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

Mt. Woodson via the Blue Sky Reserve

Hikers take a break at Potato Chip Rock.
Hikers take a break at Potato Chip Rock.

Mt. Woodson is one of San Diego’s favorite places for a day hike. Many people make the climb on the asphalt-paved road on the east side of the mountain off SR 67 that rises steeply to the top. Other hikers take the somewhat longer but more scenic west side trail that starts from Lake Poway. A less traveled option, presented here, is to start your ascent at the Blue Sky Reserve, adding a few more miles but giving you a chance to stroll through one of San Diego’s more scenic oak woodlands while experiencing a diversity of vegetation types on your way up. The Blue Sky Reserve, jointly managed by the California Department of Fish & Game and the City of Poway, directly connects to Poway’s extensive network of hiking trails.

This is a moderate to strenuous 11-mile round-trip hike on well-marked and maintained trails. Start hiking on the Blue Sky Reserve Trail, at the south end of the parking lot. Although this trail continues 2.4 miles to the Ramona Dam, turn south (right) 0.9 mile from the trailhead onto the Lake Poway Recreational Area trail. Much of both of these trails pass through a beautiful coast live oak forest and near a lush riparian community with mature western sycamores, black willows, and mule fat, as well as oaks. In another 0.25 mile is the Poway Wilderness Picnic Area with picnic tables, water, and toilet facilities. From there, the trail switchbacks up a coastal sage scrub-covered hillside to take you over the east side of the Lake Poway Dam and into the recreation area.

Sponsored
Sponsored
A forest of communication towers are on top of Mt. Woodson.

The Lake Poway Trail loops around the lake, but leave the lake when the Mt. Woodson trail branches off to the left, 0.4 mile ahead. For the first mile, the trail is a nearly straight, somewhat steep, dirt road whose saving grace is the view behind of the lake that recedes as you climb. A little over one mile from the lake is Warren Canyon–Mt. Woodson Trail junction. From this point on the trail is more interesting, extending up the chaparral-covered hillside, initially through a series of switchbacks, but then straightening out to climb up a ridge to the top of Mt. Woodson, 1.9 miles ahead. On your way are some amazing well-weathered boulders, including the famous potato chip rock. Do not forget to check out the vegetation, including big berry manzanita and several kinds of ceanothus that add interest and color to the hike. Long before reaching the top, a forest of tall metal communications towers rise from the peak and define your goal. After exploring the peak area, return the way you came.

  • Distance from downtown San Diego: 27 miles. Allow 35 minutes driving time. From I-15 take the Rancho Bernardo Road exit and turn right to continue on Espola Road for approximately 3 miles. Make a left into Blue Sky Ecological Reserve parking lot, which is open sunrise to sunset except for summer when open at 6:30 a.m. Vault toilets but no water available.
  • Hiking length: 11 miles out and back.
  • Difficulty: Moderately strenuous because of the length and elevation increase/decrease of 2200 feet. Maximum elevation is 2894 feet. Carry water. Dogs are allowed but not bicycles or motorized vehicles.
Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Navy solves San Diego homeless crisis by retiring four locally moored ships

Decommision Accomplished
Next Article

2024’s Best Bitcoin & Crypto Casinos – Play BTC Casino Games Online

Best Bitcoin Casinos (2024): Top 10 Crypto Casino Sites for BIG Payouts
Hikers take a break at Potato Chip Rock.
Hikers take a break at Potato Chip Rock.

Mt. Woodson is one of San Diego’s favorite places for a day hike. Many people make the climb on the asphalt-paved road on the east side of the mountain off SR 67 that rises steeply to the top. Other hikers take the somewhat longer but more scenic west side trail that starts from Lake Poway. A less traveled option, presented here, is to start your ascent at the Blue Sky Reserve, adding a few more miles but giving you a chance to stroll through one of San Diego’s more scenic oak woodlands while experiencing a diversity of vegetation types on your way up. The Blue Sky Reserve, jointly managed by the California Department of Fish & Game and the City of Poway, directly connects to Poway’s extensive network of hiking trails.

This is a moderate to strenuous 11-mile round-trip hike on well-marked and maintained trails. Start hiking on the Blue Sky Reserve Trail, at the south end of the parking lot. Although this trail continues 2.4 miles to the Ramona Dam, turn south (right) 0.9 mile from the trailhead onto the Lake Poway Recreational Area trail. Much of both of these trails pass through a beautiful coast live oak forest and near a lush riparian community with mature western sycamores, black willows, and mule fat, as well as oaks. In another 0.25 mile is the Poway Wilderness Picnic Area with picnic tables, water, and toilet facilities. From there, the trail switchbacks up a coastal sage scrub-covered hillside to take you over the east side of the Lake Poway Dam and into the recreation area.

Sponsored
Sponsored
A forest of communication towers are on top of Mt. Woodson.

The Lake Poway Trail loops around the lake, but leave the lake when the Mt. Woodson trail branches off to the left, 0.4 mile ahead. For the first mile, the trail is a nearly straight, somewhat steep, dirt road whose saving grace is the view behind of the lake that recedes as you climb. A little over one mile from the lake is Warren Canyon–Mt. Woodson Trail junction. From this point on the trail is more interesting, extending up the chaparral-covered hillside, initially through a series of switchbacks, but then straightening out to climb up a ridge to the top of Mt. Woodson, 1.9 miles ahead. On your way are some amazing well-weathered boulders, including the famous potato chip rock. Do not forget to check out the vegetation, including big berry manzanita and several kinds of ceanothus that add interest and color to the hike. Long before reaching the top, a forest of tall metal communications towers rise from the peak and define your goal. After exploring the peak area, return the way you came.

  • Distance from downtown San Diego: 27 miles. Allow 35 minutes driving time. From I-15 take the Rancho Bernardo Road exit and turn right to continue on Espola Road for approximately 3 miles. Make a left into Blue Sky Ecological Reserve parking lot, which is open sunrise to sunset except for summer when open at 6:30 a.m. Vault toilets but no water available.
  • Hiking length: 11 miles out and back.
  • Difficulty: Moderately strenuous because of the length and elevation increase/decrease of 2200 feet. Maximum elevation is 2894 feet. Carry water. Dogs are allowed but not bicycles or motorized vehicles.
Comments
Sponsored
Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Flowering pear trees in Kensington not that nice

Empty dirt plots in front of Ken Cinema
Next Article

SDSU pres gets highest pay raise in state over last 15 years

Union-Tribune still stiffing downtown San Diego landlord?
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.