Mt. Woodson

Hike up to the top of Mt. Woodson and earn your 360 degree view of San Diego County. Mt. Woodson is accessible from either Lake Poway or the Blue Sky Preserve. Both hikes are strenuous but breathtaking.

The Lake Poway route will cost you $4 for entrance. The hike is a good 6 ½ miles round trip and gains you an elevation of over 2,000 feet. Once you hit the mountain, you’ll see plenty of large boulders that are popular with rock climbers. The best time to hike Mt. Woodson is in spring, fall or winter. The summer months are just too hot.

The Blue Sky Preserve route is longer because it starts outside of Lake Poway. You will bypass the fee but it makes for a longer (10 miles round trip) and more strenuous hike.

You can also hike in from Highway 67. About three miles north of the Poway Road Hwy 67 junction you’ll see a gate and an access road. There’s a marked trail leading to a paved road that climbs 1.8 miles to the top. This is a popular track for mountain bikers; they start here, connect to the trail that leads back down to Lake Poway and ride down. At the bottom, they’ll have a friend waiting with their car so they don’t have to ride back up.

Another popular hike starts off of Archie Moore Road just before the entrance to the Mt. Woodson Country Club. You’ll hike pass the golf course and the homes nearby but eventually the development gives way to nature and you’ll find yourself amongst the oaks, manzanita and boulders.

Mt. Woodson is popular with rock climbers and is well known for having the best granite boulders in southern California. Climbers like the sheer number of boulders along with the varying degree of difficulty Mt. Woodson offers.

The Mt. Woodson Country Club is here too. Golf Magazine ranked Mt. Woodson Country Club as the “Most Awesome Golf Course” in Southern California. Not only is it a fantastic golf course, the panoramic views and its historic “castle” make this a true diamond in the rough.

The “castle” is a 27-room stone mansion built in 1921. This 12,000 square foot stone castle is listed in the National Historic Registry. It’s incredibly beautiful and makes a stunning location for weddings, retreats and meetings.

Mt. Woodson golf course is located at 16422 N. Woodson Drive. If you want to golf San Diego style and enjoy the incredible scenery at the same time, Mt. Woodson Country Club is the place to do it!

Hiking Mt. Woodson
LocalHikes - Mt. Woodson
Mt. Woodson Panoramic