Black Widow trail review, Black Mountain MTB San Diego. This trail is for advanced riders and has a lot of rock gardens and some fun paver berms. Steep and fast, take caution. 531 feet of decent in 1 mile.

San Diego has trails that will please all riders from the most beginner to those seeking more adventure. Experiences can be had from the coast, to the inland foothills to the wooded forests of Mount Laguna to the Anza Borrego Desert. Most riding areas in San Diego are a combination of singletrack and fireroads to provide connectivity. Head to Penasqutios Canyon and you'll find a variety of trails that are good for beginner and intermediate riders. Head to Black Mountain if you like the more rocky, technical trails with healthy dose of elevation, and go to Lake Hodges if you're into a mix of the aforementioned riding areas. A little over an hour from downtown San Diego will get you to the Cleveland National Forest, featuring Noble Canyon, one of SoCal's best downhill trails. Cuyamaca State Park also offers some awesome singletrack and vistas as well.

Black Mountain Open Space Park is owned and managed by the City of San Diego and is made up of a series of chaparral and sage covered hills, ridges, and canyons. The park is currently 2,352 acres, with expansion a future possibility.

It is located in the Rancho Peñasquitos area of northern San Diego, situated between Camino Del Sur to the west, Peñasquitos Drive to the east, Lusardi Creek to the north and Carmel Mountain Road to the south. The centerpiece of the park is the 1,554-foot summit of Black Mountain, which provides 360-degree views of the surrounding area. On a clear day, the visitor can scan the horizon for ocean views to the west, mountain views to the north and east, and views of downtown San Diego to the south.

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.

Park Plants and Wildlife:
Black Mountain Open Space Park is home to a wide variety of native plant and animal species. The diversity of plant communities helps to create a home for many different species of birds, mammals, amphibians, and reptiles. Visitors to Black Mountain Open Space Park can see what much of coastal southern California looked like before the onset of urban sprawl. Take time to enjoy the scents, sounds, and views. Explore quietly and perhaps you will be rewarded with the opportunity to experience the presence of some of the parks wild inhabitants.

The primary vegetation types that are found in the park are the chaparral and coastal sage scrub plant communities. The chaparral community gives the north and east side of the mountain it's beautiful "green carpet" appearance. The most common plants found in the chaparral are lemonade berry, coffee berry, chamise, manzanita, laurel sumac, toyon, and California lilac. During the early spring certain areas of the mountain will turn into a sea of blue as the flowers of the California lilac bloom. The coastal sage scrub plant community is not as dense and vibrant green as the chaparral, and is found on the dryer south and west facing slopes of the park. This plant community is made up primarily of the wonderfully aromatic white and black sage, California sagebrush, California buckwheat, and California sunflower. Other plant communities found within the park are native and nonnative grasslands, and a small amount of sycamore/willow riparian woodlands.

The variety of plant communities provides the needed cover and food for the wide variety of wildlife found in the park. Current surveys have revealed that over 80 species of birds can be found here, including rare species such as California Gnatcatcher, Rufous-crowned sparrow, and Northern harrier. Mammals consist of things big and small, ranging from impressive mule deer and bobcat, to smaller rodents such as desert woodrat and Pacific kangaroo rats. Reptiles and amphibians are also well represented in the park, with the moist north facing slopes and drainages that are home to Pacific chorus frogs and slender salamanders. Numerous reptiles also can be found, including the red-diamond rattlesnake.

Numerous trails offer hikers, bicyclists and equestrians the opportunity to discover the wonder of this open space park. Black Mountain offers a variety of trails and dirt roads that travel through dense chaparral covered canyons, native grasslands and riparian areas. Hikers and cyclists can enjoy the challenge of the steep mountain (easement) trail to the summit where you can take in a 360 degree view from the top of Black Mountain.

The Summit trail winds through coastal sage scrub and chaparral covered ridges, joining the dirt access road to eventually reach the summit of Black Mountain. The trail consists of old dirt roads and skirts along the slopes of Black Mountain, providing excellent views along the way.

#mtb #levoturbo #specialized #gopro #emtblife #goprohero12 #sandiegomtb #emtblife #max2

свернуть