View From San Diego’s Mission Trails

Mission Trails Regional Park preserves a bit of the San Diego of old--that is, a landscape resembling the one that greeted 18th-Century Spanish missionaries.

At 5,700 acres, Mission Trails Regional Park is also one of the largest urban parks in America. Though the park is surrounded on three sides by suburbs, it nonetheless preserves some rugged peaks and valleys representative of what Southern California looked like centuries ago.

Just eight miles northeast of downtown, the park is an ideal getaway for stressed-out San Diegans, and a pleasant, off-the-tourist-track destination for visitors.

In 1810, the padres of Mission San Diego, aided by Native American labor, built a dam on the San Diego River and a five-mile flume to carry water to the mission. Today, the park’s Old Mission Dam Historic Site commemorates one of the West’s earliest waterworks projects. This historic site, along with the Mission Gorge area and the San Diego River, are accessible by the park road: Father Junipero Serra Trail.

San Diego city and county planners conceived of a large urban park more than 30 years ago. The park was put together piece by piece: Mission Gorge, Lake Murray, Cowles Mountain and portions of the former Camp Elliot acquired from the military.

Today, Mission Trails Regional Park, shaped a little bit like Italy, stretches west to east from the community of Tierrasanta to the city of Santee, and south to north from Interstate 8 to the Miramar Naval Air Station.

Over the years, park officials have emphasized land acquisition over the construction of facilities, meaning that hikers will find several natural areas to explore. There are willow, cottonwood and sycamore trees growing along the San Diego River; chaparral-covered hillsides; oak-filled canyons, and wide grasslands where deer browse.

The park’s most prominent landform is a rugged rock outcropping that forms five distinct peaks: North Fortuna Mountain, South Fortuna Mountain, an unnamed peak, Pyles Peak and Cowles Mountain.

Cowles Mountain (1,591 feet) is the highest peak within the city limits of San Diego. Terrific, 360-degree views of the park, the Pacific Ocean and the sprawling seaside metropolis are available from the summit. Bring a map (the American Automobile Assn.’s “San Diego Area” is a good one) and binoculars to further enjoy and identify what you see.

Cowles Mountain Trail tends to suffer from erosion, primarily because it winds over decomposed granite and, secondarily, because inconsiderate hikers shortcut switchbacks on the steep mountainside. Currently, however, the trail is in fine shape, thanks to the recent efforts of the young men and women of the Urban Corps of San Diego.

Directions to trail head: From Interstate 8, exit on College Avenue near San Diego State University. Head north, turn right on Navajo Road and continue to Golfcrest Drive. Parking and the signed trail head are on the northeast corner of the intersection.

The hike: The path switchbacks up the brushy, south-facing slope. Short side trails lead to viewpoints. After a mile’s ascent, ignore a right branching trail and continue tackling switchbacks to the summit.

Mountaintop views include Mission Valley and its freeway network, Lake Murray glistening right below to the south, and San Diego’s skyline backed by Pt. Loma and Mission Bay. On very clear days, you’ll spot Mexico’s Coronado Islands and, way northwest, Catalina Island.

San Diego / Cowles Mountain Trail Where: Mission Trails Regional Park. Distance: 3 miles round trip, with 950-foot elevation gain. Terrain: Highest peak in San Diego. Highlights: Grand metropolitan views from Cowles Mountain. Degree of difficulty: Easy to moderate. For more information: Contact Mission Trails Regional Park, City of San Diego Park & Recreation Department, 3770 Highland Ave., San Diego 92105, (619) 533-4051.