California's Former Marine Corps Base Is Home To The State's Largest City Park With 65 Miles Of Trails

Fabulous weather, vibrant culture, the dreamiest of coastlines: what's not to love about San Diego? Yet, it's is still a city, and every once in a while, urbanites need to step away from the hustle and bustle of it all. Fortunately, San Diego residents are blessed with a number parks offering a serene escape from urban living — some right inside the city itself. One of these, Mission Trails Regional Park, is not just San Diego's but California's largest urban park. 

The 7,220-acre park sits next to the Mission View Estates neighborhood on the northwest side of the city in what used to be Camp Elliott, which served as a military training base for tens of thousands of soldiers heading off to fight in World War I and II. At one time, 41 firing ranges were dispersed throughout the site, along with encampments and bivouac areas. After the Armed Forces ceased using the land, the city of San Diego acquired it and, in 1974, transformed it into Mission Trails Regional Park.

Today, 65 miles of scenic trails wind through terrain where tanks once rumbled and bullets ripped through the air. In this peaceful environment, it's easy to forget the past. But every once in a while, erosion and other natural forces unearth a rusty projectile — a stark reminder of the park's darker former purpose. Visitors who happen to see anything resembling a shell should refrain from touching it and alert park officials immediately to avoid setting off an explosion.

Mission Trails Regional Park has an array of trails for hikers, bikers, and equestrians. Some paths ascend the park's peaks, while others follow creeks through brushy canyons or trace the shorelines of Lake Murray and Kumeyaay Lake. Trails range from easy to difficult and travel through the park's grasslands, woodlands, and chaparral. These ecosystems serve as habitats for a surprising variety of wildlife given the park's urban location, including deer, bobcats, mountain lions, coyotes, rabbits, roadrunners, hawks, owls, snakes and many other critters. 

One of the most popular trails in the park climbs Cowles Mountain to the top of San Diego. The summit is the city's highest spot,with panoramic views of downtown, North County, Orange County, and Mexico, weather permitting. The 3-mile out-and-back hike has just under 1,000 feet of elevation gain, serving up a decent workout to complement the impressive views. 

Those interested to learn more about the park's flora, fauna, and natural history can head to the park's Visitor Center, which is the starting point for volunteer-led nature walks. One such walk is a loop through stands of majestic Coast Live Oaks and rare Engelmann's Oaks, showcasing the area's forests. Another guided stroll is along the Grinding Rocks Trail, which leads to an archaeological site where the Indigenous Kumeyaay people used mortar stones to grind acorns into a mash called shawii. While hiking in the Kumeyaay Grinding Rocks area, keep your eyes peeled for modern humans scaling the cliffs, as this is a popular area for rock climbing. 

Aside from crags and canyons, there's also 171-acre Lake Murray, a friendly haven for fishing and other water and land-based sports. However, do note that swimming is not allowed here, as it's a 6-mile-long paved and accessible trail winds around a good portion of the lake, drawing walkers, dog walkers, runners, and bikers every day of the week. Kayak and other small boat rentals are available at the area's concession stand, enabling even those without their own watercraft to spend time on the sparkling waters. Fishing is also popular at the lake, which is regularly stocked with largemouth bass, bluegill, channel catfish, black crappie and trout. Along the shoreline of Murray Lake are many lovely spots to enjoy a picnic, with 10 barbeques and dozens of picnic tables scattered throughout the area.

The other body of water in the park, Kumeyaay Lake, features a gorgeous lakeside campground for those who don't want to return to city life just yet. It is open for overnight stays on Friday and Saturday nights, with 46 sites for both tents and RVs, plus basic amenities like bathrooms with showers, drinking water, and a dump station. From Monday to Thursday, camping is not allowed, but day-use visitors can use the picnic tables anywhere in the campground.

Mission Trail Regional Park is located 12 miles northeast of downtown San Diego, just north of San Diego State University. The park is open every day except major holidays and is completely free to visit.And thanks to San Diego's mild climate, this is one park that's pleasant to visit all year long!