Mt. Woodson - Ramona to Lake Poway

DISTANCE: 5.8 MILES
TIME: 3 hours
DIFFICULTY: MODERATE
ELEVATION: 2,894 FT

Known by the Indians as "The Mountain of Moonlight Rocks," Mt. Woodson is a prominent, boulder-covered peak located on the Poway/Ramona border that is a favorite of both hikers and rock climbers. This point-to-point hike will require you to either be picked up or to leave a car at one end of the trail before you begin.

Begin by parking your car along the 67 just past Mt. Woodson Road. The trail initially runs parallel with the 67, but after a few hundred yards it connects with the paved service road which winds up to the top. Be prepared for some steep uphill climbing which will catch you out of breath and may require a rest or two. I recommend wating until you are at the top to enjoy the views, which are far superior from the summit than from any other vantage points along the way.

The hike to the summit is 1.8 miles if you begin from the 67 as described above. You are getting close when you enter a court of huge boulders; by huge I mean 50 ft. or so high. This seems to be a favorite area for rock climbers and with good reason.

The summit is topped with radio and cell phone towers that are serviced often (I've almost always seen a service truck up there). Find a nice large boulder past the towers to enjoy the incredible view of everything to the west. On a clear day you'll see the ocean, the coronado islands, Catalina Island, and San Clemente, and a plethora of other prominent San Diego peaks.

Now begins the trip down to Lake Poway. Though you can do this hike the opposite direction starting from Lake Poway and ending on the 67, you'd be climbing 3.5 miles totally uphill, which means that if you do it as described in this post, it's all downhill from here. Also, if you choose the uphill approach from Lake Poway, you'll have several fork decisions to make, whereas if you are heading downhill to Lake Poway, you'll continue to merge until you are on the Woodson Trail which eventually meets up with the Lake Poway loop trail.

As you begin your descent, you will soon leave behind the paved service road and begin downhill on a dirt but well maintained trail. You can't miss the "potato chip rock" to the right just after the paved road ends. Believe it or not, it is sturdy enough to stand right on the edge of this granite diving board, but one day it has to break, so just hope it's not the day you dare to do it, because the drop below is at least 40 ft.

The trail meanders alongside other large boulders and in some parts through corridors of bushes that will surround you on both sides above your head, offering some shade. Beware of snakes, like this baby rattler we saw making his way across the trail (below).

After merging onto the Mt. Woodson Trial, Lake Poway will soon come into view, and you are almost there. Once you hit the lake Poway loop, the shorter route to the parking lot is followed by making a left at the T intersection. Should you choose to go right, you'll descend down into the valley below the Lake Poway Dam, only to ascend back out to the parking lot, a somewhat longer and more strenuous route, but beautiful nonetheless if you have the time.