Potato Chip Rock
2 Reviews
Hello everyone! This is a friendly reminder that any of these fun places we may visit, we are a guest at. Please treat both businesses and trails with the utmost respect. We here at Hidden San Diego follow the 'Leave no Trace' mantra, meaning whatever you bring with you comes back with you. If you see trash on a trail, please do your part to help remove it. Remember, we are not picking up trash from another person but instead cleaning up for Mother Nature. Happy adventures!
Highway 67
Ramona, CA 92065
Phone:Â (858) 668-4772
33.009285, -116.974271
Hike: 4.2 miles roundtrip  Elevation Gain: 1165 ft.
Dogs-friendly: Yes  Kid-Friendly:  Yes
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About Potato Chip Rock
Potato Chip Rock Trailhead Options:
Option #1: Trailhead begins from Poway Lake// 33.004620, -117.006116
Hike: 7.5 miles roundtrip  Elevation Gain: 2,232 ft.
Option #2: Trailhead begins in Ramona on highway 67// 33.008093, -116.955475
Since Potato Chip Rock took the internet by storm years back, I have been adamantly against visiting it. Still, I longed to get some really neat night shots. Going at night seemed like the best way to avoid the hoards of people & long lines waiting to pose on top of the thin rock with a seeming drop below to your death.
I was surprised by how gorgeous this hike was! There are huge boulders everywhere which I was not expecting. The silhouettes of the trees were great too. I would imagine this would be a rock-climber or boulderer’s dream!
Make sure to check out our list of all hidden gems in Poway!
The views on the way up to Potato Chip Rock are stunning almost the entire way up. Please know that the destination is shared with satellite towers which is as far from nature as you can get unfortunately. The road we hiked up is the service road actually.
There are two different ways to get to the top. We took the trail from highway 67 as it is a clean shot right to the top and Poway Lake closes at night so we would not have been able to park there. This is quite a climb but we didn’t find it too difficult. Obviously it’s nice and cool at night, but keep in mind this area is known for getting very hot in the day.
There were the coolest wind formations on this one rock we came across. I brought a ton of LED lights with me and it seemed fitting to put the lights inside:
Please note: these are fake tea lights. Do not use flames in areas like this which could easily start a wildfire/disaster!
Photo below is by my friend Josh Claros:
Anonymous
This is listed under the Free category, but you must pay an entrance fee to the park
April 10, 2019
Anonymous
When I went I didn’t have to pay an entrance fee to the park, but I went to the Route 67 trail. Just parked on the side of the road and hiked in.
June 9, 2020