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Lake Poway Trail
4.4 ★★★★☆ 20 Google reviews · Running trail in Poway, California · Posted hours
Runner's snapshot
- Surface
- Not reported
- Loop distance
- 3 mi
- Shape
- Loop
- Shade
- Not reported
- Access
- Posted hours
Confirmed from Lake Poway Trail's own listing, the park or land manager's website, and runner reviews. Blank cells mean we could not verify that fact — we would rather say "not reported" than invent one. There is no Easy / Moderate / Hard rating on this page on purpose: a one-word difficulty score tells you nothing about whether a trail suits your run. Surface, distance, shade and hours do.
What runners say about Lake Poway Trail
“Beautiful, and varied, trail-- a great escape into nature.”
Beautiful, and varied, trail-- a great escape into nature.. lots of wildlife and natural beauty to be seen! Parts of the hike are uphill and more challenging, but for the most part, the main trail is not too strenuous. There are options for taking longer and/or different difficulty levels!
It is our first time to hike the Lake Poway Lake. It was a nice cool weather for the hike. There were some slight uphill and downhill but the entire trail was doable. The views are great.
This is a great hike in the middle of Poway neighborhood. From the street entrance, it is very unassuming and the playground you park by doesn't give you any idea of what a great hike awaits you.
It's about a 3 mile loop. I like this hike and have done it about 6 times. You can start hike from either side. I have always started on left side (if facing lake). You can't see lake during most of the hike. The hike goes up and down throughout the hike.
Trail conditions & character
“Beautiful, and varied, trail-- a great escape into nature.”
“Dog- friendly, and usually full (but not overly crowded) of friendly faces!”
“Plenty of tables and benches and Portable toilets along the trail.”
Plan your run at Lake Poway Trail
The practical stuff
- AccessPosted hours — posted hours below; park gates sometimes close earlier than the listing says
- Loop distance3 mi back to where you parked
- ShadeNot reported. Assume some of it is exposed and carry water in summer.
- At the trailheadparking, restrooms — reported by runners
- DogsWelcome, per reviewers. Leash rules vary by park — the trailhead sign is the authority.
- Websitepoway.org
- Phone(858) 668-4772
Hours
| Monday | 6 AM–5 PM |
| Tuesday | 6 AM–5 PM |
| Wednesday | 6 AM–5 PM |
| Thursday | 6 AM–5 PM |
| Friday | 6 AM–5 PM |
| Saturday | 6 AM–5 PM |
| Sunday | 6 AM–5 PM |
Running trails near Poway
Other trails within easy driving distance — useful when this one is flooded, gated, or just not the run you had in mind today.
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