The Mission Valley Preserve

I have been dragged here one too many times. The boys really like it for some crazy reason. I don’t know how we found this originally, but you park at the Mission Valley YMCA and head west from the parking lot into the trail. It takes you past some sketchy areas under the trolley tracks. There’s one pier/​pile that has sheet metal wrapped around the base with water in it. It’s pretty murky, but if you look carefully, you can see crawfish in it! My boys caught one and brought it home. I think they must somehow get there from the river during the rainy season, but I can’t imagine them climbing up that far because this pit is at least 30 yards from the river and the rim must be 5 yards or so higher than water level. After you pass this, you continue down by the river. We’ve tried fishing there just for fun, (I can’t recommend eating anything living in the SD River) and on a nice day you can almost ignore the trolley. Be careful though, there’s a little area where a small part of the river flows over some flat irregular rocks right next to the bank– and my little one got too cocky leaning over and did a faceplant into the river. Thankfully, it’s pretty shallow there, so I just grabbed an arm and hauled him back. The kids have actually caught something once. Also lookout because there are the occasional transients.
For a far nicer part of the preserve, park at the Hazard Center and walk across the trolley tracks in back, then through the condos. Act like you belong, and noone will bug you as you cross through to the river. There’s a short jogging trail that heads east and west from there. It’s good for little kids, but not long enough to get any serious exercise. If you head east, you’ll hit Mission Center Road. If you go west, I’m not sure because the last time we went, it was blocked off for construction/​repairs. It’s a shaded, pretty, and secluded but safe. Sometimes I walk my dog back here after a workout at the gym. You can also ride the trolley and get off right at Hazard Center.
Not a bad spot to catch a glimpse of native San Diego fowl.
I just wish the city would quit allowing so much development right on the dang river.