Mission Bay Trail: San Diego, CA

Mission Bay Trail is a 6.47 mile path with 52 feet of elevation gain and is part of Mission Bay Park located in San Diego, CA. This is a very nice paved path that goes a long the bay. You can start just about anywhere on the trail and make it as long or as short as you want.

Parking & Getting There

Parking is very easy and there is plenty! That is… When it is not a holiday. Below you can see that I start at the North end of the path with plenty of parking. Keep in mind that this is only one of the many parking areas along the path. If you come during a major holiday or when there is fireworks make sure to plan ahead. Possibly change the path you are doing for the day to avoid the headache of parking and the traffic in the area.

The Trail

Mission Bay Trail is an awesome trail a long the bay that offers great views and a great place to hang out after your walk, bike, or run. Looking on their website it shows that the park hours are from 4 am to 2 am. Seems weird that it is only technically closed for “2hrs”, but hey thats what it says.

Along the path you will find that there are bathrooms available. Also there are many park benches and other great places to stop as you are usually 10-50ft away from the water during the entire ride.

One thing that the locals really like about this trail is that it is easy to access and if you are a road biker, it is easy to add as part of a much larger ride. Road bikers will tend to come by hear, then hop over to Fiesta Island Trail, and continue on from there to much longer rides.

There are a lot of signs on the path, but not needed in order to follow along. There is some shade available under the trees, but there is not a whole lot. Being by the bay the heat should not be an issue, but make sure to wear sunscreen, you will be exposed and it will be easy to get a sunburn.

Lookback

Overall I really enjoy taking this path. When I am in the area its a great spot to do a little segment of the path with the family then have a picnic afterwards. I highly recommend a bike ride early morning. There are not many people out and the water is very peaceful paired with some beautiful sunrise colors!

Photo Gallery

Wrap Up

Is there a specific hike that you would like to see next? Leave a comment down below or reach out via the Contact Form and hopefully I will be able to get a recap and virtual hike posted soon! Thanks for stopping by, enjoy your adventure.