Mount Woodson Trailhead

I love this trail. It's super scenic, has so many activities you can enjoy, is hard enough to get your blood pumping, and leave you sore the next day. To potato chip rock it's 8 miles round trip, takes about 2+ hours depending on your speed, but has many other trails if your looking for something more mellow, and less intense. 5 stars 🌟 but remember the main entrance is at Lake Poway.

If you are looking for a challenging trail that will give you a great workout and sense of achievement, mount woodson trail is right for you. Be sure to wear a hat and double up on sunscreen if you’re pale and ruddy like me, and bring lots of water. The trail begins easy enough, until you reach the helipad about 1/3 of the way up, where the dirt pavement becomes a stairway of a thousand ascending boulders, winding up the mountain until you reach the famous potato chip rock. Then it’s time to walk back down! It’s just shy of 7 miles round trip, I walked 17,000 steps this time. Great fun, very satisfied.

Good place to hiking, but you better come early morning, too hot afternoon, btw $10 parking fee

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.

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.

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

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. 😂