Mount Woodson has become an extremely popular hiking destination due to the famous Potato Chip Rock – a fragile looking granite shard which, from the right angle, can look like its extending into nothingness, making for some creative photo opportunities. On warm weekends, you will likely encounter throngs of hikers making their way up the popular summit via one of two main routes: up the western flank of the mountain via Lake Poway, or this shorter, easier approach up the eastern side of the mountain starting from Highway 67. There is a less-traveled, quieter route that also starts near Highway 67 and traverses the northern flank of the mountain – the Fry Koegel Trail. We combined the fire road and the Fry-Koegel Trail for an enjoyable 5.6 mile loop.
We chose a cold, rainy Friday morning for this hike in the hopes that there would be fewer people on the trail. The strategy paid off, when we arrived at the stretch of Highway 67 near the trailhead where one normally finds cars stretching endlessly up and down the road, there were less than a dozen vehicles. We donned our warm jackets and prepared to brave the cold winds.
The trail began on the south edge of the driveway leading to the fire station. Several prominent signs made it hard to miss.
The trail led south, paralleling Highway 67. The thick vegetation hid the sight of the vehicles speeding by, but did little for the traffic noise.
Around .15 mile we came to the paved fire road and turned right.
The road curved around to the left, continuing southward.
As the trail turned west, we saw the boulder-studded Mount Woodson rising up before us.
Soon, we began to climb uphill.
The fire road wound around and switch backed up the mountain.
The uphill climb was a bit of a slog, but there were plenty of nice views of Ramona to keep us entertained.
And as far as fire roads go, this one was actually pretty scenic.
As we neared the top, we spotted this interesting boulder on the side of the trail.
A few more steep switchbacks brought us to the top of the mountain, where there were numerous buildings and antenna arrays. We followed the road to the right to head over to the other side of the mountain and find the infamous Potato Chip Rock.
We passed several more antenna towers.
Finally, just beyond the last of the antenna, we came to Potato Chip Rock. Often, there are hordes of people lined up waiting to take pictures on the delicate looking granite slab, but today there were only a couple of people.
It was freezing cold as the icy wind buffeted us, and we felt no desire to hang around the mountain top any longer than was necessary. We continued on as the trail led down the western side of the mountain.
The trail followed the ridgeline amid thick chaparral and towering boulders.
Around 2.8 miles, we found the turn-off for the Old Fry Koegel Trail on our right. You can take this trail down or continue on to the new Fry Koegel Trail, which is what we did.
We continued on the main trail until a little past 3 miles where we came to another junction. We took the right fork to the Fry Koegel Trail.
Thanks to the cold, wet weather, we hadn’t encountered too many people on the way up. But even on busy days, the Fry Koegel Trail is much less busy than the other two trails up Mount Woodson. Today, it was pretty much deserted.
Around 3.6 miles we found the other end of the Old Fry Koegel Trail on our right. We continued left towards Highway 67.
As we continued downhill, we began to find more trees shading the trail.
We found the thick oak trees a nice change from the chaparral clad hillsides. There was also large patches of poison oak, but the trail was well maintained and it was easy to avoid.
The trail led down towards the edge of a housing development. Around 4.6 miles we found ourselves on the edge of a paved road – the trail continued to the right.
We climbed uphill again briefly through the chaparral, and soon found ourselves amid the verdant oak trees again.
Around 4.8 miles we had a short, but steep uphill climb, then emerged from the oaks to find the trail passing behind a long row of houses.
The wooden rail fence guided us past the houses to around 5.3 miles where we found a paved road. The trail turned right, paralleling the road for a short distance.
There was one more steep uphill section as we neared the Mount Woodson Golf Course.
Once over the hill, we could see Highway 67 a short distance beyond. But there was no direct route to the road, and the trail led us down towards the golf course.
We continued along the edge of the golf course until finally around 5.75 miles the Fry Koegel Trail came to an end, depositing us on Archie Moore Road, a short distance from Highway 67.
From here we turned right and walked along the road to the highway, then turned right again to return our car.
Directions:
From I-15, take the Scripps Poway Pkwy exit. Head east on Scripps Poway Parkway for approximately 8.5 miles to Highway 67. Turn left (north) on Highway 67. Follow Highway 67 for approximately 4.8 miles where you will see a Cal-Fire station on your left near Mount Woodson Road. Carefully park on either side of the highway here, making sure not to block the road to the fire station and being cognizant of the fast-moving highway traffic. map
| Total Distance: | 5.6 miles |
| Difficulty: | Moderate |
| Total Ascent: | 1500 feet |
| Dog Friendly?: | Leashed dogs allowed |
| Bike Friendly?: | Bikes allowed |
| Facilities: | None |
| Fees/Permits: | None |
For more information, visit:
View route or download GPX from CalTopo
