Mission Trails Regional Park

Mission Trails Regional Park is a sight to behold. It stretches across 5,800 acres of natural and developed recreational land and is located only eight miles northeast of downtown San Diego.  Since 1974 the park has joined the ranks of San Diego's best recreational parks including Balboa Park and Mission Bay. Long ago, however, it belonged to the Kumeyaay people and later became the site for the Old Mission Dam that stored water for the Mission San Diego de Alcala. Mission Trails caters to all through its technically advanced Visitor and Interpretive Center. Its a fantastic place for hikers to check out with over 40 miles of trails to tread and explore and if you need more than one day to explore them all there's a campground open Friday and Saturday nights.  You can also bike, jog, roller blade and picnic by the waterfront of the Lake Murray Reservoir. Lake Murray also has a variety of fish for fishing including large mouth bass, bluegill, channel catfish, black crappie and trout.  Mission Trails is full of rich history including the Old Mission Dam  which is a nationally registered historic landmark. Its great for families and persons with wheelchairs or for anyone who likes birdwatching. The dam also marks the entrance to several hiking trails. One of Mission Trails best features is its special equestrian area for horseback riding through the trails. Mission Trails Regional Park is an awesome place to visit again and again so don't miss out if you've only got one chance.