Began the hike from Lake Matthews Road, across from the Estelle Mountain Reserve Headquarters. A gated dirt road leaves Lake Matthews Road at this point. Meanwhile, I parked in a dirt parking area across the road. The trail passes through some rare Southern California open space that had undoubtedly been preserved long ago to prevent development. Dirt roads crossed my path, but I continued forward in the direction of Monument Peak. Eventually, the pathway goes to the left of the peak, where it reaches another locked vehicle gate. I passed through the gate and almost immediately picked up a use trail that shoots up the side of the mountain. The majority of the climbing for the day occurred in this half-mile stretch. But after putting in the effort, I stood on the summit of Monument Peak. Two cement chairs are on the summit facing the view of Lake Matthews to the north.

After a brief visit to Monument Peak. I picked up a dirt road and continued to the west toward Black Rocks. The road followed a ridge before dropping to the floor of the Reserve. I spotted Black Rocks on the way down and eventually worked my way over to the rocks while picking and choosing which dirt roads to follow. Upon approaching the rocks, it looked like a challenging climb. However, on closer inspection, I just walked to the other side and found a natural ramp that easily took me to the top boulders. After visiting, I used some of the dirt roads to complete a loop hike through the Reserve.