Have you ever heard of Potato Chip Rock? No, it’s not a potato chip on a rock, but an actual rock you can hike to that resembles a potato chip. If you are looking for a family hike in the San Diego area and want epic views from the top, put Potato Chip Rock on your list.
Potato Chip Rock is located about a 40-minute drive from downtown San Diego. There are two options to reach the hike. Mt. Woodson is the longer, more scenic route. Or the Hwy 67 route, which takes less time, is on a paved trail but is rather steep. I’ve included information for both routes, but as we hiked the Hwy 67 Trail, I’ll give more info for that route.
Mt. Woodson Trail
7.3 miles / Approximately 3-4 hours
If you are looking for a scenic hike that will take you past the gorgeous Poway Lake and up past enormous boulders, then this is the trail for you. Make sure you pack lots of water and snacks and preferably start earlier in the day as this path can get hot. There are a few bathrooms along the way but not much shade. If your kids are used to hiking and love to hike, this might be the route to take.
You’ll want to park at Poway Lake to begin your hike. It costs $10 to park for the day on weekends or holidays. Once you’ve parked, walk towards the right, and you will follow the trail partially around the lake. You will then reach the actual trailhead. Continue left up this steep trail for three miles, and eventually, you will arrive at Potato Chip Rock.
If going this route, I would advise being as upfront with your kids as possible on the length of time for this hike. Our main reason for going was to see Potato Chip Rock, not necessarily for a longer, scenic hike, so we decided the shorter route would work best for our family.
Hwy 67 Trail
4.1 miles / Approximately 2-3 hours
The Hwy 67 Trail is a shorter hike, but it’s quite steep, so keep that in mind. It’s about a 4-mile hike round trip which takes a little over 2 hours total.
To reach the start of the trailhead, drive towards Ramona on Highway 67. You’ll see the Cal Fire Station sign on your left, make a U-turn, and park alongside the road. It’s a very busy road so keep that in mind, please.
The trailhead begins to the left of the Cal Fire Station sign. There will be a few directional signs along the way, but basically, you will walk along a dirt trail until you reach the paved path.
And then you continue up. It’s an incline of about 1,220 feet. It took us approximately 50 minutes to get to the top without stopping. Many say this is not the scenic route, especially as it’s on a paved trail. But we found the views over Ramona and Poway below to be quite stunning.
The paved trail will fork once you reach the top (where all the antennas are). You will want to head to the right and continue down the hill until you reach Potato Chip Rock which will be on the right side. Most likely, you will see some people standing in line to climb out onto the rock.
To get out onto Potato Chip Rock, you will first climb up a large boulder. You will walk to its edge and either hoist yourself down to the rock below or make the small three-foot jump. Making this jump was the scariest part for me as a small crevice sits between the two rocks. Though I took some time to ponder how to do it, I eventually jumped across. And yes, my kids jumped without hesitation!
You will then walk out onto the ledge of Potato Chip Rock to enjoy the views and get that photo you came to capture. Selfies will not work here, but as there are usually people in line, you can ask someone behind you to snap a picture of your family and then return the favor.
While you may want to climb the rock, take the photo and climb back down, do yourself a favor and take a few moments to enjoy the views in the distance.
To get off the rock, you will walk back off the ledge and then will need to hoist yourself up to the larger boulder. My husband stood there, and we each put a foot in his hand while he boosted us up. Or put those muscles to work and push yourself up.
There will likely be a line of people waiting to climb out onto the rock. On sunny weekend days, I have heard the lines can be as long as one hour of waiting time. I recommend going on a weekday and heading out as early as possible.
After we enjoyed our time on the rock, we headed back down. It took us about 35 minutes to get to the bottom. It was about 2 hours for the entire experience, though this is the shortest amount of time I would think it would take. I would plan between 2-3 hours round trip. Keep in mind there are no toilets this route.
Age Recommendation
I recommend this hike for older children. If you decide to go with younger kids, please hold their hands when on the rock. It is a bit of a drop to the ground below. Again, there is minimal shade and no restroom facilities on the Hwy 67 Trail.
When to Go
The day we went, it had rained the night before. We debated whether this would be a good time as it could be slippery on the trail and the rock itself. We wondered if we would even be able to see the rock or views due to clouds once we reached the summit. But as we started on the hike, the rain had cleared, and we decided to go for it. It turned out to be a perfect time to go as there were fewer crowds and the weather was pleasant. In fact, we only had one person in front of us to climb onto Potato Chip Rock which is relatively uncommon.
Of course, it would have been nice to be there on a gorgeous sunny day with blue skies overhead. But I don’t know how much we would have enjoyed waiting in line for a photo. Determine what works best for you and your family, and then go for it! No matter when you go, you won’t be disappointed once you do this hike.
What to Bring
For this hiking adventure, I recommend:
- Wearing shoes with good traction
- Bring plenty of water
- Pack snacks
- Bring a walking stick if you need
- Apply that sunscreen
- Wear a hat
- Don’t forget your camera/phone
Tip: bring a can of pringles. Let your kids pose with a pringle in hand (they will think it’s hilarious), or have them eat while at the top, enjoying the view of the Potato Chip Rock!
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