Mt. Woodson - #Mt.Woodson

Socal - San Diego County - Poway NickNames: #Mt.Woodson lake poway to mt. woodson

TOP to LAKE POWAY: Park on Hwy 67 near the gate to the access road, (Thomas Guide 1171, F4). Ride the marked trail to the paved road that climbs 1.8 miles to the top. Once you have hiked-biked-pushed to the top, find the single track trail near the west antenna tower. That will take you down the other side, all the way to Lake Poway.

LAKE POWAY to the TOP: See Lake Poway trail description. The Mt. Woodson trail is clearly marked where it departs from the Lake Poway trail. You can see it climb eastward, from across the lake near the boat launch. Ride around the lake (either direction) to find the trailhead. Enjoy! Thomas Guide page: 1171

8 Review(s)20 Photo(s)Login

• Trail UpdateMount Woodson-I ride this trail once or twice a week, starting at the CDF fire station on hwy 67, take the "hiking trail" to the road at the end, go up the paved path almost two miles for a great work out then up and over past the antennas, and enjoy the 20 minutes single track down the otherside.

  I've posted a few videos on youtube channel: SADRAD24.

  Enjoy, be nice to the hikers.
  Stranger a 42 year old Racer riding a Santa Cruz from Ramona, CA

  Posted:10/11/2010

• Trail UpdateLake Poway To Mt. Woodson Summit-My update doesn't add that much except that this area was burned in the recent Witch Fire. Lots of granny gear on this one and a pretty darn good workout but a great 20 minute ride back down. There are a lot of hikers on this trail so be cautious on the downhill. You'll be going too slow on the uphill to bother anyone. There are lots of places that will be hiked on the way up but they tend to be short. There are a few on the way down that require you to dismount unless you're expert level. Great trail though.
  a 45 year old Weekend Warrior riding a Yeti 575 from San Diego

  Posted:03/01/2008

• Trail UpdateMt. Woodson Gave Me A Woody...-Awesome trail!!! We rode to the summit (radio towers) from Lake Poway. Highly recommended for a more aerobic workout, or you can take a shuttle or just ride up the paved rode off hwy 67 and ride down to the lake. About 3.3 miles from parking lot to summit so 6.6 miles round trip. The first half is dirt road then eventually turns into insane switch backs. Unless you’re a total “hero killer” you might want to wear some hiking shoes, and have to partake in some “hike-a-bike” sections on your way up. Tough going up but fun going down. Woodson is a very scenic trail with awesome panoramic views and lots of neat looking rock features. This trail is not for the faint hearted, but if you can hang, it’s well worth it.
  Terminator Z a 23 year old Die-hard Enthusiast riding a Iron Horse Yakuza from Escondillhole

  Posted:02/15/2007

• Trail UpdateMt. Woodson Trail-Super Bowl Sunday morning we rode to the peak of Mt. Woodson. We were originally planning on riding around the lake and over the twin peaks but figuring we needed to pre-work the Super Bowl beers off, we decided to take the detour up the Mt. Woodson trail. The trail was suprisingly in great condition and it's not too steep if your a good climber. The scenery was great and will urge you on. There were several downhillers towards the bottom who said that there are two ways down and one is quite rutted and rocky. I took the trail to the peak and found it in suprisingly good condition. On the way to the top it's easy to see why so many hikers love the trail! The feeling of discovery and the interesting rock formations that surround you is something to see. Towards the top there are some tough switchbacks and tightspots that will likely force you to hike your bike but again the trail is easy to appreciate. Thanks to those who did some excellent trailwork recently! After the climbing was over, the view was great, and the way down was a great reward for your work. If you've tried alot of the other San Diego area trails you need to add this to your list! If you don't care to see the view from the peak and want to stay in the saddle, the trail connects with other trails about 3/4 of the way up, I'll have to go back soon and explore!
  
  Ride rating: Advanced
  Ride distance: 3.5 miles Elevation change: 1200
  Singletrack=50% Dirt Road=50%
  ICPAYDIRT a 31 year old Cross-Country Rider riding a Santa Cruz Superlight from Pacific Beach

  Posted:02/20/2005

• Trail UpdateMt Woodson Rd-This is steep little road up to the top from Rt 67! Luckily it's not all that long, and the boulder formations are pretty fun to check out. Have to admit that when I saw the trail going down towards Lake Poway, I sorta wussed out - just wasn't prepared at the time for a tight, overgrown, steep dirt trail with foot-deep ruts all through it, plus I didn't want tohave to climb it back up!

  Yeah, I know... waaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh! I shoulda done it - maybe next time I'll come with a buddy and tackle it...

  Even just the paved road is a decent workout though, esp. if you only have an hour or so, and the views from on high are killer.
  Ride rating: Novice
  Ride distance: 6 miles Elevation change: 1500
  Paved Path=100%
  The Seaclasper a 34 year old Cross-Country Rider

  Posted:11/06/2004

• Trail UpdateMt Woodson Return Trails To 67?-I was thinking about going up the east (paved) road to the top of Woodson, then down the other side, but not all the way to Lake Poway. Rather I want to return some other way. Looking at a map, there is a trail just north of Woodson (Fry Koegel) that returns to the 67, and one just south (Warren Canyon trail) that also returns to the 67. Anybody biked or hiked either of these before? Thanks for any info!
  The Seaclasper a 34 year old Cross-Country Rider riding a mahogony borscht-swilling rat-trap

  Posted:10/31/2004

• Trail UpdateLake Poway To Mt. Woodson Summit-I rode the trail from Lake Poway to the top of Mt. Woodson to see what all the hype was about. It is definatly a good climb. The first half is nice, wide and well maintained trails. Then the Mt Woodson trail breaks off into a much more rugged single track. It just rained last week so the ruts are deep and fresh. At this point I hiked a good part of the way up due to massive boulders and 15" deep ruts. But eventually I made it to the towers at the top where the trail meets the service road that goes to Highway 67. Coming down wasn't much easier than coming up. I don't have suspension on my bike and my joints took some serious shock. Only a couple miles to the top, but a hard workout all the way up. Oh the view is totally worth it though if the haze is clear and you can see the ocean!
  Ride rating: Advanced
  Ride distance: Elevation change: ~1800 feet
  Singletrack=70% Truck Trail=30%
  Marty a 24 year old Weekend Warrior riding a 1988 super light Mt Fuji from Vista, CA

  Posted:10/30/2004

• Trail UpdateWorth The Work.-Rode this trail (TOP to LAKE POWAY) today. After a long push up the access road, the fun began from the top! What a view! The trail looked mostly used by hikers and horses. However, much of the top had a rain rut at least 12 inches deep. The 'staircase' section has been tended to very nicely. Lots of restoration in that area including brush clearance and water barrier repair. (Thanks trail crew!) Once you've dropped down the south side of the main ridge, the trail gets wider and faster except for the occasional sqeeze through boulders.
  Overall, this is a steep decent (or climb) and has some very challenging technical sections. Great Trail! ...but it'll make you earn it. The climb from Hwy 67 to the top starts at 1784 Ft elevation and climbs to 2894 Ft at the top, in just 1.8 miles. But, then you get to decend to about 950 Ft elevation at Lake Poway, in 1.3 miles. I definitely recommend this ride.

  Here is a great site for topo maps and arial photos of anywhere in the U.S. A great way to look at an area before you head out there. http://terraserver-usa.com/

  
  Ride rating: Advanced
  Ride distance: 3.1 miles Elevation change: 1950 Ft.
  SteeveOh a 37 year old Downhiller riding a 04 Specialized Big Hit Expert from Rancho Bernardo, CA URL: TerraServer USA

  Posted:06/12/2004