Mission Trails Regional Park

Mission Trails Regional Park In partnership with the City, MTRP Foundation preserves + protects the natural environment of MTRP.
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You’re almost there. 🥾 The summit is in sight. Your legs are feeling the climb, but the view keeps getting better with ...
06/09/2026

You’re almost there. 🥾

The summit is in sight. Your legs are feeling the climb, but the view keeps getting better with every step. You pause for a moment, take a sip of water, and soak it all in before that final push to the top.

What's running through your mind right now? 🤔

And while you're catching your breath, can you tell us which trail you're standing on?

Drop your guesses (and your summit thoughts) in the comments!

PC: Jonathan Serna

📸 The photo contest winners rollout continues… The Blueprint of Biodiversity by Lily Santiago First Place - Teens Categ...
06/07/2026

📸 The photo contest winners rollout continues…

The Blueprint of Biodiversity by Lily Santiago
First Place - Teens Category

A striking look at Mulefat (Baccharis salicifolia), a California native plant – a robust and adaptable flowering shrub known for its sticky foliage and abundant fuzzy flowers, which range in color from white to pink or red-tinged and bloom throughout the year, providing nurtients for all pollinators.

More winning entries coming soon; stay tuned!

🎉 That's a wrap on the 2025-26 field trip season! This year, the MTRP Foundation and Park Rangers welcomed 6,650 studen...
06/05/2026

🎉 That's a wrap on the 2025-26 field trip season!

This year, the MTRP Foundation and Park Rangers welcomed 6,650 students from across San Diego County for hands-on learning and outdoor exploration at Mission Trails.

As interest in the program continues to grow, Foundation-led field trips for the 2026-27 school year will move to a lottery-based registration system, giving all schools an equal opportunity to participate.

The Ranger-led program registration will remain the same, and open after the Foundation lottery, so teachers will have another chance to get one of the coveted field spots.

Thank you to the students, teachers, volunteers, and staff who made the 2025-2026 field trip season a success. We can't wait to do it again next year!

For more information on field trips and the Foundation’s new lottery system, visit www.mtrp.org.

Summer Evening Walks are back! 🌅 Longer days mean more time to explore, and some of the best trail experiences happen a...
06/04/2026

Summer Evening Walks are back! 🌅

Longer days mean more time to explore, and some of the best trail experiences happen at dusk.

Join MTRP Trail Guides this June for Twilight Walks, Guided Evening Walks, Bat Walks, and more. Explore the trails in the cooler evening air, discover how wildlife activity changes at sunset, and experience the park in a whole new light. 🦇 🌙

Check the MTRP Events Calendar for the full schedule and details on all upcoming summer evening walks. Link in bio.

PC: Richard Tibbits

Same place, different time. By day, the trails are home to hikers. By night, they’re traveled by wildlife. A bobcat, ...
06/02/2026

Same place, different time.

By day, the trails are home to hikers. By night, they’re traveled by wildlife.

A bobcat, raccoon, coyote, and bunny all pass through the same spot, each searching for something different. Food, water, shelter, or simply a safe path through the landscape.

Captured on our trail cameras, these nighttime visitors are a reminder that when the sun goes down, a different community comes to life at Mission Trails. 🌙🐾

Meet California Buckwheat (Eriogonum fasciculatum)⁠ 🌾🐝⁠ ⁠ A cornerstone of California’s native landscapes, Buckwheat is ...
05/31/2026

Meet California Buckwheat (Eriogonum fasciculatum)⁠ 🌾🐝⁠
⁠
A cornerstone of California’s native landscapes, Buckwheat is one of the most valuable plants for pollinators and wildlife alike. Blooming from spring through fall, its clusters of tiny white, pink, or rusty-red flowers provide nectar and pollen for native bees, butterflies, moths, and other beneficial insects 🦋⁠

Fun fact: Common Buckwheat is the most observed plant on iNaturalist at Mission Trails and the second overall species recorded next to the Western Fence Lizard!
⁠
Buckwheat also serves as a host plant for butterfly and moth larvae, while its seeds feed birds and small mammals 🐦 As the blooms fade, they dry into beautiful cinnamon-colored seed heads that add year-round texture to the landscape.⁠
⁠
In the garden, native buckwheat are drought-tolerant, low-maintenance, and a perfect addition to pollinator and habitat gardens ☀️🌿⁠

PC: Angie Ollman, Jonathan Serna

Little explorers remind us that magic lives in the smallest things. ✨ Here’s your reminder to lean into curiosity the ...
05/29/2026

Little explorers remind us that magic lives in the smallest things. ✨

Here’s your reminder to lean into curiosity the next time you explore the park. 🍂

📸 First Place Winner - Adults People Category
“Curiosity at Your Fingertips” by Tracy Jennings

THIS WEEKEND: Join Unci Intertribal at Mission Trails on Saturday, May 30, and Saturday, June 6, for mornings of native ...
05/28/2026

THIS WEEKEND: Join Unci Intertribal at Mission Trails on Saturday, May 30, and Saturday, June 6, for mornings of native storytelling, cultural teachings, craft-making pouch necklaces, and intentional connection with nature 🌿✨

These family-friendly gatherings invite participants of all ages to learn, create, and engage with the natural world through Indigenous perspectives and traditions.

MTRP Visitor Center
Saturday, May 30 and June 6
10AM–12PM

Free and open to the public. Register at bio.

Exploring Mission Trails this Memorial Day? Join us this morning at 8:30AM for the Bee-o-Blitz Nature Walk and help i...
05/24/2026

Exploring Mission Trails this Memorial Day?

Join us this morning at 8:30AM for the Bee-o-Blitz Nature Walk and help identify native bees! Meet at Gate 4 at the corner of Calle de Vida and Colina Dorado Drive in Tierrasanta. 🐝

Don’t forget to stop into the MTRP Visitor Center to get trail advice from knowledgeable volunteers, browse the Gift Shop, explore exhibits, and enjoy the cool AC. 😎

We hope to see you at the park and have a safe holiday!

PC: Mary Gibson

On Thursday evening, we celebrated our photo contest finalists and recognized winners in every category! 📸✨ Over the com...
05/23/2026

On Thursday evening, we celebrated our photo contest finalists and recognized winners in every category! 📸✨

Over the coming weeks we'll share some of the winners to give them a virtual round of applause 👏

Featured here is the Best in Show and first place winner in the Adults Animals category, Allen’s Hummingbird by Elba Watkins.

View all submissions on the MTRP website, and don’t forget to vote for the People’s Choice Award in person at the MTRP Visitor Center (open daily, 9AM–5PM).

Address

1 Father Junipero Serra Trl
San Diego, CA
92119

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 7pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 9pm
Saturday 9am - 5pm
Sunday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+16196683281

Website

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