John Nicholas Trail

This trail starts from the gate on Black Road, where you can park. The first 1.5 miles of trail is fairly flat on a well-maintained fire road, meandering through the forest. At about 1.5 miles, you'll reach the Ranch Lake Reservoir, where you may find some wildlife (deer, rabbits, and skunks). After going around the reservoir, you'll see a steep fire road on the right dropping down to Sanborn Rd. Instead, you'll veer left and start climbing up a section of the trail along a small creek. This section of trail is about 4' wide, with a few wooden bridges and benches under heavy tree cover. The climb is fairly gradual with only a couple of steeper sections. As you climb higher, there will be a couple good vista points to enjoy. After about 5 miles, you'll reach Skyline Trail. Keep right on Skyline and you'll reach the parking lot on Skyline Blvd. From there you can hike back down the way you came.