Lake Poway Loop Trail

I take my dog hiking a few times a month, so when a friend suggested we try Lake Poway, I was up for it! The one thing I really appreciate on this trail is the fact that there are lots of trash cans to be found. This makes life so much easier for a dog owner since now I don't have to carry around a bag of feces the whole hike. The hike is pretty short and easy. It's 3 miles, and takes you right back where you started. It does have steep parts, but generally not too bad. If my 10-lb dog can do you, you can too.

The park is altogether very dog friendly and there is a huge picnic area as well as a fishing dock. There is a parking fee of $5, but if you are a Poway resident it is free. There are many other trails at this park so make sure you try them all!

I don't normally go on many hikes (I prefer hitting the gym instead) but my friends managed to convince me to go for a walk with their Havanese, Cloud, around Lake Poway. There's normally a parking fee but if you tell the gatekeeper that you live in Poway, there's no charge.

The trails are a bit bumpy and definitely dusty, with lots of elevation changes, but it was a beautiful day to hang with friends and once you got to the top of the hill the views were breathtaking. The trail is about 3.5-4 miles around and half of our group walked it while the other half ran it.

The only snafu that we encountered was a scary 3.5 foot long rattlesnake near the slopes of the fenced off dam. There was also a few sections of horse crap that was left on the trail. You definitely don't want to step in that! All in all, it was a pretty easy hike for somebody as out of shape as me, and Cloud seemed to have plenty of energy to do it all over again!