If you're looking to do an easy nature trail walk, I recommend this one! Right from the start you see a lake scenery with lots of trees and plants on the water. There were trees with yellow leaves because it's fall. Didn't see much wild life. There were bridges and streams. No steep hills. Beautiful views and atmosphere. read more

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We parked at a large lot next to the Visitor Center (plenty of spots ~ 830AM). We walked approximately 1.5mi to the Old Mission Dam (lots of water!) then proceeded according to the Google Maps for "Oak Canyon Trail" since the map at the Visitor Center didn't show where the waterfall was. We have done portions of this hike coming from other entry points when it was DRY, and everything was rocks and dirt. With the recent rains, areas that were previously rocks/dirt were now covered with running water. It actually took awhile to get from the "Giant Oak Tree" landmark to where the waterfall was supposed to be, because two-way traffic was needing to stop and wait for each other, since in parts of the trail, only a sliver of muddy ground could be traversed. If you are wanting to do this hike now, you will not be able to take strollers on this path & you should be somewhat surefooted because the rocks can be slippery. Stupidly, I can't figure out if I actually saw a waterfall. I saw a lot of segments in which the flowing water would "fall" a foot or so (one photo attached). Overall, it was a beautiful hike and wonderful to see a familiar hiking trail completed transformed by the rains. That being said, it was supposed to be an out-and-back hike but we were not interested in clambering through mud/rocks/water again so we actually used the North Fortuna to Grassland loop trail to get back to the Visitor center. This turned a 3mi hike into an 8mi one. Our bodies were very tired read more

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Besides the five peaks at Mission Trails Regional Park, there are numerous smaller routes you can hike with various levels of difficulty. The Oak Canyon Trail originates near the Old Mission Dam in the northeast section of the park. The lot adjacent to the trailhead closes at 7 pm. If you want to complete a trek beyond that time and not have your vehicle locked in overnight, then park in the lot at the corner of Bushy Hill Dr and walk west on the Father Junipero Serra Trail. You will pass the trailhead for Kwaay Paay Peak en route. The water level at the dam is currently low so the scenery is not as pretty compared to during the rainy season. The trail starts south of the dam and then begins a loop that heads north and west. Some areas are quite rocky as the path is along a canyon/creek bed. You will pass a giant oak tree which I failed to capture a photo of. :( A waterfall does appear in the Oak Canyon during winter and springtime which might be worth returning to view. As you reach the top of the loop, you will see the overpass of SR-52 that crosses above the canyon. From there is a short but steep eastward ascent that is part of the North Fortuna Perimeter Trail. The route continues in that direction and then descends along the Grassland Loop Trail. This portion is very wide and rather flat. It feels like you are walking in a prairie with the surrounding tall, dried wild grasses. The Grassland section makes up the eastern/southeastern areas of the circuit. By the time you return to the dam, the distance traveled was a tad under four miles which I completed in 90 minutes of actual walking time. Watch out for the wildlife as rabbits, squirrels, and even rattlesnakes may show up which happened to me once and forced a detour off the beaten path. I carry trekking poles not only to assist with the ascents and descents but also as a defense weapon in case some critter gets too close for comfort. Overall, the Oak Canyon Trail including the Grasslands Loop was easy with only moderate difficulty when you had to ascend one slope on the northern perimeter. read more

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My friends have gotten me pretty addicted to night hiking over the past few years, and I think I have hiked the Oak Canyon Trail about 10 times, but have never been during the day. If you park near the Santee entrance to Mission Trails, you can reach the Oak Canyon Trail within approximately 10 minutes of walking time. If you are there during the day, there is a small parking lot near the dam at the trail head. At night, the main road is closed, so you must hike in. This is a pretty trail that crosses several bridges, climbs over lots of rocks and passes some interesting terrain. It can be an out and back, or a loop, winding back through the grasslands. If you are lucky, you can spot a few small waterfalls during the rainy season, but almost never during the summer. There are beautiful big trees and some tunnels made of trees along the way. It is not a difficult hike, as it is relatively flat, but there are several areas where you need to climb over rocks, and it can be slippery. Most recently, my friends and I went, starting at 7PM to see the full moon. Both, at the trail head and along the way, we were met by sounds of frogs... lots of them. Because of the recent rains, there was lot of water flowing. We didn't find any great vantage points for water falls, but did spot a few small ones half way in. Some spots were challenging due to wet rocks, and I slipped a couple of times. There were also a couple of spots where we had to be diligent in ways to get around huge mud puddles. There is a lovely area at the end of the trail where you can sit on large boulders to rest. After that, we hiked up a couple of very steep hills to return through the grasslands. There, we had to avoid some mud, but no rocks. I remember going through the grass lands another time, and seeing lots of deer, at night also. This time, we heard lots of coyotes in the distance, but did not see any. All in all, it is a relatively easy trail, can lead to some other nearby trails, and provides a good deal of scenery. I have a feeling I will be back many more times. read more

This was such a great easy mild hike, especially good for families. I came to this hike 4/2/23 after a couple weeks of rainy season so there was a good amount of the water on the hike. We parked on the side of the road next to the San Diego old mission dam parking lot because the parking lot was full by 8am. The path was straightforward and easy follow, though some parts of the trail were very wet from all the rain that had been happening a few days before. On the way, we saw the dam, crossed a couple bridges, scrambled over some rocks, and saw about two mini sized waterfalls. After the second mini waterfall, we headed back the way we came from and the whole hike took us about 1.5 hours or less. Great little hike if you want to take it easy but still want to enjoy the peacefulness of nature. read more

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Nice hike, fairly straight path, wear good hiking shoes to walk over the rocks Beautiful scenery all around!! read more

Oak Canyon Trail - Hiking Near Me

A family-friendly hike with some small waterfalls after a few days of rain.... This isn't a loop trail but more of a connection trail where you can choose just the level of exercise that you're looking for. Hiking this trail starts off at the Old Mission Dam, then it meanders along a creek. Feel free to go off-trail and hike right by the creek as it will eventually re-connnect with the oak trail. There are three options you can experience while on the oak trail. Option 1 is taking the grassland trail loop. Ideal for people that seek a flat trail and few rocks. Just know there is no shade on the grassland trail. Option 2 is staying on the oak canyon trail and hiking to the waterfalls.. Very fun indeed and even more so during March with all of the flowers blooming. You will be climbing through rocks which is fun for kids. Option 3 is going past the waterfalls and marching to Fortuna Mountain. Obviously, experienced family-hikers can try this. Definitely not for people without a bunch of water and stamina. Overall this a great family trail for all skill levels. Best experienced winter/early spring. read more

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Great hike! Not much shade, so go when it's not super hot. There's great oak trees along the way and a cool dam. read more

Oak Canyon Trail - Hiking Near Me

This is a nice 3.5 miles roundtrip hike in Mission trails park. The trail runs along the creek and there is some shade (at least in the canyon). Elevation gain is minimal, but the trail can be fairly uneven. Pick your time wisely - it's a popular trail and can get busy. If the water is flowing, you'll see a nice little waterfall at the end of the trail. There is little parking at the trailhead, but there is parking along the road. read more

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This is a quite beautiful trail and short too. There are actually two sections where you'll see a 'waterfall' so make sure you pay attention. There are some areas where the terrain is uneven and you'll be walking over rocks and some bigger rocks, so be cautious if you have bad ankles. It can also get muddy in some sections so don't wear shoes that you don't want to get dirty. read more

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Not super difficult but some uphills. Was a great start getting back into hiking. Loved the time we went, 10a. Wasn't very many people.

I really enjoyed this trail, there's different paths you can take. Not difficult at all. We went after rain fall, so it was a bit muddy but there was definitely lots of water in the stream! Really peaceful! read more

Oak Canyon Trail - Hiking Near Me

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This trail is an out & back, approx 3.2 miles, starting at the Father Junipero Serra Ave to 52 Freeway. Easy, mostly flat, couple of inclines but not steep. It might get challenging for some; towards the end, as the trail gets rocky and may become slippery. The trail follows the San Diego river, so it depends on the amount of rain So.Cal receives. The trail head starts at The Old Mission Dam, near a small parking lot. The parking lot does not open until 8/9 am, so it if like to hike early you will have to park along the street. Walk towards the gate approx .5 miles and the trail entrance will be on your right. As you walk up you could hear water flow...it's so relaxing. You continue down the path you will see a meadow and the trail will split, stay to your left. There various trails you could take, but if you want to reward yourself with a waterfall at the end, stay on the path. Beware of poison oak along the river. Leaves of three, let it be... Great hike!! Beautiful scenery. Very rewarding. read more

Oak Canyon Trail - Hiking Near Me

Oak canyon trail to grassland loop I a nice hiking trail. I went on a Saturday early in the morning and it wasn't too busy until the sun came up. It a pretty popular trail that currently has running water. Lots of good picture spots and the sound of nature is pretty awesome. It's good for all ages and it's easy to moderate. Definitely go while there is still water and not to late in the morning or early afternoon. Stay hydrated and avoid the sun... there are some covered areas along this hike but a hat is recommended. Happy hiking!!! read more

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Oak Canyon trail is one very scenic trail. Listed as one of the 10 best hikes in San Diego in some publications. After completing most of the trail, I now know why. Go to Mission Trails Regional Park to find this trail. You may find it difficult to find at times because this trail intersects with many other trails at this park. We started the Oak Canyon Trail near the Old Mission Dam. I would rate this trail mostly easy with some moderate parts along the route. The moderate areas would be where you have to do a little bit of rock scrambling along the stream/creek beds. I believe it is about 6 to 7 miles long. Saw folks of all ages walking along the trail. Great place to take your significant other, kids, and your dog on a leash. When in the San Diego area, come to Oak Canyon trail (if you want to exercise a bit). Have fun! read more

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So the Oak Canyon trail is one if my favorite in Mission Trails park. It's far overlooked for more popular trails like the Fortuna summits or trails more towards the visitor center. You can start the Oak Canyon trail either at the dam or off the North Fortuna perimeter trail that links up to the Grassland area. The canyon stretches from the 52 freeway all the way into where the dam area is. There's lots of rocks for climbing and jumping around on. There really isn't anything serious to climb, the walls aren't really that tall. During some rain storms you'll get some small streams going through the canyon and some decent water as you make your way back towards the dam. The trail in itself is about 2 miles or so going one way, so it's not an all day event. Even though the trail is well traveled and you'll see alot of people, you still can get some decent alone time out here. The trail kinda goes which way when you walk through the low stream areas, but you can't get lost out here. As far as difficulty, the mission trails rates it moderate but I think it's pretty easy. There really isn't any type of incline but if you can't maintain your balance very well, you might want to skip out on this trail. As far as wild life goes, you'll see a decent amount of birds, snakes when it's hot and of course rabbits. I've yet to encounter any coyotes in this specific area, but they do travel around the park. If you like rocks, this is the trail for you. read more

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The whole Mission Trails area was way confusing for me. Maybe because Im not familiar the area but there's so many different trails and although the Visitor Center did offer a map of all available trails, I still had to look up how exactly to get where. I like how they list the levels of each trail though so Im able to choose if I want an easy or hard workout. I love the scenery and the signs were only helpful in the beginning. We followed for the Oak Canyon but all of a sudden it stopped showing up on the signs so we might have taken a wrong turn somewhere. The rock/little river area was a tad difficult for me ONLY because I was carrying my 7 month old and I didnt want to slip/trip or fall. I will be coming back though to become more familiar with all the trails! read more

This is such a great hike! Thoroughly enjoyed it!! Lots of scenery! There's a lot of people but depending on the trail you can find yourself alone out there in the quiet! read more

It's really beautiful out there right now after several weeks of rain, so worth going to see the streams and greenery. The trail is pretty crowded though and you have to keep stepping to the side to pass people. There were big groups of 10-15 people, so not ideal for peace and quiet. read more

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My friend and I decided to go for a walk today. We decided on Oak Canyon in Mission Trails. I liked the Old Dam in the beginning and than we we headed down the trail into the grasslands loop. Talk about getting away from the fast pace in the city. Wow! The landscape feels so vast than we ventured off into the Oak Canyon South and north sections, it is not crowded by any means and the people on the trail are pretty friendly. Also, this is a very good hike for someone who is just getting started. read more

Oak Canyon Trail - Beautiful flower! - Hiking Near Me

This is a fun hike that is good for all age groups. There is a bit of scrambling in a few spots, but you can go around these obstacles in most areas. If you get here early in the morning you stand a good chance of seeing mule deer and coyotes which are found throughout MTRP. I've seen bobcat tracks but never any mountain lions; although, they are reported to be in the area. Mountain bikes aren't allowed on this trail but dogs are as long as they are on a leash. Have fun! read more

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I've hiked into Mission Trails through the main entrance on the west end but I found coming around on the 52 and exiting off Mast Blvd ('East Fortuna Staging Area' ) to be a more direct way to enter. Luckily there were a lot of people so we just followed the crowds. My favorite part is that the trail starts immediately vs coming in from Mission Trails you have to walk on the paved road for quite a distance. read more

Fun fact, this hike is part of Mission Trails Regional Park, aka home of Cowles Mountain. However this hike, is off the 52 and the entrance to Cowles is off the 8. I showed up at 9:30AM on MLK day, and, while there was no parking in the tiny Old Mission Dam parking lot, there were a lot of available spots on Junipero Serra Road which leads right up to the Dam which is the start of the hike. We started out on the grasslands trail within Oak Canyon trail, but I'm not gonna lie, I ended up a bit confused by the signage during the trail and I'm ultimately not sure if we veered off and ended up on different sub-trails. Regardless, ain't no thang, because it was quite easy to tell that we were at least ON a trail (I had been wondering if I should have brought a compass and map). I think the sporadic railings made it quite clear... there is a tad bit of rocky terrain, but overall the trail is smooth with very slight changes in elevation. In the winter, the streams are flowin and the ground damp. I took away one star because this hike did not get my heart pumping. Small price to pay for the calm and serene. In comparison, Cowles is more challenging. read more

Gorgeous hiking trails located inside mission trails park. peaceful and serene, perfect place to renew yourself. Trails are easy and is perfect for all levels and ages including kids . Not stroller friendly but there are asphalt road surrounding the trails that you could use and the view is equally magnificent. Highly recommended. Bonus: Free parking! read more

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