The Mt. Woodson Gateway County Preserve parking lot with about 200 spaces is set to be completed early next year, county officials said.
The project is designed to provide safer parking on the west side of state Route 67 south of Archie Moore Road. Currently, drivers visiting the Mt. Woodson trail and Potato Chip Rock park their vehicles along the side of the highway with fast-moving traffic or on neighboring streets.
Howard Lipin / For The San Diego Union-Tribune
Hikers walk next to parked vehicles on the shoulder of state Route 67 near Mt. Woodson, on the way to the trail head to Potato Chip Rock. Four new parking areas are designed to provide safer parking on the west side of SR-67 south of Archie Moore Road.(Howard Lipin / For The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Emmet Aquino, the parking lot’s project manager for the county Department of Parks and Recreation, told the Ramona Community Planning Group on Aug. 7 that the four parking areas have been graded and improved with crushed rock.
Construction is underway in the creek area of the project for a new 50-foot modular bridge that will replace the existing culvert, said county Communications Officer Donna Durckel. The drainage system will be re-routed to flow directly under the bridge, eliminating a sharp bend that previously contributed to erosion, Durckel said.
Rock reinforcements will help guide water flow under the structure, she added.
Additionally, the road will be elevated to better withstand heavy storms, Durckel said. The bridge and creek improvements are expected to take about four to six months to complete, she said.
As the construction work is being finished, Aquino said county staff will work with members of the Mt. Woodson Homeowners Association to discuss options for installing some type of barrier between the parking lot and adjacent homes, and adding directional signs for Mt. Woodson visitors.
County staff also plan to work with Planning Group members on developing a kiosk or interpretive signs that inform visitors of the area’s environmental features and historical roots.
One of the parking areas is designed with seven Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessible parking spaces.
Standard park fees approved by the county Board of Supervisors in January 2023 will be charged at Mt. Woodson Gateway County Preserve to help maintain and improve visitor facilities and parking, officials said. The fees are $5 per day or a $50 annual pass, with free passes available for San Diego County residents aged 62-plus, a spokesperson said.
Originally Published: August 11, 2025 at 4:09 PM PDT