South Fortuna Summit

I did the long loop from the west entrance through both Fortuna peaks and hoo boy. It was a good hike but man was it tiring. all trails put it at 4ish miles but it ended up being 7 miles. My god. I ran out of water but glad I made it out rofl. Had a good time, beautiful scenery, tough and steep and in the sun!

Those stairs...

Starting from the Tierrasanta entrance, it's 1 mile to the trailhead, another mile to the summit. 4 miles total. The view at the top is well-rewarding.

South Fortuna is such a sweet trail, it’s long but worth it. River crossing is so much fun. Bring lots of water, not much shade.

What a experience this is. The views are absolutely stunning. Incredible places to walk and hike. Pack up, pack it out. Keep this place pristine. Can't wait to go again.

Mission Trails park is a nicely maintained piece of land with miles n miles of trails for hiking, running, and mountain biking. South Fortuna is one of my favorite loop trails in the park with a nice elevation gain and a stroll through some surprisingly different terrain. The "stairway" is the best and most difficult part. Great views of San Diego at the top await you as a reward for this nicely challenging trail. Pack out whatever you pack in. Make sure you always have water and a light for backup incase you're out there after dark. (remember the parking 🅿 closes @ sunset 🌇)

A beautiful and jaw dropping hike right at the edge between San Diego city and county. The pictures do not do it justice... in person you could see all the way to downtown, the ocean, and the islands beyond all from Santee.

Probably my favorite trail in Mission Trails. It’s great for trail running or hiking.

Great place for a hike. Watch out for 🐍, I see them on average every 5th or 6th hike. Usually just red diamond rattlesnakes, which is one of the least aggressive and venomous species, so there is that. ;)

We hiked in from the Claremont mesa trailhead and it was fairly moderate. It's a bit steep from that way, but totally worth it.

A nice energetic hike will get you to this peak that has a 360 degree of San Diego county.

Great peak! I went here after I went North Fortuna Peak! Very close!

Easy to get to from the North Fortuna Summit. Make sure you turn off to the summit rather than continuing on the 'trail' route.

This trail is very adventurous. Loved it!

I have an affinity and love for Mission Trails. The trails are well cared for, and you couldn't ask for a more accessible location. It's impressive how this natural park can be situated smack in a central location to just about anywhere in San Diego, yet maintain its natural beauty and feeling of isolation. South Fortuna mountain is very central to the park, and can easily be navigated to from about seven or eight different trail heads. The approach can be a more gentle one by hitting the Fortuna saddle from the east or west, or a more intense climb coming from the southwest. This one is one of our favorites.

If you can make it to this marker give yourself a pat on the back. You just walked almost two and a half miles one way and ascended over 800 feet. Keep your eyes on the ground. It's very rocky and you don't want to sprain an ankle. The trip down is treacherous, too. Watch out for rattle snakes and enjoy the view from the top. Overall it's a great workout.

Tough to get there but worth the effort. I'm older so it took me longer. Do not try the Fortuna stairs unless you are in good shape or are using hiking poles. Lot of rocks to climb over in places. Flowers everywhere right now!

If you take the back trail by the Dam you can get to North and South Fortuna in the same hike, but it's a harder trail with a steep incline. About 7 miles round trip if you get both peaks. Start out at 7 because it gets hot and dusty by 11.

Easier than North Fortuna. Pretty and fun, I love mission trails.

Easy summit once you get to the saddle which is a pull from both sides. Less busy than Cowles. Accessable from different trail heads.

Great trail and hike! Just be careful for rattlesnakes, I saw 2 at the summit of South Fortuna and someone else told me they saw a couple on the visitor loop trail as well.