Black Mesa
4.3 mi
Distance
2 hrs 25 min
Time
terrain
658 ft
Elev Gain
Overview
This is a easy one way trail to Black Mesa in Black Mesa Nature Preserve.
Rate this Hike
★★★★★
Hike has good views of rolling prairie, canyons, & mesas in historic Santa Fe Trail no-mans region of the OK panhandle. There is 1/3 mile of rocky steep eroded switchbacks which may require slow careful descent for some novices with knee or ankle instability.The last mile on the Mesa top is very exposed to wind, bad weather, and lightning so watch the weather and do this in the cooler months or start at dawn in the summer. There are B&B’s nearby to use for an early start. The summit and trail are located in the Black Mesa Nature Preserve. The Black Mesa State Park is 10 mi SE.
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This is a nice hike to bag another state high point summit. Good views of the highland prairie, mesas, and canyons. Interesting getting to the TH on desolate state roads that generally follow the famous Santa Fe Trail. Kept thinking about the Native Americans, Spanish explorers, US Calvary, rustlers, and cowboys that may have been here. Easy trail except for about a half mile of fairly steep switchbacks that might be briefly challenging for first time hikers. Last mile is out and back on the mesa flat top that is very exposed to bad weather and lightning. Suggest doing this only in cool months or get a very early start for summer hikes. One-way distance is 4.2 miles. My track had lots of exploring on the mesa.
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Public Tracks
black Mesa
This makes my fifth summit in my journey to climb the highest summit in every state. You can follow my progress here:
http://cheerfullyimperfect.com/2015/11/24/50-state-summits/
Black Mesa was an easy hike to the summit. There was a small amount of snow on the trail that slowed us down a little, but was otherwise very manageable. We spent the night on the edge of the Mesa and had a spectacular view.
