Blue Sky Ecological Reserve

We hiked Blue Sky Reserve in Poway this morning. What a delight! It’s about 2-3 miles east of I-15 exit Rancho Bernardo Road exit. Parking is free and there were a few available spots for our 8:30 a.m. hike. The trail is mostly tree lined and covered for about a mile, until you start the incline (no shade) to the Ramona dam, where it gets much steeper and turns paved the last half mile up. We hiked around the west side of the lake, enjoyed lunch, and then hiked back (we had the lake area to ourselves!), making this just under a three hour excursion (6.5-7 miles).  Lovely and not too crowded on the way up or back down. About a half mile in, there’s a path to Poway Lake - 1.5 miles. (There are to porta-potties on the way, one at the dam.) Nice views of Mt. Woodson to the southeast, Lake Poway to the south and the Blue Pacific to the southwest - all gorgeous! This hike doesn’t have quite the views a hike up Mt. Woodson does, but it’s pretty darn great for a Saturday morning!