Mt. Woodson via Fry Koegel Trail

Cappie’s Scoop: This is one of our favorite hikes to watch the sunset. Sometimes the sun is out and sometimes it hides behind the white fluffy stuff. At the beginning of the trail, we pass a lot of bird houses and one day we got to meet the hoomans who built them! They love birds and dogs! Mom is pretty good at timing and we always make it to the Potato Chip (nope, you can’t eat it), just as the sun has disappeared. We have some treats (of course) and then we break out our night gear. I get to use my lighted collar as we head down the paved road. It can be fun hiking in the dark except when I see a shadow of something and want to chase it. Don’t hesitate to add YOUR scoop in the comments below!

Tips: This hike starts near Archie Moore Rd and you pick up the trail on the other side of the guardrail near where you parked the car, next to the golf course. The loop finishes near the Cal Fire Ramona Station and it’s about 0.3 mile walk back down the road to your car (depending on where you parked, closer to the start or finish). This hike is great to start about 2 hrs before sunset so when you reach the Potato Chip Rock, the sun should almost have set giving you a beautiful view. Bring a headlamp and take the paved trail back to your car for a safe return in the dark.

Directions: Use coordinates to get near where you should park. From 163 N, merge onto I-15 N, then east onto Scripps Poway Pkwy. Turn left/north on SR-67. Drive past the Cal Fire Ramona Station (address is 16310 SR-67, Ramona, CA) which will be on your left (this is also 3 miles past the junction of Poway Rd. and SR-67) until you can safely turn around to park on the SR-67 shoulder near Archie Moore Rd.