Mission Trails is a quick getaway for some great hikes. I recommend you visit the trails in late winter and spring when the wildflowers are blooming. Summer is mostly dry & golden, but if you enjoy hiking you’ll like it here no matter what the season! There are many trails and you can either go easy or tough. The Mission Dam, built 1813-1816, still stands and there’s a wonderful nature center here at the park. Historically, this land was inhabited by the Kumeyaay & in some places you can see rocks where the people ground seeds into flour a long time ago. We hike here quite often & have seen tarantulas, coyotes, many kinds of birds such as hawks, kites & my personal favorite, the phoebe. We’ve seen rabbits, deer, lizards, snakes, butterflies and more. There have been mountain lion sightings, but we’ve yet to see one of those elusive creatures. To avoid a run-in with mountain lions, you don’t want to be hiking here at dawn or dusk when they are hunting. At Mission Trails you’ll find a great example of how the inland area of San Diego used to look before much of it was developed.
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Great hiking, 8 miles from downtown San Diego
Mission Trails is a quick getaway for some great hikes. I recommend you visit the trails in late winter and spring when the wildflowers are blooming. Summer is mostly dry & golden, but if you enjoy hiking you’ll like it here no matter what the season! There are many trails and you can either go easy or tough. The Mission Dam, built 1813-1816, still stands and there’s a wonderful nature center here at the park. Historically, this land was inhabited by the Kumeyaay & in some places you can see rocks where the people ground seeds into flour a long time ago. We hike here quite often & have seen tarantulas, coyotes, many kinds of birds such as hawks, kites & my personal favorite, the phoebe. We’ve seen rabbits, deer, lizards, snakes, butterflies and more. There have been mountain lion sightings, but we’ve yet to see one of those elusive creatures. To avoid a run-in with mountain lions, you don’t want to be hiking here at dawn or dusk when they are hunting. At Mission Trails you’ll find a great example of how the inland area of San Diego used to look before much of it was developed.
