Location: Poway
Top Things to do in Poway
What to do and see in Poway, United States: The Best Places and Tips
Poway /ˈpaʊ.eɪ/ is a city in San Diego County, California, United States. Originally an unincorporated community in the county, Poway officially became a city on December 12, 1980. Poway's rural roots gave rise to its slogan "The City in the Country". As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 47,811. The ZIP Code is 92064.
Restaurants in Poway
1. Santee Lakes
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 146 reviews
Reviewed By sydney47 - Longmont, Colorado
literally, these lakes have something for everyone. Camping, fishing, playgrounds, volleyball, family get- togethers,geocaching, birding, pedal boats and the list goes on and on. we will definitely be back overall grade B+
2. Potato Chip Rock
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 123 reviews
Reviewed By elixirpost - cerritos
Good work out if you take the eight mile round trip hike from the Poway lake. Other one is shorter and less scenic? As the saying goes, It is the Journey Not the Destination!
Warning! Think twice before taking the round trip option while returning since it can be very tiring and could add two extra miles of descend/ascend which could be harsh to your already beaten body? Suggest using the same stretch to get back to the parking lot from the junction shown in the picture!
Spring may be the best time to go. Go early morning if you are going in summer. Carry plenty of water, use sun screen and take hiking poles to make it a good experience!
Go on a week day to avoid crowd which can be very annoying based on the comments! Also parking is FREE except weekends and holidays!
Google "City of Poway trails system" for the latest conditions, trail maps and info before your trip!
3. Old Poway Park
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 104 reviews
Reviewed By HPotter8 - Los Angeles, California
We just stumbled onto this little gem of a park and old town in Poway on our way to the neighboring Wholly Crepes breakfast joint. It is a delightful way to spend a leisurely hour and some time just wandering around the beautiful small park, gazebo, and the restored old buildings associated with the train station. On the weekends, you can also purchase tickets for quick train rides around the park.
Don't forget to bring a decent camera since the park provides a nice setting for family pictures and portraits.
Unfortunately, I cannot recommend the Hamburger Factory restaurant- cute western decor sadly does not make up for the below average food.
4. Orfila Vineyards & Winery
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 205 reviews
Reviewed By mj45cal
What a winery. They have beautiful tasting room with all kinds of neat Knick knacks for sell. Clothing, food, chilled wines and a outdoor area to nosh and drink wine. Food trucks and entertainment. But the wines were the let down. Maybe it’s because we went to two other wineries prior to visiting Orfila which had some of the best Ramona/Escondido had to offer. The wines in one form or the other did not impress. We bought 6 tastes. The Viognier held promise as it filled the mouth but disappoints on the way down. It seemed to finish a bit short. The two Chardonnays were okay but for the price they were not worth it. The Lotus was a nice wine but seemed a bit flat. The rose really is a version of white zinfandel. For a first time wine drinker this is the wine to buy. The only red we liked was the Montepulciano. It was a nice wine. A bit tart but nice fruit. This is not the best representative of the Ramona/Escondido area wineries.
5. Iron Mountain
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 65 reviews
Reviewed By Cecilia S - San Francisco, California
Distance round trip: ~ 6 miles
Time: (Night hike) ~ 3.5 hours with 30 minute break at the top (~7:30-11pm)
Difficulty: Moderately easy if you are a hiker. Rocky.
This was one of our "training for Mt. Whitney" hikes. I had about 35-38 lbs on my back. Started our hike right around sunset at 7:30pm-ish. Purpose of our hike was a trial run of hiking at night.
The beginning is pretty easy and very scenic with the sun setting behind us. The terrain is quite rocky in the middle, but if you have sturdy hiking shoes, it shouldn't be a problem. The mountain really doesn't look super high, but there are lot of switch backs, so it feels a lot longer. I have not done this hike in the day time, but at night, the view is simply beautiful. When you get to the top, there are a couple of picnic tables for you to sit, recharge, and enjoy the view. You can see the city lights light up, Coronado bridge (I think), and the surrounding mountains.
Even if you're not training for anything, doing a night hike at Iron Mountain is wonderful and definitely something I would love to do again. There's only one main path up and down, so it's really hard to get lost. There were several times where we just stopped, turned off all our lights, and watched the stars light up the sky.
If I do this night hike again, I would bring a bandana or scarf to wrap around my face/mouth because there were tons of little moths that were attracted to my headlamp. I'm sure I swallowed a bunch of little flies. Other things we saw on the hike: little rodents, a baby garden snake, lots of centipedes and spiders, and stink bugs.
Temperature wise, I think it gets quite hot in the day time. Even when we started our hike at 7:30pm, it was about 75 degrees in May. It got a tad bit cooler once it was dark, but it stayed a comfortable temperature.
Parking is easy and free. The restrooms are relatively clean. Dog friendly!
6. Mount Woodson Trail
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 47 reviews
Reviewed By adventure_freedom - Singapore, null, Singapore
Dont start the hike too late in the day as we did. It is HOT!! We took the shorter route from Mt Woodson Road and the hike should take you about 40min to an hour to reach Potato Chip Rock.
We didn't successfully find it as the sun ate up most or all of our energy! But the landscape is nonetheless spectacular. You can find rocks of all shapes and sizes. Its amazing to note that despite the steep gradient of the trail, the rocks are firmly rooted!
Pictures from any angel is nice! The hike is best done in the morning too.
7. Poway-Midland Railroad
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 34 reviews
Reviewed By Denise M - Poway, United States
Taking a trip to the Poway-Midland Railroad is liking taking a step back in time. This beautifully-maintained steam engine is unlike anything else you will see in San Diego. The engineers are informed, helpful, and will provide you and your family with a tremendous ride! Young children are always in awe when they ride. The price is very nominal and oh so worth the expense!
8. Blue Sky Reserve
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 25 reviews
Reviewed By uclalum - Poway, California
Blue sky itself is okay... it is a short, shaded, flat walk on a dirt road along a creek. The path is in good shape. The jewel is if you are adventurous enough to turn left at the end of the trail and hike up to the top of the Lake Ramona dam. Great view and generally I've been the only person there when I go. It is quite steep, especially at the end. I recommend the hike for early morning or evening time as there is on shade during the day on the trek up to the dam.
9. Goodan Ranch Sycamore Canyon Preserve
Overall Ratings
5 based on 5 reviews
Reviewed By Amy H - San Diego, California
I took my 12 year old son to Sycamore Canyon Preserve for a hike on Sunday. We had a really enjoyable 4 mile hike. It was a loop, which was nice (not out and back). The terrain was a little challenging (hills were a bit steep both up and down and big rocks were on the trail in spots) but the trails are clearly marked and we saw lots of birds and one very LARGE spider.
10. Digiplex
Overall Ratings
3.5 based on 8 reviews
Reviewed By anne4442000 - San Diego, California
Pretty good theater. It's gigantic - so it has lots of seating and most of the movies that are currently out there. Huge snack bar in the front and smaller ones at the sides. There's a little arcade near the front, too. The only problem is that the matinees are really not cheap. But overall, a nice theater.
TAGS
