This trailhead is located about a mile further north along Hwy 67 from the main staging area where…read morepretty much everyone starts their hike of Iron Mountain. That route is about a six-mile round trip whereas starting from this point makes the trek about 50% harder and longer. The parking lot was located across from a few houses along Ellie Lane, hence the trail name. Only three other vehicles were parked when I arrived. You start off pretty flat along the property line of these houses, but as you continue eastward and then veer north to begin the loop, the route becomes narrower, rockier, and steeper. The terrain was not for beginners. I only saw three sets of hikers during this part of my journey so it was definitely more isolating than the regular Iron Mountain trail. I didn't make a stop at Table Rock, but there were a few spots where you could get great photos of the boulders on the mountainside like when hiking Mt. Woodson. Ramona Viewpoint was another place where you could pause to admire the view of the landscape to the east. The trail had enough twists and climbing that the roughly three miles before reaching the junction with the main path to the Iron Mountain summit was a solid cardio workout. The ascent to the top was about 1.5 miles further which I had done on a few occasions in the past. There were so many more people on this leg including a couple of fools who were wearing flip flops despite the semi-muddy conditions in some spots. On the way back, you make a right turn northward about 1/4 mile before the main staging area to take the western portion of the Wild Horse Trail Loop back to the Ellie Lane trailhead. I really enjoyed the additional challenge and length of this trail. It felt like two hikes for the effort of one. I completed the circuit of nearly nine miles in about 3.5 hours. If there was a drawback, then it would be the lack of more trail markers. I made a couple of wrong turns and had to retrace my steps to stay on track according to the hiking app I was using. I would rate the difficulty level as moderate to hard.

After spending the better part of the morning coming up with new and creative ways to say "No!" to…read morea Carlsbad timeshare peddler, Mrs. Picante and I really wanted to take a long hike, preferably away from hoards of people. We've all seen the photos of fellow Yelpers posing on Potato Chip Rock, but several reviews referred to how crowded the hike was. Since we were leaving at 11:00 AM, we saw that trailhead from the highway, but passed on it, having read that the Ellie Lane trail--the "secret backway" to the Iron Mountain trail, had a lot fewer people. Parking in the small free lot, we saw only three other cars.... definitely a contrast to the Potato Chip trailhead area and the Park N Ride south of Ellie Lane that also serves as staging for the Iron Mountain main trail. In summary: we were not disappointed! The hike starts relatively flat flanking a small ranch property and a few houses built into the hillside, but quickly turns into a zig-zagging scramble up a rocky trail through the aeons-old boulder field of the Poway hillsides. Recent rains had eroded the trail slightly in a few places, and the cool of December along with the sun tracking lower across the sky left the ground damp-- great, since it can get pretty hot and dusty here in the summer. Plenty of large boulder promontories presented photo ops with the ocean glimmering on the horizon... every bit as pretty as Potato Chip, though arguably not as unique as that eroded land feature. Steady uphill and a quick pace racing the sunset kept our hearts beating well. After a couple of miles, we came to Table Rock. Couldn't connect the drone, and probably not supposed to fly it here anyway, so we kept going. The trail got a little hard to find here, but we recovered it fairly quickly and kept moving towards Iron Mountain. A half mile of downhill brought us to a junction: right to head back towards the Park N Ride, and left to head up towards Iron Mountain. We opted for more uphill, and made it as far as the rock formation at the top, where a sign warns that raptor nesting in the rocks prohibits humans in the winter months. I assumed they didn't mean velociraptors; and besides, I like hawks and eagles and wouldn't want their little babies to jump off the nest ledge on my account. Besides, we were running out of daylight, and had to high tail it back down. On the way back we stayed in the main Iron Mountain trail until the last turn right back to Ellie Lane. We arrived with a little orange left in the sky, and only our truck in the lot. All told, we only passed two other hiking groups: a dad and his kids, and a lone fellow out exploring who was fresh in from Menlo Park. If you're looking for a fairly challenging hike, with plenty of photo ops on big granite boulders... and you'd rather not wait in line to take your picture on said rocks... this is a great place to enjoy some outside time!

This was a pleasant hike that was north of the more famous Mount Woodson Trail (aka Potato Chip…read moreRock) in Poway. You can actually choose your own adventure about 0.6 mile in with a less strenuous trek that headed south to Lake Poway or a tougher path east and then north that ascended to Lake Ramona. I chose the latter as it was only a round trip of about five miles. There were several switchbacks during the climb towards the summit. The hardest part came just short of Lake Ramona when the dirt became a black top pavement. The footing became better, but the steepness and stiff, swirling breezes made it a challenge. Once you reached the top, the reward was a beautiful view of the lake. There were a few folks who had arrived earlier, and they were armed with fishing poles. I had no idea how they were going to cast their lines because large boulders blocked the way down to the water. It took me exactly two hours from start to finish which included a little rest time at the peak to appreciate the view of the serene water. A bonus of the Blue Sky Ecological Reserve was that the parking lot at the trailhead was very well maintained. If this trail was longer, then I likely would have rated it with five stars.

Great spot for a peaceful hike. There are plenty of trails to explore. We ended up doing a 2-mile…read moreloop. The path has informative placards throughout, and I loved all the beautiful greenery along the way. There's a large parking lot nearby, and it wasn't crowded. We only saw a few other hikers. A lovely place to get outside and enjoy nature.

Super quick hike, a big incline, but not a long distance so it was t bad. I would do this one againread more

My little hiking phase brought me to this mountain. I always see this mountain right off the 15…read morewith the cross on top in RB. I thought it's a good way to conquer my fear of hills since I read the reviews and it takes about 20 minutes to get to the top. I thought piece of cake! I can do this... When I stood at the bottom and looked at the top I thought maybe I should just turn around. I usually have a hard time breathing when it comes to hills but I need to practice. I am glad I did it. I got to the top in 15 minutes! A few times I was scared because I looked behind me to see how far I went up. Man it's a long way down. The incline was steep but manageable. It was very rocky and the trail is eroded so watch your step. I was always scared I was going to slip and fall because I have horrible balance but I made it up! The view at the top is phenomenal and well worth it. You can see everything at the top. I always love seeing the view of lake hodges. So beautiful. I had to think about getting down after I enjoyed the view at the top. I swear it took me way longer to get down. It took me 25 minutes just to get down. My fear of sliding down the mountain made me take my time. I took the tiniest steps. I fall when the road is flat and I have the scars to prove it so me falling down may have happened so I had to take my time and watch my step. This is a great hike with a great view. If you want a quick hike then this is the one for you.

A few weeks ago my cousin and I were looking for a chill way to spend the day. Our plan was to…read morelook for a place without a lot of people, hike for a while... nothing too challenging, but to get some exercise. We also wanted to bring a picnic for after our hike. Goodan Ranch was suggested to us by a family member, as he does regular mountain biking there. Anyway, getting there was relatively easy. We spent a good deal of time on a small, but neatly paved road that lead a ways off a highway to a gravel lot. I know that they do stargazing and other events there, so I imagine the lot can get crowded, but that day, there was ample parking available. I liked that there were several signs mapping the trails around the area. There is a large loop, larger loop and a few ways to cut back for a shorter hikes. The paths are mostly open, providing space for bikers or horses. We only saw a couple bikers and a couple hikers during the time that we were there. I enjoyed the green pastures and variety of colorful wildflowers. It was really quite beautiful. There were a couple of picnic tables. When we had finished our hike, we grabbed our cooler from the car and we were able walk back down a short ways to the picnic table. Another plus is that the restrooms near the parking area were very clean. I look forward to heading back for a stargazing event!

I was looking at hiking trails online and noticed this was a 6.5 mile loop on a preserve just south…read moreof Scripps Poway Parkway and west of Hwy 67. I entered the property on the northeast side off Hwy 67. It was a staging area set up for horses to be unloaded and taken on the trails. The path started off wide for equestrian riders and meandered up and down to the south and west before tailing off. After the descent, the trek followed very flat terrain and headed northbound to a ranger station which was in the middle of the ranch. On my way, there was a historic windmill which I somehow completely missed. I will have to notice that landmark next time and take a photo. I didn't make a stop inside the ranger station, but it was a nice sized building which had outdoor restroom facilities too. Continuing north for another mile or so brought you to the Goodan Ranch Staging Area. That was the main entrance to the Sycamore Canyon Open Space Preserve. A small lot was available for parking. To finish the loop back to where I started, a one-way trail (Martha's Grove) took me east, south and then west before a sharp switchback towards the east again led me up Cardiac Hill. This was the last segment before I arrived where my vehicle was parked on Sycamore Park Drive at the Hwy 67 Staging Area. Overall, this was an easy to moderate difficulty hike. There wasn't much shade until you were near the ranger station and then on the Martha's Grove Trail. I completed the entire circuit in 2.5 hours in beautiful mid-70 degree weather with low humidity.

A beautiful hike! I stopped here with. Friend on a cloudy, overcast day. Drizzle filled the air and…read moreso did good conversation. The trial is marked, but admittedly I am a first timer here so I'm not sure how exactly it loops and how to follow or explore the options. Either way, I enjoyed the hike and would love to come back again and see what extensions or other options there are to explore. It can be a rocky in places and smooth dirt in other places. I would recommend wearing hiking boots!

There is a parking lot here. Free parking and lots of spaces…read more The trail is flat for nearly the entire trail. Not shaded tho. For a flat hike it has a great view. The lake was beautiful. Nice and quiet hidden gem with a view. Good for social distancing during COVID times.

A nice section of the Coast to Crest trail system that takes you right next to Lake Hodges Dam…read more - The trail goes mostly along the Del Dios Highway. So be prepared for loud car noises. - Many rattlesnake signs, and even a lookout called rattlesnake viewpoint.. - From the parking lot across from Cielo Rancho Fe, it's about 2 miles to the lookout. A few hills, but any family should be able to make it. Watch out for bikers tho... I challenge you! - It's 20 miles from this trail to the Wild Animal Park in Escondido...Do it in one day! Tip - Check out the website Hidden San Diego and look up the Lake Hodges Dam. Really cool photography (all trespassing mind you).

You can go east or west on this trail. We went west…read more The first few miles are beside a golf course, so you hear a lot of voices but don't actually see anyone. We didn't go far, but it was a nicely groomed trail, easy to walk side by side for most of it. There were several picturesque bridges and waterways with water, but it's winter so it might be much drier in other months. There's a little hidden pond on the right, you won't see it if you're not looking. We saw more bikers than hikers. They were very courteous and shared the trail. Although there is signage saying dogs must be leashed there were two separate instances of dogs exploding from the brush onto the trail while their owners gave us "yea what are you going to do about it" looks. There was only one abandoned dog poop bag on the trail. Surprisingly I didn't see any doggie doo on the actual trail. This was a nice change of pace. However, the coyotes have not been trained to do their business off trail. I need to speak to their manager. I wished we'd had more time to walk further. And I really want to walk the east side next. Oh, best part is the fruit stand. If they are open, the chocolate covered strawberries were good, but the raspberries were amazing!

Located in Mount Laguna (Not in Rancho Bernardo as the Yelp page states), this is a network of…read moretrails that ends up at or around Big Laguna lake. Hiking wise there are three approaches. From the south up, from the north down (my entry point), and from the side ( though a privately managed campground). From a milage perspective, expect around 6-8 miles total if you do a full loop from the north or south. Of course just walking to the lake and back will put you around 4 miles using the most direct trails. Family-friendly, but these trails are heavily used by mountain bikers. Ideally, these trails are great for both hiker and biker. Know the unwritten social rules of the road before biking/hiking here. Always put your head on a swivel. Some bikes go very fast. Always have an adult in front and behind the kids if you're hiking as a family. If you're a biker, have a bell on your bike and if you're in a group of bikers be sure to let hikers know if there are more bikers trailing behind you. These rules seemed to be understood by most people on this trail. NOT PUP FRIENDLY. Unless you go during December through March don't bring your dogs. The afternoon that we visited (early June) is was about 80 outside and there were several dog rescues that were performed. We assisted in one of them. Wasn't uncommon to see dog owners carrying their dogs during the final stretch. Altitude plus moderate sun/heat exposure is what defines this trail. Plus ticks and snakes. Keep the pups at home. - lots of snakes here. Stay on trail.

It's a fun trail, not very difficult. The lake looked like it could use some TLC. There are lots of…read morecamping sites near by so good for the family.

What a gorgeous area to hike. It is so beautiful, and you see cows, horses, and other animals along…read morethe way. The trail is very popular and often busy but worth the visit. Parking is available on site, as is a portable restroom at the trailhead. We visited this site almost every day as it's a good way to start the day. Highly recommended.

This is an absolutely lovely place to hike. Actually we came out for more of a leisurely walk, just…read moreto enjoy some fresh air on and unseasonably warm winter day. I don't have much to say that others have not, but here are a few pictures. Definitely worth a visit!