By JENNIFER MORRISSEY
At the time of this printing, Mission Trails Regional Park (MTRP) is only open to its neighbors, those within walking distance to the park. Cowles Mountain and, by extension, Pyles Peak are closed until further notice, as is the Visitor Center, Kumeyaay Lake Campground, and the trail around Lake Murray. We look forward to healthier times when everyone can once again enjoy the entirety of the park. (Please note that you can find out the latest about the park’s status on the homepage of our website: mtrp.org.)
For those who follow Mission Trails and hiking forums on social media, you’ve likely read park users’ posts about how much they miss MTRP. When the park partially reopened to neighbors a few weeks ago, many families shared photos from the park, including Holly, who lives near Mission Trails Regional Park with her family.
Before Mission Trails closed temporarily due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Holly and her son, Dylan, would hit the trails a couple times per week “to adventure” as the eight-year-old calls it. Holly’s family lives in a condominium with no yard and Mission Trails is just a couple hundred feet from their front door; they affectionately refer to the MTRP as their “backyard.”
“We just love connecting with nature and watching how the plants and grass change with the seasons,” Holly shared. “My son constantly comments on the beauty of the views, flowers, and wildlife we come across.”
Recently, Holly and Dylan went for an early morning adventure, hiking up to North Fortuna, encountering only a few people and one snake along the way. On the walk, Dylan found a heart-shaped rock, which he enjoyed then left for another hiker to discover.
“We cherish the park,” Holly wrote, “Our family feels so fortunate to have wilderness right outside our front door.”
We want to hear from you!
In light of the Mission Trails Regional Park (MTRP) Visitor Center’s temporary closure due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the MTRP Foundation will soon offer online educational programming. To this end, we’ve created a survey so that the community can help us determine and prioritize our online offerings.
To participate in the survey, please visit our website homepage at mtrp.org for the link. The survey will take approximately five minutes and closes on Sunday, May 17.
— Jennifer Morrissey is executive director of the Mission Trails Regional Park Foundation.
