North Fortuna Summit at Mission Trails Regional Park

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Most San Diegans access North Fortuna Trail via the East Fortuna Staging Area following the Perimeter Trail which hugs the E52 freeway.  Since we live in Tierrasanta, we wanted to explore the surrounding trails near us. We entered the trail via Portobelo Drive.  It's easy to miss this trailhead because it's nestled between Portobelo Dr. houses and the Belsera condo/townhomes.  Hopefully, the map below can help.

GoogleMap: Mission Trails Park Portobelo Entrance
To the right of this image are the Belsera condo/townhomes carports.



Finding the entrance to Mission Trails Park via Portobelo Dr. is perhaps the only unsure moment you'll have.  Once you find it, the trail to North Fortuna Summit is pretty straightforward.  You know you're heading the right way when you can hear or see the E52 freeway to your left.




We literally saw someone jogging up-and-down this hill, so we said, "why not?"


Just follow the trail. 



We like stopping to look back how far we've gone.  (And to take a breath, of course.) E52 Freeway becomes smaller and smaller the higher you go. It's an empowering feeling.




When you get to the North Fortuna Summit, you will be rewarded with a bird's eye view of the South Fortuna and Cowles mountains, the mountain range to the east, downtown San Diego, and Coronado islands. 






We went back via Shepherd's Pond which is really not much of a pond. It is so overgrown with reeds, you could miss it.  

This hike is very do-able, especially from the Portobelo Dr. entrance.  Do it tomorrow!