San Diego keeps one of its happiest surprises just 8 miles northeast of downtown: Mission Trails Regional Park, more than 8,000 acres of rugged hills, river valley and open sky, with more than 65 miles of trails to wander. It is one of the largest urban parks in the United States, and it feels wonderfully wild.
Start at the Visitor and Interpretive Center, where exhibits and rangers help you read this landscape of coastal sage scrub and chaparral. Then choose your adventure. The Grasslands Loop rolls gently through golden meadows, the Oak Grove Trail finds shade along the San Diego River, and the climb up Cowles Mountain — at 1,593 feet, the highest point in the city of San Diego — rewards you with a panorama that sweeps from the ocean to Mexico on a clear day.
History has a place here too. The Old Mission Dam, a National Historic Landmark built in the early 1800s to bring water to Mission San Diego de Alcalá, still stands beside the river, its weathered walls a favorite rest stop for walkers and cyclists. Birdsong, lizards on warm rocks and spring wildflowers complete the scene.
Best of all, this big day out is free. Pack water, arrive early for the cool morning air, and let Mission Trails remind you how close true countryside sits to the heart of San Diego.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
