Route: Black Mountain (CA)

On the Bay Area trail running scene, the South Bay and Peninsula are often unfairly overlooked. This route starts on slightly climbing single track through woods and chaparral, but for the final mile, it grinds you up the steepest section of fire road. You’ll enjoy sweeping vistas of the South Bay and up the peninsula to San Francisco (if you’re still lucid).

This route was selected as the South Bay short route for the 2020 Battle of the Bay FKT challenge (www.battleofthebay.run). Going into the competition, Megan Roche (45:57) and Lucas Matison (40:41) held the CRs for the Black Mountain hill climb via Rhus Ridge (Strava, All Trails).