Mission Trails Park Day Trip Hiking and Biking

Mission Trails Regional Park is just a few miles from downtown San Diego. Spared from land developers, the park has nearly 6,000 acres of hills, valleys, and open areas. Your first stop on your trip here should be the visitor center.

Here you can learn about the park’s history, watch a movie and find the various hiking trails and destinations available. Mission Trails is an excellent park for hiking and biking. The park’s showcase of native chaparral is at its finest. Climb Cowles Mountain to see all of San Diego on a clear day.

Mission Dam

One of the more exciting things to see in the park is the Mission Dam. Built across the head of Mission Gorge, the 244-foot-long dam was used to supply water to Mission San Diego de Alcala. Water traveled along a 6-mile flume from the dam down Mission Valley, ending in a settling basin near the Mission.

The Mission Dam is a nationally registered historic landmark and a starting point for several of the park’s hiking trails. Lake Murray Reservoir also is very popular for bicycling, jogging, hiking, and picnicking.

Mission Trails Park Camping

Kumeyaay Lake Campground offers 46 primitive sites (no water or electricity) for tents or recreational vehicles.  The Kumeyaay Lake Campground is open for Friday and Saturday night camping. The campsites are available for reservation on a first-come, first-serve.

Lake Murray Reservoir

Lake Murray Reservoir is located within Mission Trails Regional Park. The lake is open for shore fishing and private boats seven days a week. The reservoir has largemouth bass, bluegill, channel catfish, black crappie, and trout (stocked November-May).

The minimum size limit for bass is 12 inches. Fish limits are 5 for trout, bass, and catfish, and you may only have a combined bag limit of 25 sunfish and crappie of all species, with no limit on other species. A state fishing license is required. There is no camping allowed at Lake Murray.

The most popular trail at Mission Trails Park is the Cowles Mountain trail, which takes hundreds of people daily to the summit for a breathtaking 360-degree panorama of San Diego County. Park trails range from flat and easy to somewhat challenging. Bring a camera, a hat, water, and good hiking shoes, and enjoy the natural beauty of this beautiful San Diego regional park.

Mission Trails Regional Park One Father Junipero Serra Trail San Diego, CA. Website.  92119-1008.

More Fun  Places to go in and around San Diego

Indian Canyons Desert Hiking Adventure

California Highway 39 Road Trip