Mount Woodson Trailhead

Mt. Woodson Trail is a great hike that leads to the famous Potato Chip Rock! The trail starts by the lake, where there are plenty of picnic areas and a big playground for kids. It’s also dog-friendly. The hike is about 7 miles round trip and takes around 3 - 4 hours, depending on your fitness level. It starts with a steep climb and gets rocky near the top, but the view at Potato Chip Rock makes it all worth it! The trail is pretty open with little shade, so I highly recommend bringing plenty of water, especially in the summer. There’s free parking on weekdays, but on weekends, non-residents of Poway have to pay $10 for parking.

The trail is challenging for beginner hikers. Beautiful views along the trail. Highly recommend to bring lots of water and wear proper hiking shoes. Dogs are allowed on this trail leashed, but the ground can get hot later in the day. I would have given this hike a higher rating however you're not allowed to swim in the lake and dogs aren't even allowed on the shore.

This is the best maintain mountain trail I have ever hiked. There seem to be thousands of strategically placed rocks making it more erosion-resistant and easier to climb. I think this trail should be renamed "Stairway to Heaven," which would be cool to play on a loop going up.

Way better than the Ramona paved trail! Beautiful views and challenging trail. You'll see a handful of people.

Beautiful trail. It’s kind of long and difficult for younger children. I took my three year old and had to carry him most of the way.

Haven’t been to Potato Chip Rock in 20 years. A great hike up Mt Woodson with all ages present on the trail.

Ok. Don’t be a dummy. Here’s what you need to know. Park at the State park. Yes, it’s $10 on the weekend. It’s worth it- bathrooms, park, loads of parking, tons of grass, beautiful lake full of ducks. Next, plan on hiking about 1.5-2 hours uphill. Bring enough water. You will be going uphill, using small boulders as steps for about of it. In the fall, the path stays reasonably shaded all morning. It will take you another hour to get back down, and you will have gone 7 miles at that point. Good luck! Oh, and to get “the potato chip rock shot”, you will need to climb onto a large boulder, step across a large crack, then hop onto another boulder that is lower down over another empty space. If you’re afraid of heights…you can do what I did. Use your iPhone to take a picture of the rock, then a picture of you posing somewhere else. Turn you into a sticker and put you on the potato chip. Easy peasy. 😂

This is the perfect hike. Good long workout but not too long. Took about 2.5 hours not including the 20ish minutes waiting at the top for a picture. Beautiful, interesting hike with a neat path, cool rock formations, lovely flora and some good views of the surrounding valley. Highly recommend making time for this hike when in the area! Plenty of parking right along the highway, you'll see all the cars lined up if you go on the weekend. It does get a little busy so go early. The Fry Keogel Trail up to Potato Chip was not the easiest to find. We ended up starting at the entrance to the golf course. Google took us there better than All Trails did.