Black Mountain
El Paso Mountains Wilderness, CAInfo
Distance
3.6 mi
Elevation gain
1,600 ft
Route type
Out & back
Duration
2 hr
Crux
Class 1
Quality
3/10
Vehicle type
High clearance
Ecoregion
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Trip report
Not to be confused with any of the other five Black Mountains on the Hundred Peaks Section list, this peak serves as the high point of the El Paso Mountains Wilderness in the western Mojave Desert, an area known for its early archaeological discoveries. From Redrock Randsburg Road, turn left onto Mesquite Canyon Road and drive about six miles until the road crosses sandy wash. (A 4x4 vehicle is required to reach this point.) The route follows the road briefly before climbing a gentle southeastern spur, studded with black volcanic boulders and creosote brush. Black Mountain's nearly two-thousand feet of prominence offers great views of the surrounding badlands terrain and the foothills of the southern Sierra Nevada.
