AMBLEWAY Wildest hikes
View from Black Mountain - panoramio.jpg
Viktor Lapinskii · CC BY-SA 3.0
Monte Bello Open Space Preserve

Black Mountain–Monte Bello Road (Trail) Viewpoint, 3 summits

3.3 mi · ▲ 535 ft · 1 hr 22 min

Black Mountain–Monte Bello Road (Trail) Viewpoint, 3 summits is a 3.3-mile out-and-back in Monte Bello Open Space Preserve near Vista Verde, CA. The route passes Black Mountain before reaching Monte Bello Road (Trail) Viewpoint at the turnaround, 1.7 miles in. It climbs 535 ft and is mostly gravel. It scores 57/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: backcountry feel.

Elevation

0 mi2,310 – 2,815 ft3.5 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Monte Bello Road (Trail) 37.32710, -122.16857
Nearest town Vista Verde, CA
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Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

Black Mountain–Monte Bello Road (Trail) Viewpoint, 3 summits

3.3 mi · ▲ 535 ft · 1 hr 22 min

Elevation 2,309–2,814 ft

Out & Back · Monte Bello Open Space Preserve

Trailhead: Monte Bello Road (Trail) · 37.32710, -122.16857

Weather Aug 4: sunrise 6:16 AM · sunset 8:15 PM

No dogs on part of this route · Drinking water at the trailhead

  1. Start on Monte Bello Road (Trail), heading S.
  2. 0.4 miBear left, heading SE.
  3. 0.3 miContinue straight onto Old Ranch Trail, heading S.
  4. 100 ftContinue straight onto Monte Bello Road (Trail), heading SE.
  5. 0.9 miTurn right, heading S.
  6. 50 ftPass Monte Bello Road (Trail) Viewpoint.
  7. 50 ftReach Black Mountain, then turn around and head back the way you came.
  8. 0.6 miTurn right, heading W.
  9. 0.4 miContinue straight onto Old Ranch Trail, heading W.
  10. 50 ftContinue straight onto Monte Bello Road (Trail), heading W.
  11. 0.3 miBear left, heading NW.
  12. 0.4 miArrive back at the trailhead.

Each distance is the walk from the previous step. Tap a step for a map of its junction.

Trail map, photos and weather for this hike: www.ambleway.com/hikes/black-mountain-out-back-4-km-478c

Trail surface

96% gravel4% unspecified

Weather

Sunrise 6:16 AMSunset 8:15 PM

Sunset

The best sunset spot on this hike is 0.0 mi in (~1 min). Leave by 7:54 PM for the 8:15 PM sunset. Back at your car by 8:31 PM — 13 min before dark.

More sunset hikes nearby

Good to know

  • No dogs on part of this route
  • Drinking water at the trailhead

Other ways to reach this destination

More from Monte Bello Road (Trail) Trailhead

Hikes near Vista Verde, California