Potato Chip Rock
A thin slab of stone jutting out over the edge on Mount Woodson. Posing on the 'potato chip' is Southern California's hottest hiking photo spot.
Potato Chip Rock sits near the summit of Mount Woodson in the city of Poway. A slab of granite about 5 centimeters thick juts out into the air, looking like a potato chip, and visitors queue to pose on it for photos. The standard route starts at Lake Poway and covers about 12 kilometers round trip with roughly 600 meters of elevation gain, taking 4-5 hours. A shorter route follows a fire road from Highway 67, but parking is along the highway. On weekends the photo queue can exceed one hour, so bring plenty of water and sun protection. The edge of the rock is dangerous, so take care. It is about 45 kilometers from downtown.
Opening hours
All day (Lake Poway parking lot approx. sunrise to sunset)
Nearby sights
- San Diego Zoo Safari Park
- Mission Basilica San Diego de Alcalá
- Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve
- Salk Institute for Biological Studies
- Birch Aquarium at Scripps
- Mount Soledad National Veterans Memorial
- San Diego Zoo
- Balboa Park