Hike up to celebrated Potato Chip Rock on Sunday

By Emily Sorensen

An online travel site has declared Mt. Woodson’s Potato Chip Rock to be one of the “11 Amazing Places You Need to Visit Once in Your Life,” echoing the sentiments of many San Diegans.

The website, Earth Traveling, listed Potato Chip Rock as #9 on the list which also included the River of Flowers in Keukenhof, Holland, Melissani Cave in Greece, Rocamadour, France and Tat Kuang Si Waterfall in Laos, among others.

City Councilman Jim Cunningham, an avid hiker and a fan of Potato Chip Rock, was forwarded the link by his son.

“The views [from Potato Chip Rock] are ridiculously beautiful,” said Cunningham. “Possibly the best in San Diego.” Potato Chip Rock, the thin overhanging piece of boulder roughly a quarter of a mile from the top of Mt. Woodson that resembles a potato chip due to its thinness, is a popular destination for hikers, especially because of the enormous opportunity for breathtaking photos.

To celebrate, Cunningham is leading a community hike up to Potato Chip Rock beginning at 8 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 24. Any interested hikers should meet the group at the concessions stand at Lake Poway Park, where Cunningham and the group will start off on the roughly 7.5-mile round-trip hike.

The hike up Mt. Woodson is not exactly a walk in the park. “I’d say it’s a moderate to strenuous hike, but you don’t have to kill yourself to get up there. You don’t need any ropes.” One of the difficulties in hiking up Mt. Woodson is the lack of shade. There is only one shady spot, about two miles into the hike, which can make the trip a difficult one in the summer. In the fall, however, this shouldn’t be an issue, said Cunningham. Hikers should still bring about a quart of water, sunscreen, and wear comfortable socks and shoes, as well as bringing a camera, for the obligatory victory photo on Potato Chip Rock.

“Potato Chip Rock is extremely well known, and it’s often used for training for Mt. Whitney and other climbs,” said Cunningham. “It’s a great training hike because it’s vertical, with extreme elevations.” Hikers shouldn’t be concerned, however, because a dedicated group, including Powegian Mike Fry, keep the trails constantly maintained.

Though some might think the thin outcropping of rock is fragile, Cunningham that while the rock is as thin as it looks in photos, he doesn’t have any worries about it breaking anytime soon. “I don’t get a sense it’ll ever break,” said Cunningham. “It’s well founded, so there aren’t any worries.”

Cunningham is thrilled about the recognition Potato Chip Rock and the Mt. Woodson Trail get, on Earth Traveling and all over the Internet, because of the hikers it brings. “The endgame is to get people to come to Poway [to hike to Potato Chip Rock] and make it a destination,” said Cunningham. “Lake Poway Park is a great representation of our city.” More hikers coming from out of town to hike Mt. Woodson and visit Potato Chip Rock also means more revenue for the city, as they visit Poway businesses, said Cunningham.

“This is a potato chip I can recommend to everyone,” said Cunningham. “You can get outdoors, and get some fresh air and exercise.”

Lake Poway Park is located at 14656 Lake Poway Road. There is a parking fee for non-residents, parking is free for Poway residents.

To check out Potato Chip Rock as one of 11 amazing places on Earth Traveling, visit www.earthtraveling.com/11-amazing-places-you-need-to-visit-once-in-your-life/.