Iron Mountain - 09/17/2025

IRON MOUNTIAN PEAK — HIKE REPORT

PARK OVERVIEW

Beautiful rolling mountians and greenery, well maintained trail and weather condititions were perfect.

TODAY'S CONDITIONS

Cool start (~mid-50s) → low-60s; excellent visibility; Low trail traffic; Park at Highway 67 for bathroom/water.

HIKE DETAILS

Trail: Ellie Lane Trail → Ramona Overlook → Iron Mountian Peak Trail →
Distance: ~6 mi
Gain: ~1,100 ft
Difficulty: Moderate
Dur: 2.5 hrs

WAYPOINTS

Ellie Lane Staging → Ramona Overlook → Helicopter Evac. → Iron Mountian Peak → Out-and-back descent

NOTABLE MOMENTS

Forest at start of Staging area, beautiful wooded area with benches and wooden chairs. Sighted a Hawk feasting on lunch

FOR NEXT TIME

Bring an extra mid-layer. Try to pace yourself. Sunrise summit start recommended. Pack binoculars.

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The trail wound upward, each bend revealing a little more of the horizon, as though the mountain wanted me to earn the view one step at a time. At first I thought I was chasing the scenery, the glowing ridges and the golden light spilling across the rocks & shrubbery, but I soon realized I was chasing something much more gratifying.

Every trail tells two stories, the one beneath your feet and the one unfolding inside you. With every step I could feel a layer peeling back, the weight of old doubts, the noise of unspoken worries, the clutter of distractions I carry with me even when I don’t notice. Out here, with only the rhythm of my breath and the crunch of dirt under my feet, solitude stopped feeling like emptiness. It felt like clarity.

The mountain wasn’t asking me to conquer it. The trail wasn’t testing me. They were simply guiding me inward. The stillness of the air, the quiet conversations of the wind through the brush, even the shadows stretching against the rocks, all seemed to whisper the same truth: self discovery is not about finding something new, but about remembering who you have always been beneath it all.

By the time the sun reaches its peak, painting the sky in blue, gold, and fire, I realized the real destination wasn’t the summit or the peak. It was this moment of presence, standing in the stillness of my own company, no longer searching outward but settling into the quiet of being found. While this is only the beginning of a life long journey, you can’t start unless you take the first step.

— Iron Mountain (9/16/2025)

Footnotes & quick facts

• Out-and-back route with occational switchbacks, no shade so bring some hats and at least 2L of water! — ~6 miles, ~1,100 ft gain.
• Iron Mountian is San Diego's second highest peak in the Poway and grants a view of the entire nothern San Diego, Mt.Woodson, & Catalina Islands.
• Bring layers—summit winds can drop temps quickly—and check Paso Picacho day-use parking rules before you go.