Mission Valley Preserve — Attraction in San Diego

I would give this place more than five stars if I could!!!

The only reason I can't is because there are a lot of homeless camps and trolleys all over the place, making it feel unsafe and dirty. Especially if you want to go off trail. In one place there is even a metal sign put up saying don't go there because if may be unsafe, and graffiti nearby saying "rip e man"

Other than that this place is absolutely stunning to see during the April period when the spring bloom happens in and around San Diego! An absolute must see, there are poppies and flowers sprouting everywhere! And what's more all this is in the heart of San Diego! Unbelievable.

You can hike all the way to Cottonwood park where there are bikers taking the bike lane that goes all the way along the San Diego river all the way to Ocean Beach.

I wish they would clean this place up because it's an absolute diamond in the making.

To access there are multiple places but the official entrance is in the back of the parking lot of Mission...

We went there for a Sunday hike with my 8 yr old daughter and my husband. We thought it would be a great place to see nature, get some sunshine and do some exploring. While it is a perfect place for that, we didn't feel safe and had to turn around after only 15 minutes. The place is full of transients, homeless encampments, and sketchy activity. Lots of trash left behind by transients and just an unsafe feeling. We were there at 10:30 a.m. on a sunny day, and even my husband felt uneasy. I wish the city could address this problem because it has such potential to be a cool little gem in the middle...

I absolutely love with the San Diego river park foundation has been doing to make our river a more welcoming place for the public. The little pathways lined with stones and direction signs really add a nice touch. I would love to see this done with the entire length of the river if possible. As someone who spends much of their leisure time looking for new fishing spots along the river to catch and release it would be nice to be more clear as to where the game reserve begins and ends so as to avoid fishing in the wrong location. Keep up the good work San Diego river...