East Fortuna Staging Area

Great trailhead for walking to the grasslands loop, Fortuna trails and others. Easy and flat, its great for all ages and great for dogs.

Visiting San Diego and trying to get some non-touristy hikes in the book.. Mission accomplished.

I think this is a trail runner and mountain bike destination (no, not you Mr electrified bike, that gear is inappropriate here). You could spend all day here.

Logistics: bathrooms at this trailhead. Get here early, wear plenty of sun protection, and carry enough water. Our kids are 10 and 12 and we arrived mid-morning. If we were going to summit North or South Fortuna we needed to arrive earlier. We still had a great hike to the saddle.

Interesting caveat. I had my first rattlesnake encounter at the parking lot at about 12pm. Stepped one inch from it. It even rattled. Posted that pic for your own "I spy" game.

Both kids enjoyed it. Next time we roll in when the park opens. Enjoy!

Very accessible parking, broad trails. Love this areas for light hikes and running. Super clean too

Wonderful trails all over Mission Trails - we hike here often - difficult to easy - what ever your pleasure. There is a place for horses although I have never seen one!

Great east county location to hike. So many different routes you can take based on the level of difficulty.

In the spring when there’s water flowing through Mission Trails, this is the best side of the park for hiking. Easy access right off the highway, but as soon as you’re on the trail, you’ll feel like you’re in another world.

If you have 2 hours or more to spare, get on the Oak Canyon Trail (see a trail map for a couple ways to get to it), where the path follows a creek and you’ll enjoy several small waterfalls.

Beautiful walk through grasslands and oak studded chaparral. Easy to moderate strolling or if interested, more distant, and challenging hill climbs.

Love starting here when we are going for a Mountain Bike ride. Clean bathrooms and a bike tool station.

Awesome trails, wether you are hiking or bike riding

This trail head is in a great location for parking and multiple trailhead access. Both short and long combinations of trails start here. Also the old mission dam is close by.

Ample parking. Restrooms are clean. Good access to many trails.

Great hiking from east to very difficult. Hard to find North Fortuna trail head through.

Very very nice place to get out and enjoy nature. There are Miles and Miles of trails around here having a variety of different difficulty levels.

This hike is easy to moderate... you start of on flat surface till you reach the hills... few short ups and downs ... then you go to Oak Canyon... my favorite place to walk on rocks! (Just be careful, hikers!) Then you go back on Grassland loop to go back to the parking lot. 4 miles!

Nice trail head area. Dirt lot with good parking and real restroom facilities. Quick access to several trails in the park. Gets really hot in the summer so don't take your dogs or you risk citations. Dogs are allowed on leashes during cooler weather. I wish more people would respect that and not allow their dogs of lush in the park.

The last 25 times I've gone to Mission Trails this is where I've parked. It's a clean little lot with a central corral, multiple lots for parking trailers, etc. if needed. Great place to disembark on your hike or ride especially if you have children along. The trails immediately nearby are nice. Also, you're even closer to the main trails than if you were to park in the South end off of Junipero Serra Trl.

Accommodating private (ish) picnic areas with table, grill, and water supply

Nice day hike. Go early when it's cool.

Have not been over here for a few years. There is a new ranger station and the parking lots have been realigned. There are 4-5 pipe corals for horses. They are short term day use only for riders that trailer in.

Ample parking, nice bathrooms, water fountains. Central to all the east side trails (grasslands, sheep canyon, the Fortunas). To me this is the best launch area for any MTRP run/hike.