Mount Woodson

About the Hike: Moderate hike, gets pretty steep in parts. There is limited vegetation cover during the start of the hike, summers are rather hot, preferred time is spring or fall.

Time: Start: 11.45am, End: 4.15pm, total hiking time = 4.5hrs

Distance: 4.4mi one-way on trail, (about a mile on road and around Lake Poway) 3.4mi along main trail, elevation: 2000ft gain

Driving and other Info:
Lake Poway, 30 minutes from La Jolla

Our Hike: We did this hike at least twice, relatively cool days both times. Pretty easy hike for active folks, is a good hike to start with if you have not been active. We saw a rattler close to the top, so watch out for the shadowy sides.

Elfin Forest

About the Hike: Easy hike. Vegetation on and off the trail, it is part of an ecological preserve, starts off with a small stream and goes uphill, not very steep. Preferred time is spring or fall.

Time: Start: 2.30pm, End: 5.30pm, total hiking time = 3hrs

Distance: 3.2mi roudtrip, elevation: 1200ft gain

Driving and other Info:
Easy to get lost .. we followed google maps which routed through a private community, google seems to have corrected the error. From Highway 78 take Rancho Santa Fe Road south. East on San Elijo Road, turn into Elfin Forest road, and 5.5 mi, pull into the Elfin Forest Receational Reserve parking lot. 40 minutes from La Jolla.

Our Hike: Very pleasant hike, good if you have not had any activity and want to warm up to the tougher ones. We took our time on this, and the day was cool, so overall very enjoyable.