Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

Many ways to the top at Woodson

A forest of communication towers

Potato Chip Rock — a popular photo op
Potato Chip Rock — a popular photo op

Mt. Woodson has become one of the most popular hikes in San Diego County since Potato Chip Rock made its appearance in YouTube videos. On a typical weekend, there may be a hundred or more people who have hiked up from Lake Poway, milling around this famed rock, waiting for their turn to scamper out on the ledge and capture a photo of their adventure. However, Mt. Woodson has many other things to offer outdoor adventurers if they take the time to experience them. The 3.75-mile out-and-back hike to the top from SR-67 is much shorter and shadier than the route from the Blue Sky Reserve.

If the hike is extended to Potato Chip Rock, it adds another mile to the journey to the peak. An even more interesting possibility is the 5.5-mile loop hike described here that includes the experience of the diverse terrain and life of this unique area. Any of these routes would be considered moderately strenuous because of the trek to the top of the mountain, 1100 feet above the trailhead.

A forest of communication towers is at the summit.

The well-marked trailhead is on the south side of the Cal Fire Station access road, a few feet from SR-67. The hike begins as a short trail through a live oak and sycamore woodland that leads to the paved road that will be the route to the top. Live oaks and occasional Coulter pines periodically shade the road during the steep ascent along with enormous boulders composed of Woodson Mountain granodiorite, a light-colored intrusive rock that weathers into rounded shapes when exposed on the surface. The abundance of these huge boulders has made this a popular place for rock climbers.

Sponsored
Sponsored

More than 50 common chaparral shrubs and wildflowers have been found growing beside the road on the way to the top. These include three kinds of manzanita, laurel sumac, yerba santa, flat top buckwheat, California sagebrush, golden yarrow, white sage, scarlet larkspur, Indian pink, and chamise. The top is 1.75 miles from the SR-67 trailhead. The pines, huge boulders, and a forest of communication towers tend to obscure views from Mt. Woodson’s summit. Continue west down the ridge, leaving the asphalt road, and follow a well-traveled dirt trail where, weather permitting, there are outstanding views of San Diego, Point Loma, and the ocean. Most likely there will also be a crowd waiting to climb out onto Potato Chip Rock, particularly on weekends. Further down the ridge will be the signed junction for the Fry-Koegel (F-K) Trail, 1.3 miles from the summit.

The F-K Trail is the 2.7-mile route back to your parked vehicle on the loop hike. Initially the F-K Trail passes through lush chaparral, dominated by scrub oak, chamise, California sagebrush, manzanita, and ceanothus, fully recovered from a fire seven years ago. Continuing down this well-maintained trail, there is a transition to a cool, shady, coast live oak woodland before reaching the western boundary of Mount Woodson Estates, a suburban development. Follow the trail to the right to skirt the backyards of numerous homes as it leads to SR-67 at a point just beyond the entrance to the Mount Woodson Golf Club. From there it is a short noisy walk south beside the highway to the Cal Fire Ramona station.

The mountain is open year around. The best time to go is when the chaparral shrubs and wildflowers are in bloom, from March through June. If going during the warmer days of summer or fall, plan to hike in the early morning, before the heat of the midday.


Distance from downtown San Diego: 31 miles. Allow 40 minutes driving time (Ramona). From CA-163N, merge onto I-15N, then east onto Scripps Poway Pkwy. Turn left/north on SR-67. Drive past the Cal Fire Ramona Station at 16310 SR-67 (3 miles past the junction of Poway Rd. and SR-67) until you can safely turn around to park on the SR-67 shoulder near the fire station on the Mt. Woodson side of the highway heading west.

Hiking length: 3.75 mile out-and-back or 5.5-mile loop.

Difficulty: Moderately strenuous with 1100 foot elevation loss/gain. The road is open to hikers, with or without dogs, equestrians, mountain bikers, and vehicles owned by various agencies that operate the many communications towers that crown the peak. No facilities or water.

The latest copy of the Reader

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Live Five: Andrew Peña, Frankie J, Beat Farmers, Jesse LaMonaca, Puddles Pity Party

Latin, roots rock, and pity parties in Mission Beach, Little Italy, El Cajon
Next Article

Time’s up for Doubletime Recording Studio

Owner Jeff Forrest is trading El Cajon for Portugal
Potato Chip Rock — a popular photo op
Potato Chip Rock — a popular photo op

Mt. Woodson has become one of the most popular hikes in San Diego County since Potato Chip Rock made its appearance in YouTube videos. On a typical weekend, there may be a hundred or more people who have hiked up from Lake Poway, milling around this famed rock, waiting for their turn to scamper out on the ledge and capture a photo of their adventure. However, Mt. Woodson has many other things to offer outdoor adventurers if they take the time to experience them. The 3.75-mile out-and-back hike to the top from SR-67 is much shorter and shadier than the route from the Blue Sky Reserve.

If the hike is extended to Potato Chip Rock, it adds another mile to the journey to the peak. An even more interesting possibility is the 5.5-mile loop hike described here that includes the experience of the diverse terrain and life of this unique area. Any of these routes would be considered moderately strenuous because of the trek to the top of the mountain, 1100 feet above the trailhead.

A forest of communication towers is at the summit.

The well-marked trailhead is on the south side of the Cal Fire Station access road, a few feet from SR-67. The hike begins as a short trail through a live oak and sycamore woodland that leads to the paved road that will be the route to the top. Live oaks and occasional Coulter pines periodically shade the road during the steep ascent along with enormous boulders composed of Woodson Mountain granodiorite, a light-colored intrusive rock that weathers into rounded shapes when exposed on the surface. The abundance of these huge boulders has made this a popular place for rock climbers.

Sponsored
Sponsored

More than 50 common chaparral shrubs and wildflowers have been found growing beside the road on the way to the top. These include three kinds of manzanita, laurel sumac, yerba santa, flat top buckwheat, California sagebrush, golden yarrow, white sage, scarlet larkspur, Indian pink, and chamise. The top is 1.75 miles from the SR-67 trailhead. The pines, huge boulders, and a forest of communication towers tend to obscure views from Mt. Woodson’s summit. Continue west down the ridge, leaving the asphalt road, and follow a well-traveled dirt trail where, weather permitting, there are outstanding views of San Diego, Point Loma, and the ocean. Most likely there will also be a crowd waiting to climb out onto Potato Chip Rock, particularly on weekends. Further down the ridge will be the signed junction for the Fry-Koegel (F-K) Trail, 1.3 miles from the summit.

The F-K Trail is the 2.7-mile route back to your parked vehicle on the loop hike. Initially the F-K Trail passes through lush chaparral, dominated by scrub oak, chamise, California sagebrush, manzanita, and ceanothus, fully recovered from a fire seven years ago. Continuing down this well-maintained trail, there is a transition to a cool, shady, coast live oak woodland before reaching the western boundary of Mount Woodson Estates, a suburban development. Follow the trail to the right to skirt the backyards of numerous homes as it leads to SR-67 at a point just beyond the entrance to the Mount Woodson Golf Club. From there it is a short noisy walk south beside the highway to the Cal Fire Ramona station.

The mountain is open year around. The best time to go is when the chaparral shrubs and wildflowers are in bloom, from March through June. If going during the warmer days of summer or fall, plan to hike in the early morning, before the heat of the midday.


Distance from downtown San Diego: 31 miles. Allow 40 minutes driving time (Ramona). From CA-163N, merge onto I-15N, then east onto Scripps Poway Pkwy. Turn left/north on SR-67. Drive past the Cal Fire Ramona Station at 16310 SR-67 (3 miles past the junction of Poway Rd. and SR-67) until you can safely turn around to park on the SR-67 shoulder near the fire station on the Mt. Woodson side of the highway heading west.

Hiking length: 3.75 mile out-and-back or 5.5-mile loop.

Difficulty: Moderately strenuous with 1100 foot elevation loss/gain. The road is open to hikers, with or without dogs, equestrians, mountain bikers, and vehicles owned by various agencies that operate the many communications towers that crown the peak. No facilities or water.

Comments
Sponsored

The latest copy of the Reader

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

National City to junk permissive land-use code

Airbnb regs would be like Chula Vista's
Next Article

Live Five: Songwriter Sanctuary, B-Side Players, The Crawdaddys, Saint Luna, Brawley

Reunited, in the round, and onstage in Normal Heights, East Village, Little Italy, Encinitas
Comments
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

This Week’s Reader This Week’s Reader