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Mission Trails Regional Park - Oak Canyon Trail
Rating Details »
1 Father Junipero Serra Tr
San Diego, CA 92119
(619) 668-3281
San Diego, CA 92119
(619) 668-3281
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
6 reviews for Mission Trails Regional Park - Oak Canyon Trail
Oak Canyon is my favorite trail in MTRP. Once you drop down into the canyon and the oaks, you can no longer see and almost not hear any of the city sounds. Makes you temporarily forget you live in a dense urban area.
You can go as far up the canyon you like, all the way to HWY 52 overpass.
Trails varies by season, and it is always nice when you are lucky enough to have lots of water flowing over the falls.
Afoot & Afield San Diego County By Jerry Schad
http://books.google.co...
Chapter 12 is MTRP, page 122-138 covers 13 trails
Oak Canyon is Trip 9
YAHOO!! I have been trying to motivate and drop these rascally extra poundage I've accumulated over the past year and now I've hopefully found my mecca. I love this park! We parked at the dam and brought the pooch for a 3pm hike today and had no idea what we were in for. From the dam we followed the Oak Canyon trail in and out for about 2 hours until we found our way back to the parking lot. It was gorgeous and there were so many other options as far as trails I cannot wait to go back. I can't imagine how pretty this place is when the water is more plentiful. In the past week I've gone here and to Penasquitos and this place is WAY better than Rancho.
I can't wait to go back!!!
I was looking for a place to take photos for my photography course. I wasn't sure which trail to take so I just decided to go to the old mission dam. I was very happy that I did. This was actually my first time at MTRP.
I do have to say I didn't take the entire Oak Canyon Trail. I took the Oak Canyon Trail from the nearby parking lot, hiked towards the Grassland then took the Spring Canyon Trail to head back to to the main road. Then I hiked back to my car.
I did love the change in scenery. I hiked along the river, through the canyon, through the plant life and trees, then up the hills, then through the grassland. The trail was relatively flat until you got to the steps going up towards the Grasslands but after that it was a very easy trail even for my fat ass.
Oak Canyon Trail is a good place to start for first timers. Definitely was a nice place for photography too. For the first time, I actually completed my photography assignment. I can't wait to see this place during the spring. Oh yeah, watch out for bees. I took some pictures nearby a bee hive. I thought all the buzzing were flies. They totally were not flies.
Now to find another trail worthy of photography.
As of late, I've been ALL about hiking. It's the new year... and new invigoration has taken over my bod. I'm hoping to smash the shits out of bikini season come May or June, so hiking is part of my workout routine.
I don't know if it's just me, but because I've lived in San Diego my entire life, I rarely hit up the super "touristy" spots. I don't ever visit the San Diego Zoo, Wild Animal Park or Sea World... that's where tourists go. Sometimes, I think that same mentality seeps into my desire to trek along some of our cities best nature trails from time-to-time... and I'm trying to reverse that mentality.
Mission Trails Regional Park is one of those spots, and I feel like I've cheated myself for 26 years not strolling through this beautiful stretch of land.
It's really got everything. If you're looking for a leisurely stroll, there are trails to fit your needs. If you're looking for a sweet burn, however, the Fortuna trail will kick your ass. I did that jaunt today, and shit, son... it was rough! It's just a tad smaller than Cowles Mountain, but it's steep as hell! I almost felt like Spiderman scaling up the side of a wall. It's easily the most vertical hill I've walked up. For those that say walking is for vah-gines, think again. They probably haven't walked up Fortuna.
In addition to the ass-melter of a hill, there are fantastic views of the entire city, rivaling those of Cowles Mountain. It's not quite a 360-degree view, but it's damn close. Nothing beats the spectacular reward of seeing the city from that vantage point after sweating yer tail off, huffing up the mountain.
It's not the quickest of hikes, so make sure you've got a good 2-3 hours to kill. If you're looking for a quick walk on your lunch break from cubicle hell, this is a terrible choice. If you're interested in spending a few hours in the beautiful surroundings of Santee, put this hill on your radar.
What I really enjoyed about this trail was that for the most part you felt like you were in "nature"
Following the streams of the San Diego River, I saw plenty of different types of flowers, plants, and birds. The hike itself is pretty mild so you can just relax and take in the fresh air.
I completely agree with the other posters..this is by far the best trail in Mission Trails. I used to hike here all the time on the weekend, and only recently re-discovered this gem located practically in my backyard. I would avoid going on weekends though, as this is the most popular trail in the park, and when its busy, it can get quite congested on those slim trails by the water... but all in all a kick-ass workout, especially since you can tailor it to your level by splitting off on the Grasslands trail which is pretty mild, or Fortuna, which is a very steep hill. The views at the top are so worth it!
