more stats
4,705 ft
Distance
204 ft
Climb
-3 ft
Descent
00:06:56
Avg time
201 ft
Altitude change
193 ft
Altitude min
394 ft
Altitude max
193 ft
Altitude start
394 ft
Altitude end
4.3%
Grade
-1.8%
Grade max
22.9%
Grade min
4,150 ft
Distance climb
279 ft
Distance down
276 ft
Distance flat
00:06:56
Avg time

Powerline Details

  • Activities
    • Mountain Bike
    • E-Bike
    • Gravel Bike
    • Adaptive Bike
    • Winter Fat Bike
    • Hike
    • Trail Running
  • Riding Area
    Los Peñasquitos Canyon
    San Diego, California
  • Difficulty Rating
    Access Trail or Doubletrack Rate
  • Voted Difficulty
    Green (3 votes)
  • Local Popularity
    100 in Mountain Biking [+]
    • 100 in E-Biking
    • 75 in Trail Running
    • 80 in Hiking
  • Trail Type
    Dirt/Gravel Road
  • Bike Type
    AM, XC, Fat, Adaptive MTB, CX, Gravel
  • Direction
    Both Directions
    Popular Direction Shown
  • Climb Difficulty
    Blue
  • Physical Rating
    Moderate
  • Trail Visibility
    Always easy to follow
  • Season
    Jan - Dec
  • Family Friendly
    Yes
  • Dogs Allowed
    Yes
  • eBike Allowed
    Yes up to Class 1
  • Ride in Rain
    Yes
  • Land Owner
    City of San Diego

Powerline trail begins at the bottom of the canyon and is fairly steady climb on fire road all the way up to the top of the mesa. As you can guess, it follows a series of power lines that bridge the canyon. It's not a technical trail, but it is a great climb for people just learning how to tackle climbs. It also provides a good challenge for intermediate trail and all-mountain riders who are trying to increase their climbing speed and stamina. It's primary use is to gain access to some of the better, more technical singletrack riding on the mesa known as Tunnels.

source: The UNPavement
Access Info

You can either incorporate the trail in the middle of a ride starting in the canyon or you can park at the end of Park Village Rd and gain immediate access.

Adaptive Bike Info
aMTB Green Rating: Beginner features and moderate terrain.
Local Trail Association
Traditionally Indigenous Territory

Recent Activity on Trail

Past Week
  • 11 rides
  • 13 miles average
6 Months
  • 414 rides
  • 14 miles avg distance
All
  • 3,956 rides
  • Last: Jul 22, 2026
c1c2c3c4
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
Status:
on Jul 7, 2026
Dry
Avg: 3.24 (10 votes)
Your vote: 0

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Trail Conditions
  • Unknown
  • Snow Groomed
  • Snow Packed
  • Snow Covered
  • Snow Cover Partial
  • Freeze/thaw Cycle
  • Icy
  • Prevalent Mud
  • Wet
  • Variable
  • Ideal
  • Dry
  • Very Dry
Trail Flow (Ridden Direction)
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  • > 96%
  • > 90%
  • > 80%
  • > 70%
  • > 50%
  • < 50%
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  • < 2 weeks
  • < 1 month
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  • > 6 months
Trail Ridden Direction
The intended direction a trail should be ridden.
  • Downhill Only
  • Downhill Primary
  • Both Directions
  • Uphill Primary
  • Uphill Only
  • One Direction
Contribute Details
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  • Description
  • Photos
  • Description & Photos
  • Videos
Trail Popularity ?
Trailforks scans ridelogs to determine which trails are ridden the most in the last 9 months. Trails are compared with nearby trails in the same city region with a possible 25 colour shades. Think of this as a heatmap, more rides = more kinetic energy = warmer colors.
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Max Vehicle Width
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BC Backroad Status

Service Road Atlas is a free to use, community-driven service for viewing and creating reports on the numerous back-country service roads around B.C. and Alberta.

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Slope Aspect
Direction the slope faces
Flat N NE E SE S SW W NW
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        Directions to powerline-36519 trailhead (32.933747, -117.167915)

        Photos

        51 more »
        84 |
        Oct 17, 2023 @ 9:02am
        Oct 17, 2023
        82 |
        Oct 17, 2023 @ 9:02am
        Oct 17, 2023
        94 |
        Oct 17, 2023 @ 9:02am
        Oct 17, 2023
        66 |
        Jun 27, 2023 @ 7:19pm
        Jun 27, 2023

        Videos

        5 more »
        PQ “MTB KIDS EDITION”
        9:45 | 204 | Jun 25, 2021 , San Diego
        Powerline top half
        2:08 | 328 | Mar 4, 2012 , San Diego
        Powerline Trails
        0:11 | 165 | Mar 20, 2011 , San Diego
        Ridge run
        3:43 | 387 | May 6, 2014 , San Diego

        Technical Trail Features (TTF)

        Routes with this trail

        191
        The East Ender
        ★ 4.3 • 22 miles • 1,799 ft • 21 •
        Those bells that you hear are not those of in the East End of London, where the Cockney accent is heard....
        185
        Tunnels and Ocean Air Loop
        ★ 4.0 • 17 miles • 1,348 ft • 45 • Loop •
        A customizable, base-idea loop that includes , Deer canyon, Ocean Air/Carmel Mt and PQ canyon. Mostly easy...
        139
        D&A
        ★ 5.0 • 10 miles • 1,036 ft • 9 • Loop •
        Fun loop in PQ that includes , and some hidden surprises.

        Links

        1 Review & Comments


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        Nearby Trails

        Los Peñasquitos Canyon

        • By spiritanimal & contributors
        • #36519 - 5,492 views

        Frequently Asked Questions About Powerline

        ▼ Where is Powerline located?
        Powerline is located in Los Peñasquitos Canyon, San Diego, California, United States. It is part of the Los Peñasquitos Canyon trail network. The trailhead is located at coordinates 32.93375, -117.16792.
        ▼ What is the elevation gain for Powerline?
        Powerline has 204 ft of elevation gain. The trail has 3 ft of elevation descent. The elevation ranges from 193 ft to 394 ft.
        ▼ Is Powerline a point to point trail?
        Powerline is not a point to point trail. The direction is Both Directions. The trail type is dirt/gravel road.
        ▼ How long is Powerline?
        Powerline is 4,705 ft long. The trail type is dirt/gravel road.

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