the trailhead location in Google Maps. The hike begins at a secret little parking lot that isn't shown on the official park map. It's on Rhus Ridge Road, off Moody Road a mile west of Highway 280. The lot is unsigned and not easy to find, but it only has about ten spaces and fills up quickly, especially if there's a group hike. If the lot is full, you can park on the shoulder of Moody Road. From the parking lot, a dirt road enters the woods, leads past a seedy-looking "caretaker's house" with a horse corral, and then begins to climb steeply. After about a half-mile you get the first scenic view of the Bay Area. Even at this low altitude the trail has a pretty good view over Los Altos Hills.
The first mile of the trail features views of Los Altos Hills At about one mile you come to a 5-way intersection. Turn right, onto the only one of the five trails that's singletrack. This stretch of singletrack is about a mile and a half long and is the best part of the hike. At first, it gives you a bit of a rest while it winds around a canyon through an attractive oak and bay laurel forest. Then the trail begins to climb at a moderate grade through open woods. From time to time the woods give way to patches of chaparral with nice views, but the route is mostly wooded. At about 3.5 miles the singletrack trail changes to a dirt road. At the same time, the woods end and the trail begins climbing through sunny chaparral. The dirt road is also a lot steeper than the singletrack. However, this stretch has the best views of the hike, with sweeping vistas of the South Bay and views up the peninsula to San Francisco. Also, although the dirt road is not quite as pleasant as the singletrack, it does add some variety to the hike.
The Black Mountain Trail More information
The fire road section near the top of the trail has the hardest climbing but the best views
© 2010 David Baselt |
