About South Fortuna Trail At Mission Trails

Located in Mission Trails Regional Park, South Fortuna Trail is one of the best hikes in San Diego County for catching a sunset. Or a sunrise.

The South Fortuna Trail starts from the West Fortuna Staging Area and is a challenging hike that takes you through hills, meadows, riparian forest, and up a steep mountain climb. The hike can be done as a loop (6 miles), or as an out-and-back hike (4 miles), and is mostly exposed to the elements.

From the top of South Fortuna you get a beautiful view – you can look west to the ocean and downtown San Diego in the distance or east out toward Mt Laguna and the desert beyond.

Best Parts

• Getting outdoors
• Moving your body
• Sunset
• Sunrise

Behind The Counter

Mission Trails Regional Park sits along the upper part of the San Diego river and is the largest municipal park in California. With around 8,000 acres, there are hundreds of miles of hiking and mountain biking trails, rock climbing routes. The history of this land follows the history of San Diego – originally Kumeyaay land, then Spanish missionary land, then Mexican ranchos, then US farmland, then US military land, then in the 1960s it was sold to the city of San Diego and plans for a regional park were put in place.

The current form of Mission Trails Regional Park has been an ongoing process since the 1970s with numerous eras of expansion and further development. The Mission Trails Regional Park Foundation works with the City of San Diego to oversee the park and continue its goal of sharing beautiful outdoor space with the public.