2 min
Overview
In 1769 in what was then known as the province of New Spain, Franciscan missionaries established a mission along a river in an area previously discovered by Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo called San Miguel. Father Junipero Serra named the mission in honor of the Spanish saint Didacus of Alcala, more commonly and colloquially known as San Diego. The original mission stood upon a hill now known today as Presidio Hill (the former site of the mission’s Presidio), and was later moved east to what is now known as Mission Valley. In order to solve the issue of limited water supply in a region now famed as a semi-arid land of perpetual sunshine, the Franciscans constructed a dam across the San Diego River just below the confluence of a tributary draining a serene oak- and sycamore-lined canyon. This dam, which impounded a modest amount of water in a narrow reservoir, carried water six miles downstream via a flume in order to support the mission’s agricultural needs. This ambitious and enduring hydrological project was the first of its kind of the West Coast. Although the flume is long gone, the Mission Dam still remains as one of the oldest structures in San Diego at over 210 years old. This attractively weathered historic structure is but one of several highlights along this family-friendly trip that also visits seasonal waterfalls, seasonal wildflowers, and a beautiful canyon habitat in one of the loveliest pockets of Mission Trails Regional Park. From the trailhead, walk downhill past a marker describing the dam’s history to a brief informal path that leads to the river just below the dam. When the river’s flow wakes up from its summer slumber – usually from late fall to early summer – water collects on the east side of the dam and then tumbles over a small spillway on the south side of the structure. A dense jungle of willows and cottonwoods shade the scene, and waterfowl can be observed floating on the impounded waters. Mild mannered though this river usually is, it is still responsible for carving out the impressive g
Trail Stats
5.2 km
91 m
144 m
81 m
—
Photos
Trail photo
No caption provided.
Trail photo
No caption provided.
Trail photo
No caption provided.
Trail photo
No caption provided.
Trail photo
No caption provided.
Trail photo
No caption provided.
Trail photo
No caption provided.
Trail photo
No caption provided.
Trail photo
No caption provided.