Location: Poway
Top Things to do in Poway
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5 Hiking Trails in Poway That You Shouldn't Miss
Poway /ˈpaʊ.eɪ/ is a city in San Diego County, California, United States. Originally an unincorporated community in the county, Poway officially became a city on December 12, 1980. Poway's rural roots gave rise to its slogan "The City in the Country". As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 47,811. The ZIP Code is 92064.
Restaurants in Poway
1. Iron Mountain
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 80 reviews
Reviewed By SimeyTravels - San Diego, United States
We're slowly getting back into our hiking groove, carefully navigating a post-pandemic great outdoors. This was our first time hiking Iron Mountain, and we're now fans of this spot. The beautiful and welcoming tree tunnel really sets the mood, welcoming you in before opening up to the trails. And goodness, that tree tunnel is absolutely a blessing on your way back to the parking lot, offering respite from the sun, dropping the temperature by a good 10 degrees. We arrived a bit later than planned, as our morning started with a lot more lazing-in-bed than prepping-to-hike, but it worked out, because we were able to find parking in the dirt lot. We set out at around 11:30 am, which isn't smart on most days, but this particular Saturday in April was cool and a bit overcast, which helped a ton. There's a lot of good signage along the trails, which helps those who get lost easily...or frequently. It was also nice to see that the rescue team was on hand, buzzing the trails in the bright yellow helicopter, keeping an eye out for anyone in distress. The trails did get a bit tight - it's a popular spot - but for the most part, people were respectful and tried to keep as much distance as possible. There were a fair number of mask-less hikers out, but that's not the trail's fault. You get those people everywhere. We didn't spend as much time at the top as I would've liked - it was quite packed up there and we could see more people making their way to the summit, but it is quite pretty there. We were at least able to catch our breath and take a few pictures before making our way back down. I imagine we'll be heading back to Iron Mountain for another hike later this year, but we're also eager to explore some of our city's other trails, first. I am glad that we smothered ourselves in sunblock and had 64 ounces of water on us. There's not much shade on those open dirt trails.
2. Mount Woodson Trail
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 56 reviews
Reviewed By Susie1028 - San Diego, United States
There are several routes up to Potato Chip Rock on Mount Woodson. There is an 8ish mile hike from Lake Poway recreational park (with a parking fee of $10 for non-resident cars, 6AM to sunset). There is a also a 4ish mile hike up the fire road on the 67 in Ramona (park on the side of the road, though they approved a 100 spot parking lot in the near future). This hike has some elevation gain (2000 feet from Poway and 1200 feet from Ramona), and is rated as challenging. This area gets extremely hot in the warmer months, and there is no shade along the trail. So brings lots of water and proper clothing. Be warned that if you start in the later morning or afternoon on a weekend, not only will the sun be beating down on you, but the line to get a picture on Potato Chip Rock will be extremely long (up to one hour).
3. Blue Sky Reserve
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 33 reviews
Reviewed By lindawU2175DY - Henderson, United States
My husband and I were looking for something fun to do on our last day of a California vacation with a lot of driving and found this place which turned out to be great for birding in addition to giving us the exercise we were lacking. We arrived a little after 8 am on a Friday and the parking lot had quite a few cars although we didn't see that many people on our walk. After a short uphill section on the overlook trail, the path turned into a shady dirt road and a fairly easy walk through the canyon. We wanted more when we got near the end of the trail and took the trail out of the reserve toward Lake Poway which was a little more challenging climbing out of the canyon and up over the altitude of the earthen dam and then down to the lake parking lot where there were restrooms and a water fountain. Along this path we came across a small stream and spotted a nutmeg mannequin, a finch that we hadn't seen before. We arrived back at our car at just about noon and there were very few cars in the lot at that hour.
4. Goodan Ranch Sycamore Canyon Preserve
5. Twin Peaks Trail
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 6 reviews
