About Father Junipero Serra Trail

The Father Junipero Serra Trail is one of the best walks you can do in San Diego County. The trail is actually a paved road that cuts through Mission Trails Regional Park and it follows along the path of the San Diego River as it winds down from the eastern mountains toward the ocean. On the west side of the trail sits South Fortuna and on the east side Kwaay Paay Peak. The steep mountains on either side make you feel like you are miles and miles from any urban areas, even though the park sits right in the middle of San Diego.

Park at the Mission Trails Regional Park Visitors Center and walk north from there or you can park at the northern end of the trail – either near the Kumeyaay Lake Campground or Mission Gorge Dam and walk south from there. The walk is out and back, not a loop.

Best Parts

• Easy scenic walk between mountains
• See the San Diego River flowing
• Great for parents visiting

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.