Mission Trails Regional Park
San Diego (Tierrasanta/Santee) · near San Diego · San Diego
Wildlife Watching
At a glance
- Best season
- Year-round; spring best (active birds & wildflowers); early morning for mammals
- Open year round
- Yes
What is here
- Wildlife
- land-mammals · birds
- Species
- Mule deer, bobcat, coyote, ground squirrels; coastal California gnatcatcher (sensitive), quail, greater roadrunner, acorn woodpecker, red-tailed hawk; Lake Murray waterbirds
- Amenities
- Large modern visitor center · Gentle Grasslands & river trails · Lake Murray waterbirds · Free access
- Best for
- Genuine chaparral wildlife within the city, with a great visitor center
- Features
- Huge urban wilderness park · Quail, roadrunners, gnatcatchers & deer · Excellent visitor-center exhibits · Family-friendly river trails
Worth knowing
- Hazards
- Rattlesnakes common - stay on trail · Hot & exposed; very busy on weekends (go early) · Chaparral animals are secretive - reward patience
- Good for a first timer
- Yes
Wildlife Watching detail
- Viewing
- trail
- Effort
- moderate
- Habitat
- mountain
- Sighting
- 3
- Viewing notes
- One of the largest urban wilderness parks in the country, packing genuine chaparral wildlife - quail, roadrunners, gnatcatchers and deer - within the city limits, with a top-notch visitor center
- Intl tip
- Bird the quieter Grasslands or Oak Canyon loops at dawn - not the crowded Cowles Mountain summit - for the best wildlife. Rattlesnakes are common, so stay on trail; the visitor center is excellent for orienting kids.
The guide
Mission Trails is one of the largest urban wilderness parks in the country, and it packs genuine chaparral wildlife - quail, gr…
In the Guidebook
Everything above is yours for free. The written guide to Mission Trails Regional Park — what it is actually like, and what we would tell a friend before they went — comes with the Guidebook.
Getting there
- Coordinates
- 32.839, -117.045